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Britts leaving France in great numbers?


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If you talk to professionals involved with Brit expats moving to France, such as Estate Agents, they will often refer to the three D's being the main reason most people do eventually return. Debt, Divorce and Death.

Debt because they cannot make a living, or their £ pension has been eroded by the exchange rate. Divorce, as the French dream is often not equally shared by both spouses and the less committed partner packs their bags and goes back to the UK, a situation that we have seen on this forum.

Lastly, death, in that the surviving spouse more often than not being the widow, wants to be nearer family.
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We don't know anybody who has moved back to UK or is packing uop to do so. However, in the last week we've spoken to two couples who were just about deciding to sell up in two or three years time. Both are getting on in years, and one of the women has health that is deteriorating, although nothing very serious as far as they know. Both couples have lived here for around 10 years, and one wants to start the move back when he's 75, as he won't fancy the long drive. (He's driving on his own all the way back from the Gard in one long day shortly!)

We liked the comment of one of the chaps: ''I don't want to have to call out for a bedpan in French!''  [:D]

I vaguely remember reading about French care homes where English is spoken and promoted; anyone know of anywhere like that? A group locally is thinking about trying to put together info about help for English-speaking people who need to plan for the ill or elderly who don't want to return to the country they came from - rather on the lines of CSF.

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A lot of Brits tend to favour in France old properties, with plenty of land in remote rural locations. However, this type of property often becomes a liability in old age, as they can be expensive to heat and difficult to maintain and if ill health prevents you from driving, you can become cut off and isolated.

In response to the original post, all the evidence points to large numbers of Brits selling up in the Eurozone, not surprising really in view of the current economic times
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[quote user="Daft Doctor"]

Whether the move ultimately is successful or not, I am sure we will never regret it, but instead we will take the experience with us and congratulate ourselves that like many on this forum we did it and were brave enough to do so.[/quote]

That just about says everything that needs to be said - best wishes to you all and I hope the moves goes well.

p.s. have you been to St Emilion recently [:$]

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[quote user="Sprogster"]A lot of Brits tend to favour in France old properties, with plenty of land in remote rural locations. However, this type of property often becomes a liability in old age, as they can be expensive to heat and difficult to maintain and if ill health prevents you from driving, you can become cut off and isolated.

In response to the original post, all the evidence points to large numbers of Brits selling up in the Eurozone, not surprising really in view of the current economic times[/quote]

I think that's the biggest mistake, buying a property with lots of land. I guess coming from the UK where houses and land is generally very small, it must seem like moving to a mansion in France.

I moved into a small property with a tiny bit of land, only about 600m2, in the middle of a village and I still felt isolated. What people must be feeling like in the middle of nowhere could be awful after a while.
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And some people get some sort of high out of saying eg I have 5000m2 of land in France etc. Would that impress some people?

I know a couple in their 70's that took on just that and one of them is very ill. I suspect that they thought my reticence was jealousy, for me it felt like utter madness.
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Sometimes you have no choice, the land comes with the house you want. Just put it all down to grass and buy a ride on lawn mower! Can't see why anyone would think you would be impressed by a bit of land, perhaps you just got the wrong idea.

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LOL, ah no, bit like Mrs Bucket with her things, they kept saying things like, did we tell you that we had 5000m2 of terrain. Body language too, they were the sort of people who always thought what they bought was superior and to show off about.

Thing is, it isn't that sort of thing that impresses me.

I simply would never have bought anywhere with that much land, although I have to say, when we were looking for land in 1981/82 there was not much for sale. An estate agent suggested a piece of land that was about 10.000m2 and and I said no, but he insisted that I should see it anyway. We drove up above a lake and there was about 100m2 that was flat and the rest of the 9900m2 was a vertical, well just about and of no use to us or anyone else. I reckon where I come from we would call it a cliff to be honest. He said that he would suggest that we fenced off where the flat bit ended. Views splendid and little gardening, but no thankyou very much.

