Returning From Living in France?

[mikef]

Recently retired and it was always our plan to move to France or Spain. Even had a property lined up in 47 (farm house converted by an architect friend) and funds set aside, then Brexit messed things up

I’m still wondering whether it’s worth doing now. I speak French (studied at Uni, worked in French-speaking countries for several years, including as company director in Paris and Lille), can get by in patois (Occitan), Catalan and Ch’ti and am realistic about the bureaucracy and nepotism

Has the boat sailed ? Can we still get somewhere that doesn’t need too much work for EUR 300-400k ? I don’t do DIY…

[smifffymoto]

There are hundreds of places for 300-400 needing no work.

The question should be,will I get the use out of it and will I get bored visiting the same place all the time.

[Mr Magooagain]

You could buy a ruin for three or four hundred thousand that needs at least that amount put into it again or you could buy something finished and ready to live in.
It just depends on what size and type of dwelling you want and where.

Charente ,North Vienne and the Creuse are cheap as chips but there’s not a great deal of commerce or things going on outside of summer.

Reconnaissance is never wasted.

[mikef]

I’d rather be a bit further south, having lived and worked in Angoulême and Limoges. It doesn’t take much to keep me amused in my old age

2 bedrooms, office space and a bit of land would do it

[rdjohn]

smifffymoto said:

Rdjohn, which sleepy little Cheshire village has caught your eye?

We are currently in Knutsford, we had this place to return to all the time we were in France., We are moving all the way to Wilmslow.

Handier for trains to Manchester, the airport and London and just generally better connected. We have visas to spend the winters in Estepona. We still have our French Brexit visas to visit France as and when.

It is simply a plan that looks sustainable for the future, no matter what befalls us.

[Sebastian Tombs]

fourstardan said:

Do you go abroad on holiday if living in France?

Last year alone my wife and I went to Italy twice, drove down via Sicily to Malta, got a train to Germany, Denmark & Sweden and flew to Japan (with a stopover in Abu Dhabi which doesn't really count), and a couple of trips to the UK.

And in the summer I basically live on holiday.

Interesting the comment about expat trades. We have found it amusingly hard to get French trades to even quote for some things. Forget about emailing, and even if you go in person some businesses are clearly so uninterested in doing any work that they haven't even got a computer in the office. It's like the 1950s with stacks of paper on spikes that will never be looked at again. Not just trades either. I had a French *online* shop cancel my order as they didn't want to pay credit card fees and I didn't want to send them a cheque.

So far we have successfully hired French, Belgian, British and Slovakian trades. You go with who can do the work to a decent standard and price.

[rdjohn]

smifffymoto said:

Rdjohn, which sleepy little Cheshire village has caught your eye?

We are currently in Knutsford, we had this place to return to all the time we were in France., We are moving all the way to Wilmslow.

Handier for trains to Manchester, the airport and London and just generally better connected. We have visas to spend the winters in Estepona. We still have our French Brexit visas to visit France as and when.

It is simply a plan that looks sustainable for the future, no matter what befalls us.

[smifffymoto]

Ha ha,I’m at Cranage. House hunting in Holmes Chapel.I lived there all my life before moving to France.

[paddy1970]

Before finalising your plans to move to France, potentially to spend the remainder of your life there, it's imperative to consider the implications of inheritance tax, which can be notably high.

In France, inheritance tax varies significantly depending on the relationship between the deceased and the beneficiaries. For children, after applying for a 100K allowance, the tax rates range from 5% to 45% based on the amount they inherit. The progressive nature of the tax means that relatively small estates can quickly move into higher tax brackets (>550k is taxed at 30% after allowance)

You can mitigate some tax exposure by exploring avenues such as gifting strategies, structuring your assets, and investing in tax-efficient vehicles.

[Rushjob]

Simes205 said:

Mr Magooagain said:

Simes205 said:

This.

My parents emigrated to France 32 years ago. They worked then retired here.
My father died 4 years ago but due to integrating fully and avoiding the English clique as it was sometime ago she would never consider returning to the UK with us.
Get involved and support the local community, avoid using English trades’ people!

Edited by Simes205 on Tuesday 13th February 16:26

Edited by Simes205 on Tuesday 13th February 16:27

You was doing ok until the last line. What sort of bullshoite is that?

It wasn’t offensive It was meant as use the local tradespeople as opposed to use the small group of ex pats who only work for the English. Nothing against them it just allows your social group to grow and integration.

Edited by Simes205 on Tuesday 13th February 17:23

Edited by Simes205 on Tuesday 13th February 17:25

What an idiotic statement. You do understand that those English trades live and work in that community and shock horror, speak French and the majority certainly of my clientele was oddly French. Who's have thought that, living in France? You are seemingly commenting on a subject that with the best will in the world you appear to have a very second hand knowledge of.

