Leanne

Hi We are buying an established and successful B&B and gite business in The Dordogne. I do not actually need a mortgage or loan as the purchase is being financed by the sale of my home in the UK. However, as you know the exchange rate is pretty poor at the moment, so we are considering financing it with a loan in Euros and then transferring the funds from our house sale and paying the loan off, once the exchange rate improves. I do not have any accounts to show apart from those of the business I am buying, but obviously have collateral in the form of my house in the UK and would also have enough for a deposit. As it is a commercial business it seems we can't get a French mortgage, and as we have no UK accounts to show, this makes things even more tricky. Does anyone know how we might be able to raise cost effective finance for the purchase? Many Thanks Leanne

Once again, some fantastic and really helpful replies. Seriously, I am quite an anxious person and you have helped me out a lot with the positivity. Thank you. We are entering into a Civil Partnership. Health Care is a big thing so we have looked into this a great deal. We will triple/quadruple etc check though! Upon your advice. Wow. A shop in Sarlat wpuld be grear. You're right though.... what would you open? Maybe a café type farm shop that has soft play for children? They make a killing over here. Who knows. Thanks again to everyone who posted good advice and positive messages. Really do appreciate it x

Wow! Clever little girl! That's great. I really do like Sarlat. Happy holidaying!

Apologies for the delay in replying. Thanks again to both for uplifting and interesting replies. I will take it all in board for sure. Sarlat because.... We are going to take over an existing B&B and gite business just 12km from Sarlat. Seeing as tourism is going to be our business, we wanted to be close to where the business is going to be! (How many times can I fit the word BUSINESS into a paragraph?!) We really like Sarlat too. There are some good schools around and lots for the kids to do. Fingers crossed it works out for us! Thanks again for your time with the replies. Much appreciated x

Ha ha I know! I've thought about that myself! Especially as he'll say "je suis Charlie!" X

Reply to Patf: Thank you so much for your time in replying. We plan for France to be our future for the forseeable. I can't wait! I've been lifted by (most) people's comments. It's made me know that I don't have to strive for perfection. Not sure if the articles were tongue in cheek so much - They may have been! But I do know that they were just completely unhelpful and ended up making me feel bad about my parenting skills. I think I'll just trust my instinct. Thanks again x

Again, thank you so much for your reply. It's a big move for us but I just worry about the kids as I let my husband deal with everything else! But that has also made me feel much better. It's comments like these that I've really been looking for and it helps me to regain some strength and trust in my mind that "everything is going to be okay." X

Thank you so much for your reply. That's really really helpful and much appreciated. Thank you. Sorted on employment. X

You're lovely. Thank you for that. I really appreciate it X

I'm not sure why you have to be so rude? I am genuinely worried. I am a young mother asking for advice and do not need such comments as, 'is this a wind up?' Because you are making me feel stupid. It is hardly my fault if the literature and articles I have read imply that French children are wildly different to the UK; "Why French kids do not tantrum." "How to educate the perfect child, like the French." "How are you doing it wrong? Ask the French."

Hi. My name is Leanne and I've found you guys in the hope that someone may be able to alieviate some anxieties I have or just give me some general advice about moving my 3.5 and 1.5 year old to the Sarlat area. They will be 4 and 2 by the time we move. My eldest is Charlie and although for the most of it, he is sociable, likeable and very polite, like all 3 year old boys in the UK, he comes with his foibles! He can tantrum, have a stinking attitude when he wants and although I consider my partner and I disciplinarians, when he's "on one," I find it incredibly hard to reign him in! Since he was very small, he ALWAYS wakes in the night. Anything from 1-2 hours. He's no bother but on his bad nights, he is understandably shattered the next day which is when he plays up the most. EVERYTHING I have read implies that French children are completely perfect; tantrum and attitude-free. Therefore being parented by perfect, patient and faultless parents. This is exactly where my anxieties come from. What if his teachers cannot cope with his mood swings? What if he has a bad time settling and expresses this in his emotional outbursts? What if this makes him friendless?! Has anyone had experience of the same thing? Any advice on getting him French-ready? Thanks for reading. I really appreciate it. X