Where are the French PH Massive?

Where are the French PH Massive?

Author
Discussion

Chris_

483 posts

205 months

Tuesday 19th June 2012
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Part-time in Charente Maritime (near St Jean d'Angely). Bought in 2005 but no immediate plans to make it permanent. It's a lovely area with decent weather and some great beaches near by

I would also suggest doing a recce in the middle of winter as well. What looks like a quaint, bustling village in Summer can be a cold, miserable ghost town in January. I would also recommend renting to begin with. It can take years (and cost a small fortune) to sell a house in France and you don't want to be stuck somewhere if it does not leave up to your dreams. And finally, get signed up to French lessons asap. The better your language skills, the easier it will be, and the greater the chance of integrating and generally being accepted.

Anglo info is a useful source of local information once you have narrowed your search

Good luck!

Janosh

1,735 posts

166 months

Tuesday 19th June 2012
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Hi guys, I'm based in Chamonix byebye
We're lucky enough to have amazing roads in every direction! driving

Caractacus

Original Poster:

2,604 posts

224 months

Tuesday 19th June 2012
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Hi Chris

Thanks for the info and especially for the link. That site is full of excellent info smile

Cheers,

C.

Froggy porker

4,763 posts

240 months

Wednesday 20th June 2012
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Another nice thing about living in France - Le Mans 24 hour race is even more accessible! I'm going to miss that annual treat....

Craigyp79

586 posts

182 months

Friday 22nd June 2012
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Just outside Calais, so not really that far from Blighty, working in Dunkerque at the moment.

Not the best of prettiest part of France but love having Europe within easy reach.

Caractacus

Original Poster:

2,604 posts

224 months

Friday 22nd June 2012
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I'll tell you what, guys. If we end up in France, there shall be a French PH Massive BBQ put on at some stage - entry by PH Smiley only smile

magooagain

9,910 posts

169 months

Friday 22nd June 2012
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Charente PH here. I would be up for a meet / BBQ !!

smifffymoto

4,527 posts

204 months

Friday 22nd June 2012
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Ariege soon to be Dordogne.

Johno

8,401 posts

281 months

Friday 22nd June 2012
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Le Vesinet, west Paris . . . 78

Sortie 10

724 posts

251 months

Friday 22nd June 2012
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Often to be found in the Haut Doubs, south of Pontarlier. Peaceful, fortunately largely undiscovered by the Brits (go on, admit it you've never heard of it! wink ), great scenery, friendly locals & sensational driving. Will try and get there in the next month smile

smegmore

3,091 posts

175 months

Saturday 23rd June 2012
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I also live in the Vendée, started in La Roche Sur Yon and then moved to Aizenay early last year.

I like it here, conservative small French town and the locals are very hospitable if you speak French.

JnP

340 posts

156 months

Wednesday 27th June 2012
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Moving to Rennes in a bit (35) in île-Et-villaine

Bienvenue en France !!
And I'll happily try to come to the BBQ smile

mikey77

707 posts

187 months

Saturday 7th July 2012
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Been here about half an hour north-west of Limoges on the Haute-Vienne/Charente border for ten years.
Lovely but where next?

Chris_

483 posts

205 months

Monday 9th July 2012
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mikey77 said:
Been here about half an hour north-west of Limoges on the Haute-Vienne/Charente border for ten years.
Lovely but where next?
Hi Mikey, you're not too far from me and we have been thinking "where next?" if we were to move on. The favourite at the moment is the other side of Toulouse. The areas of Aude and Pyrénées-Orientales seem to have it all; close to the coast, good transport links, hot in the Summer, easy access to skiing in the Winter. The prices seem to be about double those of the Charente though frown


Vintage Racer

619 posts

144 months

Wednesday 11th July 2012
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7 years now in the North Dordogne (Saint Saud Lacoussiere - 24470) and love it.

Time for a change though, so if you fancy a nice property with 12 acres, stables, woods and a lake, let me know?

Next stop is Italy for a few years!

Good luck with your search

Cheers
Glynn

Caractacus

Original Poster:

2,604 posts

224 months

Wednesday 11th July 2012
quotequote all
Vintage Racer said:
Good luck with your search

Cheers
Glynn
Hi Glynn,

If there were two additional gites I think you'd have a sale! smile Lovely property.

Still looking at a property recce in Sept - can't wait!

Cheers,

C.

sider

2,059 posts

220 months

Friday 13th July 2012
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Forgive my noseyness all!

But..... what do you all do for a living in France?

My wife and I really love it out there - stay regularly in the very south near the Spanish border - great mountains and right on the med - and also stayed very north last year, near Etaples.

We're not big into cities.

I have a desk-based job and have thought about 'freelancing' myself to work from over there via Skype and internet/email. But i can't help but think that if work dried up, what would i do? Is there anything obvious or do i need to start reading wine making books?!



Perik Omo

1,883 posts

147 months

Friday 13th July 2012
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Me, I retired early although I was working (freelance) for year whilst here for a large American group so could work anywhere as long as I was contactable and attended daily 'phone conference. Bored!! Don't make me laugh, I've just finished two solid days repairing stonework on the top corner of a barn that had collapsed due to poor (read none) maintenance by the previous French farmer owner, the barn is very old and appears on an 18th century map of the hamlet. I've got enough outside projects around the property to keep me busy for the next two years. Not to mention inside decoration that's going to be required in the next year or so as it's been 4 years since we last did the walls and they're getting a bit grubby.

black11s

243 posts

239 months

Sunday 22nd July 2012
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I'm typing this from Bordeaux.
I would move here in a flash if I could only persuade my ex-wife (I have a 10 yr old son equally desperate to move here).
The irony is that she's French!

If you're considering moving here full time, you really ought to check this region out too. Its a decent size city, so has all you could ever want (I'm a Londoner so need my fix of shops, bars and restaurants), but its 45 mins to the coast, 2 hours to the slopes in winter, and you can easily pop over to Spain when Les Grenouilles start to grate.

I lived here 15 years ago as a student and the beauty of the place doesn't wear off. Every day it takes my breath away.

Spending a week here with a TVR has been quite an experience too. People stop in the street where its parked and take photos!

Anyway, must get off to enjoy an appero in the sunshine.

A bientot.

Dick le Dog

21 posts

140 months

Tuesday 24th July 2012
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This advice from Chris should be read and re-read :
'I would also suggest doing a recce in the middle of winter as well. What looks like a quaint, bustling village in Summer can be a cold, miserable ghost town in January. I would also recommend renting to begin with. It can take years (and cost a small fortune) to sell a house in France and you don't want to be stuck somewhere if it does not leave up to your dreams.'

I moved here in '93, and thankfully I did a bit of homework first. Eventually I worked in the property business for a while and agree with renting first. Where property is cheap, it is for one reason or another. This may seem obvious, but I have met folk who would not accept advice and lived to regret it.
I finished my first house, sold it and bought this little fermette (€32000 at the time) twenty-five minutes from the sea, and twenty from Saintes. Back in '93 France seemed a bit empty compared with UK, but I soon discovered several specialist engineers etc. then in '94 I discovered Nogaro. I'd already found Le Vigeant, and now a new circuit has opened in the south of the departement, circuit de Haut Saintonge so along with Pau Arnos we're well catered for here .
First post here, sorry for rambling on but be aware that it is a biggish country which changes a lot as you move from one area to another.Don't get carried away with vast properties in hectares of land which seem cheap because unless you are young it won't leave you time for seeing the rest of France .....or Italy, Spain etc.