ltm2006

Vin Rouge - thanks for your reply, much useful information.  I'm surprised we have not had any other feedback.  Anyway we are going to have a look at a few when wew go over in a couple of weeks. Les

We are looking to buy a property in Normandy, initially for holidays and letting to friends and family, but eventually as a retirement home.  We have come across a number of colombage houses which are very pretty and seem good value for money.  Our question is - what are they like to live with?  Are there any problems with half timbered houses that we should be aware of (apart from the usual timber rot).  Are they dry?  Are they warm?  Are they more expensive to insure as they carry an increased fire risk?  Etc. Many thanks. Les & Jean

Many thanks for all the replies - as we thought we really do need to get professional advice.  Can anyone recommend a firm of legal advisers who specialise in French property purchase and inheritance?  We live on the South Coast near Portsmouth so would like to find a firm not to far away so we can visit them. Thanks in advance. Les & Jean

I've searched the internet and these Forums and I'm left a little confused.  If anyone out there could assist I woud be grateful: My partner and I live together in our house in the UK.  She has two children (now in their 30's) from her previous marriage, and I have three children from my previous marriage (23, 22 and 16). We are planning to buy a house in France next year.  Initially it will be used as a holiday home (as we both work) by us and our sons/daughters, however as we start winding down our working lives we plan to spend more time there and may eventually live about half of the year there (unless we fall for France enough to move their permanently!).  We do plan to eventually trade down our house in the UK and have an apartment here also. As we are not married and don't intend to get married for at least another 4 years (all to do with pensions) we are trying to understand which would be the best way to purchase a property that minimises any tax liabilities and also protects all of our childrens interests in the property upon our deaths.  We want to set it up so the surviving spouse can continue to live in the property for the rest of their life before all the children inherit (ideally 50% to her two children and 50% to my three children). I have read that there are different schemes that are available - we have ruled out the idea of setting up a company to buy the property (expensive) but have come across 'en tontine' (which  I think is only for married couples), and 'userfriut' (not sure if that is applicable to our circumstances).  I think I also read somewhere that you can't set up a will in France unless you are married and a resident.  We understand that the Napoleonic code used in legal matters in France means the children inherit but we are concerned about what would happen if something should happen to either one or both of us before we are married.  We don't want either set of children to miss out on their share of the property. Could someone clarify the best course to take in our situation please? Thanks in anticipation. Les & Jean