Move To France

[rab19]

25ha Property With Pond And 3 Homes. - For sale in Nièvre Id:CJC02093

In the Morvan Regional Natural Park, great lakes region, at the end of a private road (absolute tranquility) with a beautiful view of the massif, property of nearly 25 hectares (including 20 hectares…

www.my-french-house.com

Whats not to like at the current exchange rate that's £450,000 ish.

Maybe looking at this one through rose tinted glasses, is it too good to be true. In the UK this would be double the price, if not more.

 

[Liveonce]

sell all you own, get a small rubber boat and head to france they must take you in as an immigrant after all it works very well the other way

 

[Len the dog]

My cousin and her husband bought a place in rural Limousin and spent a lot more than they banked on getting it to how they wanted it, then when they moved further South to the Perigord they lost a substantial amount on it. Seemingly, the French don’t place a high importance on their property being finished to a high spec and consequently won’t pay the prices that we expect them to be worth.
The first place they were in had a couple of outbuildings that would have been ideal for converting into self contained gites, I asked why they weren’t going down that road. They had done their research and found that because France is absolutely awash with that sort of accommodation, rental rates had to be extremely low to beat the competition, therefore not providing anything like the returns you would need to cover the outlay. Also, the location meant that there just weren’t enough visitors to the area to keep prices buoyant.
When they then moved to the Perigord to a village close to a very touristy area, property prices were significantly higher because of all the city types buying second homes, this again would have meant a very slow return on their investment even though rentals would have been higher.

They recently moved back to the UK because as they get older, they didn’t relish the idea of one or both of them ending up in a French old folks home surrounded by bigoted old French people. Not something most people would think about when chasing the dream portrayed by the TV shows.

 

[Len the dog]

sell all you own, get a small rubber boat and head to france they must take you in as an immigrant after all it works very well the other way

That would require negotiating the armada sailing in the opposite direction, rather akin to trying to go the wrong way around the ice rink.

 

[Freeforester]

Is there anywhere in the UK you can purchase a house and 10 to 20 acres of land for 500k to 600k except at the very end of Scotland? You'd be lucky to get a garage for that in many parts of the south and south east.

Aberdeenshire isn't where the moon landings were filmed, and yes it's still possible, I'll even throw in a very useful number of high seats and an extensive perm, lol!

 

[Cheviot]

Shooting rights too

Check out this 3 bedroom smallholding for sale on Rightmove

3 bedroom smallholding for sale in Craigruie, Twiglees, Boreland, Lockerbie, DG11 2LU, DG11 for £485,000. Marketed by EDWIN THOMPSON, Carlisle

www.rightmove.co.uk

 

[enfieldspares]

Things not to say when meeting French people. Paraphrased from the original:

"A Frenchman once said to me if wasn't French he'd want to be British. And if I wasn't British? Yes I'd also want to be British." *1

"Someone said they wished there weren't so many Americans in France and they would all leave. Every last one. Does that also includes those dead soldiers from two World Wars buried here as well?" *2

*1 was John Major when Foreign Secretary to the then French Foreign Minister.
*2 was Harry Truman to Charles de Gaulle when he withdrew France from NATO.

 

[reiver]

I worked in rural Charente back in 2009-10
I did look at moving there but the tax system for a self employed builder was horrendous depending on what tax bracket they thought you should be in ? Back then I was going to have to pay 2 years tax in advance even though I didn’t have a clue as to how much I might make? . I just did as most Brit’s did over there and worked on the black .
Property is cheaper but cost of living is just as high or higher than th uk especially if you want medical care . Sometimes I wish I had stoped and others I am glad I did it but came back to Cumbria

 

[Dunwaters]

Is there anywhere in the UK you can purchase a house and 10 to 20 acres of land for 500k to 600k except at the very end of Scotland? You'd be lucky to get a garage for that in many parts of the south and south east.

Try Norn Irun.
For some reason there doesn’t seem to be much of an inward migration issue there.
Downside is not too many deer, upside is you can have a pistol

 

[Pighunter]

I have lived in South East France near the Mediterranean Spanish border in the foothills of the Pyrenees for 12 years and love it.

Fortunately I don't need to work and was here pre Brexit, so it was a doddle to stay. I also speak the lingo.

The way of life is far more relaxed and community based and few are chasing the dollar as in the UK. The idea of a sandwich at your desk is completely alien to the French, apart from restaurants everything closes for 2 hours for lunch and most go home to eat with their families.

Hunting rules are completely different, where I am, the hunt can go pretty much go anywhere we like. I have to be a member of the club to shoot on my own land apart from 150 metres around the house. Most hunting is driven boar, mouflon and roe and some walked up small game. All for around 400 euros per year, 3 days a week, 5 months a year. You do need to pass the permis de chasse though, with written and practical exams, but I found it quite useful.

I have no plans to return to the UK and the only thing I miss is real ale.

Voilà!

 

[Bavarianbrit]

I get it.

 

[HallyButt]

I have lived in South East France near the Mediterranean Spanish border in the foothills of the Pyrenees for 12 years and love it.

Fortunately I don't need to work and was here pre Brexit, so it was a doddle to stay. I also speak the lingo.

The way of life is far more relaxed and community based and few are chasing the dollar as in the UK. The idea of a sandwich at your desk is completely alien to the French, apart from restaurants everything closes for 2 hours for lunch and most go home to eat with their families.

