Time to throw the towel in.

[Reacher]

Hi all, first post under a new alias.

After ten plus years the reality was very far from the dream, I geuss it was doomed from the start and I was guilty of not really thinking through the medium and long term consequences of living and working in France, now facing having to go back with virtually nothing to a country I no longer know with no family or friends left there, not blaming anyone but myself and I"m certainly not bitter or complaining.

The subject has been extensively covered here but to anyone thinking of coming out without sound financial, relationship and professionel foundations....don't.

[NickP]

Well I'm sorry to hear of your plight Reacher, but at least it's good to hear some honesty from you, and not a load of blame being thrown around everywhere else as so often happens. When you get back; at least I'm sure you'll be able to find employment and get settled down, good luck.

[alittlebitfrench]

The problem with France is that it is not in the EU. Never has been never will be.

Chances of survival as an expat in France are limited unless you are rich.

But then then again even David Beckham has just sold is holiday home in France at a 3 million loss.

Wish you all the luck in the world Reacher...whoever you are.

[suein56]

[quote user="Reacher"]... now facing having to go back with virtually nothing to a country I no longer know with no family or friends left there, not blaming anyone but myself and I"m certainly not bitter or complaining.

The subject has been extensively covered here but to anyone thinking of coming out without sound financial, relationship and professionel foundations....don't.[/quote]

Sorry to hear that you find yourself in such a perilous situation; it is never pleasant to discover your plans have come to naught.

Bonne courage for the future, wherever you find yourself.

Sue

[Patf]

Sorry to hear about your decision, but not surprised. We know of a few young families in Dept. 32 who have had to "go back".

Our nearest English neighbours being one example, he has lost his wife, children and all the hard earned money he ploughed into the beautiful "home" he renovated. And now can't sell.

But, as the old song goes, pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start all over again.

Our business history in England had a nadir, in the '80s.

[Reacher]

Very kind comments, thanks for not being unkind....of course the story is very much more complicated than would be wise to share but suffice to say the lessons have been huge, most of all the expat community, albeit somewhat small here.

It was easier to move to a foreign country than to return to the UK...not much chance of being able to get a bank account, no credit rating (thankfully no debt either), never rented thus no references, just the wrong side of fifty etc etc.

[Chancer]

There but for the grace of god go I.............

 

I didnt do any thinking, long, medium or short, in fact the planning and decision making for the whole of my future took about 3 seconds in March 2004 when I said "je l'achete!"  It took walking through a plate glass window at Intermarché for me to even think about healthcare.

 

I didnt have sound financial, relationship and professional foundations and after 11 years I have only gained the first and that I consider to be a real achievement.

 

There was a group who called themselves ex-pats that I met initially, I did not warm to them especially when they said that I had gone native as if it was a pejorative so I had no contact after the initial couple of months, from what you say perhaps that was a lucky decision, in any case all but one (who cannot sell their house) have returned.

 

I will be leaving in the next couple of years but it will be cashing in my chips more than throwing in the towel I hope, it wont be back to the UK although I could actually slot straight back in exactly where I left off even with the same neighbours but without the business that I had before, which almost certainly would have gone pop in the intervening years.

 

If you take nothing back with you but the clothes on your back it will have been character forming if nothing else, if I were starting again from nothing I would do it in the UK, if I had some funds and wanted to avoid working I would choose another area of France.

[alittlebitfrench]

Chancer wrote:

"if I had some funds and wanted to avoid working I would choose another area of France"

Just out of interest, where in France would you choose ?

[Reacher]

Good question albf...pick one of the three most unknown and quietest departements you can find Chancer, I am in one of them, rsa and allocs not a problem but pride and boredom is a huge problem.

[NormanH]

I have come to this a bit late. I share the sentiments of the others. France isn't for everybody, but many people never get to know the place well enough to realise the fact.

You have given it a good whirl and taken a courageous decision.

Good luck to you.

