Running Costs

[patricia]

We really enjoy cycling in France and are considering buying a very small property in Brittany as a bolt-hole and to explore all those lovely lanes at our leisure.[:)]  But we won't be retiring for a few years yet so wouldn't be able to spend too much time there initially. What are the general annual running costs for a property in France, the costs that you pay whether you're there or not, like the equivalent of council tax, and water rates and sewage etc? We'd be really grateful to hear of anyone else's experiences of this.

[Val_2]

No one can answer this exactly for you because a lot depends on the commune and dept you live in, proximity to a large town or the coast  and the size and state of the property you wish to buy. The only way to find out is to find a property first and ask the agent or notaire what the previous owner paid for 2006 but whatever it will be it will be cheaper than the UK. However, cheap taxes do not make for cheap living here and you will also have to pay for your health care eventually and have twice as far to travel to do your shopping.Utility bills for residents are very two months for phone and electric and water every six months and the authorities have the right to enter/block your bank accounts to take late payments. If you have mains drainage,your water bills will be more expensive than a property with a fosse septique although that does need to be emptied every five years. The rubbish collection charge will be included with your taxes and you pay two,usually around October to December with the television licence included in the Taxe d'Habitation. Property prices are much cheaper anywhere from 20miles inland from the coast but the whole region house price wise has gone up greatly since we bought in 1989.

[Teamedup]

Val I've pm'd you

[Val_2]

Have replied via your proper e.mail

[patricia]

Thanks a lot for your help. We've been busy reading up about taxe fonciere and taxe d'habitation, but I don't think that it will end up being too bad, especially as we only want a small property. We like to leave our car behind in the UK and just take our bikes and panniers on the ferry, but we could easily manage up to 50 miles inland provided we took the overnight ferry. [Www]

[suein56]

If you mean a small holiday home ie one you visit when you can and not one to live in permanently, then I think the running costs might well be reasonable rather than expensive.  We have a 3 bed house in southern Brittany and our taxe foncière for 2006 was 654€ including 134€ for rubbish collection and our taxe d'hab was 592€ including 119€ for the TV licence. We used 1350€ worth of electricity and our water bill was 300€. But we do live here all the time and our house is all electric except for a gas hob. Our water bills would double if we were on main drainage, but, for the time being we have a fosse. 

Hope this gives you some idea.

Sue