Hunting rules are completely different, where I am, the hunt can go pretty much go anywhere we like. I have to be a member of the club to shoot on my own land apart from 150 metres around the house. Most hunting is driven boar, mouflon and roe and some walked up small game. All for around 400 euros per year, 3 days a week, 5 months a year. You do need to pass the permis de chasse though, with written and practical exams, but I found it quite useful.

I have no plans to return to the UK and the only thing I miss is real ale.

Voilà!

View attachment 379418

You are very lucky, I love that region, hoping to move to Ceret when I retire ..

 

[Bo Diddley]

I have lived in South East France near the Mediterranean Spanish border in the foothills of the Pyrenees for 12 years and love it.

Fortunately I don't need to work and was here pre Brexit, so it was a doddle to stay. I also speak the lingo.

The way of life is far more relaxed and community based and few are chasing the dollar as in the UK. The idea of a sandwich at your desk is completely alien to the French, apart from restaurants everything closes for 2 hours for lunch and most go home to eat with their families.

Hunting rules are completely different, where I am, the hunt can go pretty much go anywhere we like. I have to be a member of the club to shoot on my own land apart from 150 metres around the house. Most hunting is driven boar, mouflon and roe and some walked up small game. All for around 400 euros per year, 3 days a week, 5 months a year. You do need to pass the permis de chasse though, with written and practical exams, but I found it quite useful.

I have no plans to return to the UK and the only thing I miss is real ale.

Voilà!

View attachment 379418

Are you back row third from the right?

 

[Pighunter]

Are you back row third from the right?

Yup, and my pig that day was second from right!

I live 15 minutes from Ceret!

 

[Bo Diddley]

Yup, and my pig that day was second from right!

I live 15 minutes from Ceret!

I can't believe I spotted the Englishman ... the French have a certain look.
I'm a little envious of you, I've always loved France and their attitude to life & living.

 

[Pighunter]

I hunt with a neighbouring team, but we are good friends with Ceret and hunt together a couple of times a year. Not so long ago they had a very successful hunt.........there are a lot of pigs around here!

 

[sikamalc]

That looks like a nice Mouflon ram on the left.

 

[Heym SR20]

My brother in law moved to france 30 years ago. He has married a French lass, has three children all brought up over there and has a wonderful life. Lots of space and room to do things.

You need to be able to converse in French. I have spent quite a bit of time over there over the years. My French is reasonable so I can get about. Parisians are like Londoners - rude. Rural and mountain French are a bit stuck in their ways, but I have found that if you make the effort they soon take you under their wing and are hilarious. I have found the same in Germany, Austria and other parts of Europe.

If though you take the attitude that “ I am British and thus superior to everyone else” and behave accordingly then you will quite rightly get the cold shoulder.

French have a different beauracracy to the Brits. It is very much local and the mayor is all powerful. And they still have the attitude that they got rid of their aristocracy and monarchy.

Money is not the be all and end all. They not incessantly pursuing wealth. Frankly most couldn’t give a damn. As long as there is food and wine on the table that is far more important. And they won’t do business unless they know you. And the only way to get to know you is to break bread. But once you are part of the community they will look after you and vice versa.

 

[tackb]

My brother in law moved to france 30 years ago. He has married a French lass, has three children all brought up over there and has a wonderful life. Lots of space and room to do things.

You need to be able to converse in French. I have spent quite a bit of time over there over the years. My French is reasonable so I can get about. Parisians are like Londoners - rude. Rural and mountain French are a bit stuck in their ways, but I have found that if you make the effort they soon take you under their wing and are hilarious. I have found the same in Germany, Austria and other parts of Europe.

If though you take the attitude that “ I am British and thus superior to everyone else” and behave accordingly then you will quite rightly get the cold shoulder.

French have a different beauracracy to the Brits. It is very much local and the mayor is all powerful. And they still have the attitude that they got rid of their aristocracy and monarchy.

Money is not the be all and end all. They not incessantly pursuing wealth. Frankly most couldn’t give a damn. As long as there is food and wine on the table that is far more important. And they won’t do business unless they know you. And the only way to get to know you is to break bread. But once you are part of the community they will look after you and vice versa.

even though we are ?

 

[Heym SR20]

I think the biggest sadness of BREXIT, was the loss of freedom of movement. Before any of us on here could go from the North East corner of Finland, down to the bottom of Greece or across to the bottom south west corner of Spain, and you could stay for a week, a month, a year or a lifetime. Provided you obey the local laws of the town, region, country and pay your appropriate dues you could live and work etc.

In some places you could benefit from the local state if you fell ill or were out of work, in others you could not. If you had been resident fir a period you may or may not get additional rights, again very much depending on where you are.

It didn’t matter whether you were a qualified brain surgeon, an ultra wealthy financier, or just a few pounds / euros in your pocket and the clothes of your back. If you wanted to odd unskilled jobs, start your own little business or take a highly qualified profession. Or just a piece a piece of land and be off grid. You could.

Now we cant

I have a colleague, born abd raised in New Zealand, but by accident or birth has an Irish passport.

He has bought 50 acres of an Italian mountainside with a ruin of a little farmhouse. He now lives out there with a tarp over the roof, oil lamps growing vegetables and a few animals. He is a qualified GP and does the odd shift in local hospital to earn a bit of money to pay for materials. He is blissfully happy.

Those of us with just a British passport now to get visa etc etc ti do such. Those of us that are over 55, have many many more hoops ti jump through to be able to move.

And all for what exactly?