Mail Redirection

[Teddy]

Would appreciate learning how others deal with managing the post when you have a second home in France.  I understand some people redirect post to a lawyer or similar contact in France. An alternative would be to have all post redirected to the UK.  Is this easy to achieve, is it a costly process, any recommendations please ?

[Loiseau]

I imagine you're concerned about bills etc?

I always have my UK address on any French utility bills, rates, bank statements etc, so that they all go to my permanent home.  However, as this can be a problem of its own if you stay several weeks at a time in France whileyour French bills languish unpaid in the UK, so I now pay all these by variable direct debit.

That just leaves things like TV licence, and insurance for my little French car (kept in France) that have to be sent to the French address.  I now have these on direct debit too (though the TV licence is going to be lumped in with the rates bill from now on).

The only remaining problem is getting a new French chequebook when you need one, as my bank doesn't seem to like sending them registered to the UK, and it's no good having a "recorded delivery" to the French house if I am not likely to be in.  So I try and remember to order and pick a new one up in person when in France, before I run out of cheques in the old book.

That only leaves unsolicited mail (plenty of junk from supermarkets), or the odd postcard from a holidaying friend that sit in my French letterbox between trips.

Angela

[Richard-R]

Setting up direct debitss with a french banks sorts this out. The only bill we need to pay by cheque is for local water and thats about 150€ per year. If you are not using the property for long periods of time, it's a good idea to have someone look in on it now and than, in case of leaks, mice taking up residence ect.