Is France only for trades people and aspirant B&B Owners

[Lassie]

Dear Brett

I'm not clear what it is you expect to gain from moving here.  Is it something lacking absolutely in UK, or a perception of an idealised lifestyle? The answers to your query have been very sensible and you should take it all on board.  The best option has already been mentioned - have a gap year.  Even with good French, I still struggle to sort out some of the daily problems.  The language isnt enough - you need to understand the culture and that takes a long time. But a year of trying to get electricity at the puissance that suits, getting Darty to change an appliance you bought in error, chasing up the disappearing plumber, explaining a dental problem - all this will test your ability to live here in a relaxed way.  If you can rent out your house you wont lose out as so many of us have because of the disparity in house prices.  I estimate we have lost 50% of our property  wealth by leaving the UK after just 6 years.  Staying longer is a risk and will mean a big downturn in living standards on our return.   For the sake of your future family, you will want to seek out the best quality of life wherever that may be.  There are many places in Britain where a peaceful rural life can be combined with a professional job in a nearby town, but you should take that test drive in France to help with the choice.  We are pleased we came to live here - its enriched our lives in many ways, but we came with good health and reasonable pensions.  I would never recomend my son , also a lawyer, should leave the UK and start a family here.  Sorry!

 So rent something for a year and get it out of your system.

Good Luck

[hastobe]

Same here - both professionals (Chartered Accountant and NHS Consultant).   There is no way we would contemplate giving up our careers in the UK to move permanently to France - it woud be financial suicide.  We are staying in the UK (with all its problems) until the kids are safely at Uni and we have sufficient pension / capital on which to retire to an enjoyable (and comfortable) lifestyle in France (with all its different problems).  In the meantime we have a lovely second home which we are renovating (minor renovations - I would add!) in our spare time and spending lots of time in (that is when we are not swapping it to travel to other (more exciting) destinations [;-)])...

Kathie

[Brett]

Thanks to everyone for the great insights. I was showing my wife the replies and she was amazed at how many thought the TV shows didn't show the other side of the story which so many spoke of - the truth shall we call it. She's a TV producer and asked me to ask if anyone would be interested in an offline discussion about the experiences (the truth about the place in the sun) and whether or not you would be interested in appearing on camera to tell you story?

As for us, I think we'll most likely look to buy that holiday home that we can use most of the year round and as Kathie (hastobe) said, it does allow some flexibility to travel to the rest of Europe. We moved to the UK from Australia so that idea is also appealing.  The commute idea was interesting but I don't know if I'd be able to leave her and a potential young family alone for lengths regulary. I admire those who can.

Thanks again everyone.

Brett

[Teamedup]

Is that true that tv producers really do not know what is going on. I really thought that they, being the media, absolutly loved trashing anything british, and the UK, that it was really good sport. And anything french related was given the green light as being OK and not to say anything 'real' about it.

France isn't that dissimilar to the UK. High youth unemployment, and generally high unemployment. Cost of living is swings and roundabouts. We have voilence and road rage, muggings, graffiti, well, you know, crime. There are drug problems. The social security has a great big black hole. Education, well, don't get me started on that, it is a prehistoric beast, well pre 1900 beast.

You know about the sunshine, the heat waves were a nightmare though. You know about the cheap booze, well comparitively cheap. Most of the french population live as people do in the UK in urbania. Leaving one huge country with great areas with little population and as there was little work in these areas  people have left, (usually the young) for urbania to find work................ and that is where the cheap housing is. I don't believe that there is any cheap housing in urbania, in fact where I live in the Rhone Alps there is a shortage of accommodation and prices to match.

Like anywhere one can have a good life in France, but I feel a good life can be obtained anywhere anyway, it is in no way a thing exclusive to France.  Personally I wouldn't like to be doing it scrimping all the time. We had a bit of that when our kids were little (many people do) and I can't think of anything to recommend it.

 

[:)] PS how does my description compare to Australia or anywhere else?

[Val_2]

Lol. Well I was watching a much repeated re-run of No Going Back where a few lots went to Oz and to me, it looked wonderful, a real paradise and everything that France isn't and certainly not the UK. Therefore these programmes have the same effect on people wherever they may live currently to yearn for something much better regardless of the downsides and we all know about those. It really is time the true nitty gritty side of upping sticks and emmigrating to other countries on a whim was shown and perhaps it would help some people before they lose everything and have to go back and start again.

TU - did you get my e.mail last week?

[videfleur]

Sort out GOOD house insurance. Dont buy it from the bank. Have the insurance agent visit the house in person to look at what you are insuring. We lost the roof in the storm '99/2000. It set us back in more ways than one, yet we are still here, poor but happy. Friends of ours lost the whole house and contents in a fire, the insurance wanted photos of proof that the house was 'in good condition', just what they had owned - reciepts for etc. When told they were all in the fire the insurance firm (Axa) said well you should have kept them all elsewhere! Also if you do buy out here try and keep a foothold in the UK market, just incase you want to go back.