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[quote user="Jay"]Sometimes you have no choice, the land comes with the house you want. Just put it all down to grass and buy a ride on lawn mower! Can't see why anyone would think you would be impressed by a bit of land, perhaps you just got the wrong idea.
[/quote]The only problem with buying a house with land, you have to get over to France more than once a year.

Maybe this year will be different? Im getting fed up with all the grass cutting. lol

[IMG]http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab146/mustang-boss-302/FRANCEAUG10163.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab146/mustang-boss-302/FRANCEAUG10134.jpg[/IMG]

 

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Well, I was at a certain Channel port today and there were queues of Brits just howling to get out. There were even some with the ownership papers that they were giving away. They hated every moment of it apparently, after the first few months when all their friends came and went and left them to winter alone. And they all had bad knees from pushing the hand mower over their 10000acres. They even hated the French who did not even understand a word of English, even when shouted. Just imagine it, people who don't speak or understand English.
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[quote user="Sprogster"]woolybanana, I don't believe most Brits that leave France do so because they dislike it, quite the contrary, often they are reluctant to leave. It is usually just the economics, or missing family & friends.[/quote]

And becoming infirm or ill, the vagueries of what to expect under the current reciprocal health agreements doesn't give so much confidence when ill in the country of choice,

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An interesting thread! Having been looking for a rural property with land for our horses I have seen a fair selection of properties where the owners have returned home and others where they are waiting to sell before leaving. In one case the owner had bought the property without his girlfriend seeing it so no surprise that they have returned.

Fo my part I am confident that we have done our homework befoe moving - bringng our french back up to standard etc. The difference in property prices mans we are releasing sufficient equity to provide a comfortable income. I am sure it will also help that we both have spent significant periods abroad in the past.

In any case wish us luck
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Good luck and enjoy the adventure!

When we first moved to France (9 years) we wanted a big house with lots of land and a gîte, but we fairly soon got bored with that and as we didn't have or want horses or farm animals the land was just work.

We've now got a new house at the seaside in a sunnier and warmer part of France.

We weren't country people in England, and just prefer living in town.

Everyone's different.

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Rabbie, you are indeed in a beautiful department.  It's not for me as I will find it too cold in winter but I do like the Orne a lot.

Pommier, you are so right, it's to do with, yes, you guess it, LOCATION.

I, too, have tried the living in the country bit and, whilst I love walking and visiting the country side, I think I am happier with a bit of "civilisation" around me.

I'm so pleased you like your new house, Pommier.  I love my new house too and the difference in contentment is immeasurable.

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Why this obsession with the preferences and choices of others?

What suits me, suits me. Whether anyone else agrees, or what they choose to do instead, is of no concern of mine. If we all wanted the same thing, in the same place, it would be pretty boring, not to mention crowded. That's not to say that it isn't interesting to hear the pros and cons of different areas - but, fortunately, one person's con can be another's pro.

 

 

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AZ, I've seldom heard anything so sensible as what you have posted.

I now hesitate to say how much I love my new home and area.

If I so much as say I am very happy with where I am than someone I know says but I can never move just like that!  I have my animals, my friends, my......dah, dah, dah.

The strange thing is, I never once say my area is better than your area as I would not be so insensitive or crass.  But, this particular person always jumps in to say how she could never be anywhere else than her place.

One day, I might just pluck up enough courage to ask, but where do YOU come in, I thought we were just talking about ME?!

 

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Does it matter how we express ourselves, or why our preference is what it is, as long  it is out there in the open for others to consider it, form an opinion, and compare with their own so that they may compare it with yours too, (are you still with me[blink]).
I like wild flowers and woodlands with flutterbies, I don't need to get out mower and the pruning shears on every occasion, sometimes lying in the long grass with the smell of the daisies and wild garlic beats a game of croquet. Mind you I also like shallots.[8-|]
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