Oh, and despite your statement that your comment wasn't offensive, you're 100% wrong on that too!

[paddy1970]

Rushjob said:

Simes205 said:

Mr Magooagain said:

Simes205 said:

This.

My parents emigrated to France 32 years ago. They worked then retired here.
My father died 4 years ago but due to integrating fully and avoiding the English clique as it was sometime ago she would never consider returning to the UK with us.
Get involved and support the local community, avoid using English trades’ people!

Edited by Simes205 on Tuesday 13th February 16:26

Edited by Simes205 on Tuesday 13th February 16:27

You was doing ok until the last line. What sort of bullshoite is that?

It wasn’t offensive It was meant as use the local tradespeople as opposed to use the small group of ex pats who only work for the English. Nothing against them it just allows your social group to grow and integration.

Edited by Simes205 on Tuesday 13th February 17:23

Edited by Simes205 on Tuesday 13th February 17:25

What an idiotic statement. You do understand that those English trades live and work in that community and shock horror, speak French and the majority certainly of my clientele was oddly French. Who's have thought that, living in France? You are seemingly commenting on a subject that with the best will in the world you appear to have a very second hand knowledge of.

Oh, and despite your statement that your comment wasn't offensive, you're 100% wrong on that too!

The user name checks out ...

[Rushjob]

paddy1970 said:

The user name checks out ...

Eh??

[Pete54]

I read the earlier post regarding English trades and tended to agree. There are to be fair quite a number - depending where you are, who have the necessary French qualifications and skills (language and others). There are however a large number who have neither. To be fair that also pertains to quite a number of French tradespeople as well.

Generally all is fine until you come to sell and the necessary certificates and guarantees are not there........

We are here for forseeable future - no plan B. You have to integrate. Yes they know you are foreign, but if you're outgoing and interesting then they want to be your friend. The health care and general social care provision would be enough to tip the balance regardless of any other aspects.

If you life is a rural area then transport is an issue. We have 'free' buses into the local city, pretty good but it can soak up your day. But we deliberately chose a village house, having seen great paces, where a car was essential.

We have had the wetest winter in 12 years this winter. But it is still considerably better than anything back in Scotland.

Given reasonable progress with the language I'll be a French national in a couple of years. I'll celebrate with my friends - here all French apart from one ex-pat.

[zbc]

We've been here just over 20 years (with some gaps) and a couple of years ago took the decision to sell the house in the UK finally and invest the funds in a renovation project here. We saw that as a commitment to stay for a while longer but never say never. Interested to hear what others have said about children. All of ours went through the local schools for the time we were here. One went back to the UK for uni and is working there, one stayed here and is now about to work here and the youngest is starting uni here but still thinks he might go to the UK.

We came for my work and live in a less than glamorous part of the North East but are very happy in our little village.

[Kerniki]

Just avoid the Cherente, its an area joked about by the french all the time, pretty much like Norfolk i think Asda advertise there for their employees

[Mr Magooagain]

Kerniki said:

Just avoid the Cherente, its an area joked about by the french all the time, pretty much like Norfolk i think Asda advertise there for their employees

It may or may not be true, but most people that live there can spell Charente.

[Kerniki]

Mr Magooagain said:

Kerniki said:

Just avoid the Cherente, its an area joked about by the french all the time, pretty much like Norfolk i think Asda advertise there for their employees

It may or may not be true, but most people that live there can spell Charente.

spelling has really held me back in my life

Sounds like you live there

[NDA]

Doofus said:

We're beginning to plan our permanent move from UK to France (having owned a second home there for almost 20 years). I'm now interested in the drivers causing other people to leave France.

Moving to France, permanently, is something I frequently consider. My children are now adults, I'm divorced and with a partner who'd also like to move there - we have no ties to the UK.

But beyond looking at properties (which is fun) we run out of energy when considering the bureaucracy.... It seems a huge mountain to climb with risks that you might not be allowed to live there.

I speak rusty restaurant French (I lived in France in my early 20's, so it might come back!).

I would be interested in your journey Doofus.

[mikef]

Mr Magooagain said:

Kerniki said:

Just avoid the Cherente, its an area joked about by the french all the time, pretty much like Norfolk i think Asda advertise there for their employees

It may or may not be true, but most people that live there can spell Charente.

The inhabitants of the Charentes used to be known in the region as cagouillards (from cagouille, local word for snail) because of their slow driving- - although anyone is slow compared the bordelais

And Cha-Mari used to be called "Charente-Inférieure"

(I say this as a former resident of Angoulême)

[Fatt McMissile]

Responding to the OP, some of the folks we know that moved back to the UK, including before the referendum, were motivated by the birth of grandchildren there. I don't think they had factored in how strong their desire to see them on a more regular basis would be.