 

Good luck with your choices, its not easy out here

Jane

[fulcrum]

Has anyone watched the program "Wanted Down Under" ?

[Apero]

[quote user="Brett"] I was showing my wife the replies and she was amazed at how many thought the TV shows didn't show the other side of the story which so many spoke of - the truth shall we call it. She's a TV producer and asked me to ask if anyone would be interested in an offline discussion about the experiences (the truth about the place in the sun) and whether or not you would be interested in appearing on camera to tell you story?[/quote]

Interested

[Frogslegs]

[quote user="Val_2"]

Lol. Well I was watching a much repeated re-run of No Going Back where a few lots went to Oz and to me, it looked wonderful, a real paradise and everything that France isn't and certainly not the UK.

[/quote]

It may have been the programme about Queensland which showed John's cousin Chris Newman from Romford running an Italian restaurant. Needless to say he is back in Sydney installing lifts?

Why is it people think running a restaurant especially in a foreign country with no experience (even as a waiter/waitress) is easy? I know of at least 10 that have failed here in Deux Sevres.

O.k. we chose the gite business (admit no experience) but a lifetime of different skills, including self suffiency and we have a very successfull business. Luck may be part of it but so is hard work!

maria

www.le-tilleul.com

 

 

[Gastines]

On a new business note.. In the Times yesterday,it said that since the easing of legislation last year? 322000 new business's had started up in France. Following a report that UK had a new high for Bankruptcy and companies going into liquidation, it can't be all bad over here.

Regards. 5 mins St.Malo.

[LanguedocGal2]

[quote user="Gastines"]

On a new business note.. In the Times yesterday,it said that since the easing of legislation last year? 322000 new business's had started up in France. Following a report that UK had a new high for Bankruptcy and companies going into liquidation, it can't be all bad over here.

Regards. 5 mins St.Malo.

[/quote]

[:-))] Gastines, do you have a link to this article?  I have a lot of contacts with the Boutiques de Gestion and Cooperatives of my area, I'd like to show them this article. Should provide light comic relief all round.  Are you sure there isn't a typing error in the Times article?

A link would be appreciated. I prefer to get my reports from the ground but should be fun to read.

Edit: Did anyone say that it was all bad over here?

[tracteurtom]

Brett,

This has been a excellent thread, many thanks for raising it.

Now my 2  euro cents worth.  I was made redundant in 2004,  Both my wife and I are in our 40s with 3 children (then aged 5, 11 and 13).  We were presented  with an opportunity.  We had  always want to live in France, to escape the over crowded, over commercialised UK yes, but these more to it than that.  We really really wanted to live in France.  Why France, well for many reasons, but it all comes down to the basic fact we love France and WE WANT TO LIVE HERE!  So we sold up in the UK and bought a small holding in France, moved in full time in 2005, aah, ignorance is bliss!  After 2 years, the time has flown, we havent earned a penny and are still trying to generate some sort of income, still trying to sort out our Carte Vitales and the tax situation, etc etc.  The kids have settled well, have good friends and are now fluent, yes fluent in French and are in the top quarter in the marks at school.  OK it's a country college and many pupils are more interested in their cows/sheep etc wellfare than pythagarus, but never the less, we think they have got more out of the French education system than they would have if we had remained in the UK system.   Our lives are very different, we are worried about money of course, but the live style is just so much more what - for us - life is about.  Its not about money, you only have one life, and the life you're living now is not a practice for the the real one.  Brett, you have achieved a lot in becoming a Solictor, and your partner, also in her TV career.  Your earnings potential is far far higher than ours ever was.  We have friends who are solicitors. We cannot believe what they spend, just their Tesco bill would keep us in our life style, but then, I would hate the worry of their mortgage !  Its your decision, and you without question have more options than we did, (still in high paid employment for one) but as others have said do not think France is an easy option.  Would we change our minds and return to the UK, no chance.  Would we make the same decision again knowing what we know now, absolutely.

Good luck in what ever you decide.

[Will]

Which all boils down to the fact that if you want to do something, be it move to France, sail the Atlantic, open a B&B, form a band, live in a hole in the ground, whatever, then do it - as long as you research it properly and go in with your eyes open. Not everything will work out as you expect, but if it's something you want, that won't really matter. In fact it will add to the challenge.

Of course, not everybody wants the same things, and French life won't suit everybody. That's probably a good thing. Wouldn't life be boring if everybody was the same.

[maude]

I.ll drink to this also-mines a Rose!Unexpected costs and unless with a pension or other income,forget trying to earn a living here- it is definately NOT the center of entrepreneuism.Good luck _ maude(on small works pension)!