NuBeginnings Posted December 26, 2010 Share Posted December 26, 2010 I thought I would share with you some of my experiences of moving to France and the trials and tribulations of buying a house and opening a business all at the same time. In February this year my partner and I decided that we wanted to expand our business in to Europe. We decided on the Loire Valley, close to the U.K and an easy commute from Paris for international travel. After lots of searching the net we found a short list of Chateaux that would suit or project. During early March we visited the Chateaux that we liked and fell in love with Chateau Milly - returned to the U.K put in an offer. Offer excepted after a bit of negotiating. Dates were set and we stipulated that we wanted to complete by the end of June and we included a caveat that we wanted a change of use (so that we could run our business from the Chateau) or we would not buy. Time flew by, lots of logistics to organise SARL and SCI to form and a whole new world of French bureaucracy. Completion date set for 20th July along with an ambitious plan from us to be open by 20th of August.( Chateau Milly appeared to be a turn key property just needed a bit of rejigging ) First mistake! A number of trips back and forth to Milly prior to completion to organise builders, plumbers etc to start on the 28th of July. All trades booked in to start. Old transit van brought, filled with paint and stuff needed so we could start work asap. Removal lorries from the U.K booked to arrive in France August 10th. Giving us time to get settled. Set of from the U.K in old transit van with two new staff members to help me drive down. Drive down with out a hitch, the £1000 van makes it We are all set to sign, this is it. Well no it was not! From the date we arrived it took from the 20th July all the way until the 5th of August when we finally ended up signing and NuBeginningsFrance was finally born. Most of the delay was caused by our Notarie - it is definitely worth doing some REALLY good research to make sure you get a good one. We ended moving in to one of the empty outbuildings and living on site with the then current owners, which became very strained at times! Work started as planned but due to the late completion and a whole raft of serious damp issues that had been well hidden we pushed back our opening date to mid October. We kept our deadline and decided to open for 4 weeks then close in December to carry out phase two of our scheduled works. The four weeks we were open, was a huge success all rooms full for the four weeks and happy healthier clients leaving the program. Phase Two of works now complete, and a number of bookings already coming in for the New year. Over all a very positive if not a little hectic start, no day off since the summer. I am really looking forward ot breaking the back of the project so that we can start enjoying France and getting to know the locals.We have just thrown our first party to celebrate the work we have done so far. The party went well, the French loved the home made mince pies We had a nice mix of French and English people. It is very tempting to stick with just the English people you meet as it's so much easier to chat to them but I really recommend making the effort with the French as well - it makes a difference! We love our new life in France and are enjoying making new French friends. There are massive ups and downs and the French paperwork is horrendous but it's worth it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted December 26, 2010 Share Posted December 26, 2010 Happy beginnings then. Hope it stays on track and goes well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sprogster Posted December 26, 2010 Share Posted December 26, 2010 I have a feeling of deja vu reading the opening post, as it has cropped up on other French forumsA good bit of PR me thinks!Only comment I would make is that this is not a true start up business, but expanding an established UK business into France, where the existing UK client base gives it a running start, so not exactly typical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NuBeginnings Posted December 26, 2010 Author Share Posted December 26, 2010 I did post on another French forum which I joined before we moved to France, but the post was removed my their over zealous moderators as they said my post was tantamount to an add which it was not. I have to say I wrote the post to share my experiences.I found the forum extremely usefully learning fro others experiences and the classified sections were great. I gave a carpenter from the forum over two months work he turned out to be worth his weight in gold and I also recruited two full time members of staff. We have the same business in the U.K which runs well, but upping sticks to France was a big decision with a huge amount of risk. France is hugely complicated with its rules regulations tax and an official department for most things. It is especially complicated when your first language is not French well my French is very poor. It was just a battle to get the phone/ internet just changed over in to our names. SFR cut us of then took over two months more than 50 calls to re connect us extremely frustrating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrCanary Posted December 31, 2010 Share Posted December 31, 2010 I took a look at your website and you certainly have a nice place there!You will love this area...Good luck to you from a neighbour of some 30 odd miles away! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lollie Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 At over 2000 euros pp a week not cheap either!! I will just have to stay slightly overweight! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claude Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 At 2,500 euros a week for a single room I would certainly become slim as I wouldn't be able to afford to eat for the rest of the year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quillan Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 I must admit I thought the same. A good diet will loose you quite a bit of weight plus you actually save money but then I am no expert and I guess these people know what they are doing. Not sure it's such a good idea to start such a 'grand' business aimed mainly at the English speaking market in the current economic climate, remember the dyslectic Chef? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cendrillon Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 Quillan, from what I have read on another forum, this dyslexic chef is still posting, quite easy to recognise the "style". I believe they will be renting a stand at The France Show in London this month.[;-)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claude Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 I'm intrigued. Can you briefly fill me in on this dyslexic chef? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrCanary Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 Woo!Until I read the other posts on here, I had not seen the prices. That weekly charge would feed my wife and I for six months - and we never go hungry! It seems like a plate full of nothingness is very expensive...The Emperor's clothes spring to mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claude Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 Claude - "I'm intrigued. Can you briefly fill me in on this dyslexic chef?"It's OK. I have just had an amusing half hour reading the old posts about him.BTW The 'quote' facility doesn't seem to be working very well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 [quote user="Mel"]Woo! Until I read the other posts on here, I had not seen the prices. That weekly charge would feed my wife and I for six months - and we never go hungry! It seems like a plate full of nothingness is very expensive... The Emperor's clothes spring to mind.[/quote]I have just reconciled all my 2010 expenditure, I have had to make severe economies since 2007 and by being very carefull I have managed to reduce my household expenditure by 45% despite the price increases, my food bill has reduced by 2/3rds but no longer includes eating out, take aways or alcohol, all have fallen by the wayside.Anyway at last years prices I can feed myself for a little over 2 years for that weekly charge [:)]Mind you if I had the money I would be happy to spend it there and dont begrudge those that can and do so, they probably lead incredibly stresed and unhealthy lives compared to mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claude Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 "A fool and his money are soon parted" springs to mind with me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 It makes the world go around though, we would be in a right old state if those with money did not enjoy being parted from it, preferably as publicly as possible, conspicous consumption and all that [;-)].Come to think of it we would be in an even worse state if those without money stopped chasing designer labels etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claude Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 I know, Chancer. But what a holiday you or I would have with 2500 euros! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 [quote user="Claude"]Claude - "I'm intrigued. Can you briefly fill me in on this dyslexic chef?"It's OK. I have just had an amusing half hour reading the old posts about him.BTW The 'quote' facility doesn't seem to be working very well.[/quote]"him" is a her[:)]Danny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NuBeginnings Posted January 5, 2011 Author Share Posted January 5, 2011 Yep we are not cheap. But then nor is employing 11 full time staff nor trying to heat and maintain a project of this size. As for a recession we opened our first retreat 3 years ago which runs at a 93% occupancy not bad for a start up business in three years. We had over 100 people on the waiting list to attend Devon last year and we could not accommodate them.Our target demographic are all English speaking it simplifies staffing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cendrillon Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 re. dyselxic chef Jane and danny wrote " "him" is a her [:)]"Thanks for that, I was never quite sure whether Jon was a he or she[;-)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrCanary Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Fair comment nubeginnings...You've found a niche in the business market and very good luck to you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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