[Chancer]

[quote user="alittlebitfrench"]Chancer wrote: "if I had some funds and wanted to avoid working I would choose another area of France" Just out of interest, where in France would you choose ?[/quote]

 

I havn't given it any thought as I intend moving to another part of the world, were I in the hypothetical situation I described the answer would be anywhere but where I am now!

 

I have just changed running clubs, I could no longer stand the closed mentality of my current one although it was entirely to be expected, the new one is in a larger town 10 miles away, closer to Amiens metropole and it might as well be on another planet, the town is where my ex lived, she moved there from Amiens where she still works, after we split she moved to a village the other side of Amiens, I always liked her choice of town but was mainly a nocturnal visitor, it was also where my diving club was, all the people except one there were very decent.

[idun]

We always our planned move back, upon retirement, and so I have sorted out lots of stuff over the last few years.

Make sure that your french motor insurance give you a copy of your no claims in english, (if you have a vehicle ofcourse). Ours was in multi languages and we did need it.

You should be able to get a basic bank account. And I do not see why you will not be able to rent somewhere, seems that people are pretty used to foreigners renting, so why not someone returning home. You'll have hoops to jump through and dealing with fonctionnaires for so long meant that I was equipped to deal with everything and be stroppy about it to boot[:)] because there was plenty of stupidity to be stroppy about!

A good friends daughter returned from Spain with her family after 12 years there. Returned with nothing and they did get back on track, but it took a while, but bit by bit they got there.

Whatever good luck.

We did city living for a couple of years and frankly as young people

fancied living out in the sticks, which was a good idea  as

for all it was expensive at the time, not in any way as dear as the city

we were leaving.

There is something about living out in the sticks no matter where, UK, France, where ever. Nulle part is always that, and lacking in so much, and eventually the views never compensated, and I had absolutely fabulous views. Just in the end, was not enough for me. I must add that for about 20 years I was fine, but it wore thin, and then last five were hard.

 

And one thing is for sure, after our 25 years in the sticks, there is no way on earth I would ever live in other than a town, or city again. My old village was quite dynamic, however, that is dynamic for a village, also, it serviced even smaller villages aux alentours so we had more in our village than the others......... and even that was not enough for me. If I had stayed in France, could not have stayed there. We'd have left the Alpes and moved to Brittany, a proper town on the north coast. Like the bretons, like Brittany and could easily live there somewhere with some 'life'.

[lindal1000]

Regarding renting a property, you can sometimes get round the need to provide references and proof of income by offering to pay 6 months rent in advance. It is largely up to the landlord as to whether they are prepared to take the risk. The other way is to get someone to stand as a guarantor for you.

I did know someone in your position who returned to the Uk from Spain. He got a job first and slept on someone's floor for a few months until he could get enough together to satisfy the basic requirements for paperwork for someone to rent him something. It did eventually work out for him and he was around your age.

It's a good reminder to me never to close a UK bank account though as you just never know.. I'm sure you will be able to get one. When OH used to work with the European Medicines agency he used to have to help them get things like bank accounts and although the banks needed a lot of information they did give them in the end.

Bon courage.. hope it works out for you.

[Reacher]

Some excellent thoughts and advice, thankyou.

[cajal]

"not much chance of being able to get a bank account, no credit rating (thankfully no debt either)"

Try one of These challanger banks if you have no luck on the highstreet.

regards

cajal

[Reacher]

Thankyou for that Cajial.

[Reacher]

Thankyou for that Cajial.

[AnOther]

September 18th sees the entry into force of EU payment Accounts Directive 2015 under which it is illegal to discriminate on the grounds of residence when opening a basic current A/C, in fact you don't even need a permanent address !

UK banks will no doubt be dragged kicking and screaming to compliance and may decide to be obstructive in the hope of delaying it until Brexit has been enacted (if it ever is of course) after which they can stick two fingers up at it.

Anybody thinking that they might want a UK A/C might be advised to act promptly after September 18th.

[PaulT]

I am always horrified by some of the people on the TV relocation programmes who are going to run a Gite business and make their fortune or even some who do not know how they will live.