Buying a second winter home in South of France with my bro
Discussion
I am 50 this year and plan to retire in 10 years, I hate being cold and wet so for a long time have thought about escaping somewhere warmer for the winter and enjoying good food and classic car drives. (Montpellier – Perpignan coastline) It doesn’t need to be bang on the coast but not too secluded from amenities, etc.
My younger brother is a keen artist and has also talked about getting somewhere in France for as long as I can remember
He is fairly good at DIY and organising AirBnB so would help manage the property. We get on well so there is unlikely to be any friction or counting the pennies of who has stayed there the most, electric bills etc.
Seems like a good plan or flawed? great to hear from those who have done it or looked at it in more detail
My younger brother is a keen artist and has also talked about getting somewhere in France for as long as I can remember
He is fairly good at DIY and organising AirBnB so would help manage the property. We get on well so there is unlikely to be any friction or counting the pennies of who has stayed there the most, electric bills etc.
Seems like a good plan or flawed? great to hear from those who have done it or looked at it in more detail
The 90 day EU ruling, you're aware of that?
Language? Can either of you speak fluent French?
These are the two main things you need to think about IMHO.
Looked at a rural place in Charente last year, far more rural than we were expecting (right in the middle of nowhere
) and realised when I walked into a cafe to ask directions, French is really needed, otherwise the dream could soon be a nightmare. 
Needless to say, France is off our holiday/retirement wishlist.
Language? Can either of you speak fluent French?
These are the two main things you need to think about IMHO.
Looked at a rural place in Charente last year, far more rural than we were expecting (right in the middle of nowhere
) and realised when I walked into a cafe to ask directions, French is really needed, otherwise the dream could soon be a nightmare. Needless to say, France is off our holiday/retirement wishlist.
It's 9c and pissing with rain in Montpelier today. South of France is not much warmer than the UK in the winter. Plus many properties aren't designed for cold weather, no central heating, drafty etc. Would rather stay in my nice centrally heated home in the UK. You need to look further afield for warm/hot winter weather.
Edited by megaphone on Wednesday 21st January 15:10
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