FabSwingers.com forum: Living in France

By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

I finally am thinking of putting down a permanent base and France is a possibility. Semi/rural but not fixed on an area. Have a mind to renovate but maybe not.

However.....my French isn’t great. I’d obviously task to better it but.....would not being anywhere near fluent be a major problem?

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"I finally am thinking of putting down a permanent base and France is a possibility. Semi/rural but not fixed on an area. Have a mind to renovate but maybe not.

However.....my French isn’t great. I’d obviously task to better it but.....would not being anywhere near fluent be a major problem?"

It depends on how confident you are in every day life but not speaking French is not a major problem as a hell of a lot of Brits don’t bother trying to speak French.

For me it’s very important as I like to chat and joke but you could get through every day life with just a nod and a grunt.

There is a chap local to us that’s been here 30 years and doesn’t even manage a bonjour.

We are just setting up a renovation hand holding and living service so watch out for that.

Good luck and deffo do it as it’s a great place to live.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"I finally am thinking of putting down a permanent base and France is a possibility. Semi/rural but not fixed on an area. Have a mind to renovate but maybe not.

However.....my French isn’t great. I’d obviously task to better it but.....would not being anywhere near fluent be a major problem?

It depends on how confident you are in every day life but not speaking French is not a major problem as a hell of a lot of Brits don’t bother trying to speak French.

For me it’s very important as I like to chat and joke but you could get through every day life with just a nod and a grunt.

There is a chap local to us that’s been here 30 years and doesn’t even manage a bonjour.

We are just setting up a renovation hand holding and living service so watch out for that.

Good luck and deffo do it as it’s a great place to live.

We used to do this in Cap. Had a gite rental and property management company, but the prefecture (Beziers) told me that after Brexit, as a TCN would need to be above threshold after taxes and cottisations paid, for an actif Titre de Sejour! Bonne chance.

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

I don’t have an EU passport (NZ) so knew that bit already but thanks.

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By *coptoCouple
over a year ago

Côte d'Azur & Great Yarmouth

Many Brits have lived in France and Spain for many years and haven’t progressed much beyond “just a nod and a grunt”. They’re the ones who return to the UK with less cash than they went with, moan that they were ripped off by local contractors, lawyers, shopkeepers, everybody in fact… The French/Spanish are rude and arrogant (most of ‘em can’t even speak English), and the food is rubbish compared with “a full English”.

Others actually go out and speak to the locals, have their croissants and coffees in the café on the corner and drink their pastis in a rough’n’ready bar, read local newspapers, make friends outside their little ex-pat community and have a whale of a time.

I’m no linguist, but with a German wife, owning property in France and having lived in the Caribbean and elsewhere, I speak German, French, Spanish and - using my few words and lots of hand gestures - can get by in Serbo-Croat and Arabic. As a woman, you’ll especially have the advantage of learning more and more each day when you go to the market to shop, pop to the local boulangerie or whatever.

Why would anyone choose not to?

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

The whole talking French thing is one of our pet hates as it’s really not hard to speak the language of the country that you live in and I’m sure most of the little englanders disliked all the Eastern European’s that flooded Blighty and didn’t speak English.

I’m a builder and as thick as pigs waste but I managed with hard work and by trying but I have to say that we find the French on a whole to be very very forgiving if you try and very friendly as a race.

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By *aelic funMan
over a year ago

Carlisle Dumfries

I've been here 5 years, came out with basic French (courtesy of school decades ago plus what I'd picked up from yours of holidaying here) and while I am not fluent, I can converse, get by, etc. The only time I struggle is when things get technical (as in pool, building, car technical things etc).

I echo everything said before, if you try the French will be patient. Our local mayor even put me in touch with a French woman, who teaches English, and she's taken on the job of improving my language skills.

You'll find plenty of people like her once you are established.

But France is a large country, with great variations in house costs and weather, so go for it.

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By *ive deep mountain highMan
over a year ago

Cambridge and Cap d Agde ( various weeks 2021 )

"I finally am thinking of putting down a permanent base and France is a possibility. Semi/rural but not fixed on an area. Have a mind to renovate but maybe not.

However.....my French isn’t great. I’d obviously task to better it but.....would not being anywhere near fluent be a major problem?"
Hello. If you already own a house in the UK have you considered renting it out and using the rental income earned on it to pay your rent on a French property.

It takes a considerable amount of time and effort to learn from. I went to evening classes for 18 months at the Instit du Francais in central London buy found my progress to be very slow . Dir to a change in personal cicumstances ( I had to care for someone who was mentally ill ) I could no longer attend the classes and have made little progress since .

Buying a property in France to renovate is probably very high risk. I know a few people who have come unstuck doing this .

Having said that I purchased an apartment which needed complete renovation and managed to complete the entire project within budget. However I used a local agent ( originally from the UK and now settled in France ). I did a thorough inspection of his work prior to utilising his services and in addition only made payment after certain stages of the work were complete.

Transactions costs of purchasing a property in France are high so you need to ensure that you make the right decision first time round.

Only you can make the assessment as to whether buying a property requiring renovation is a risk worth taking.

My advice would be to buy a property that is already renovated. Enrolment in French lessons should also be a priority.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

You can still pick up houses very cheaply here and my sparky has just brought one for 6,000 euros so shop around and always buy with an eye to the future and re sale.

Down load coffee break French which are 15 min lessons and very easy to follow.

Good luck

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

What part of France are you thinking of

I’ve had a home in the south west for 15 years the locals are great most will try and help with the language barrier x

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By *ucianpoundCouple
over a year ago

Cap d’Agde, France

"I finally am thinking of putting down a permanent base and France is a possibility. Semi/rural but not fixed on an area. Have a mind to renovate but maybe not.

However.....my French isn’t great. I’d obviously task to better it but.....would not being anywhere near fluent be a major problem?"

Some good advice on here.

My advice would be not to be seduced by all those beautiful old mills farms and maison de maitre all going for a song but just needing a little bit of TLC.

The reason that they are so cheap is because the French don't want to live there.

Even if you spend a fortune on a renovation, the french still will nott want to buy them .

My advice is buy where the French want to live, it won't be cheap but it will be the better investment long term and you shouldn't have a problem selling if you have to.

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

Thank you, everybody. Some very valuable advice here. I take on board the info about renovations and where to buy; it’s easy to be beguiled by the possibility and price of renovation properties so appreciate that input.

I think it’d be sensible to go the renting route first, both to get a feel of it and to sharpen my French- nothing like being immersed to hasten learning! Previous excursions into northern France didn’t go well, with regard to not being totally fluent but a couple of rude people do not make a Nation.

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By *coptoCouple
over a year ago

Côte d'Azur & Great Yarmouth

"Previous excursions into northern France didn’t go well"

That's not unusual: it's an unfortunate vicious circle that the majority of Brits the locals have encountered are d*unken loud-mouthed yobs falling off the ferries, or driving like maniacs to fill up their cars or white vans with tat from the cash'n'carries.

So the very first French people you meet are likely to be rude and unhelpful, and can put you off going again.

I'm a Londoner, but I advise first-time visitors to the UK to go as far North as possible. People will have more time for you and be much more welcoming, they'll thoroughly enjoy Scotland. Similarly, the further South you go in France, the nicer the people. The weather gets better, too!

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By *itandSteveCouple
over a year ago

Stroud

Interesting thread this. All good advice I’ve seen so far.

We are ten years in France now. 4 part time whilst we moved businesses etc and now 6 full.

Now on our fourth renovation property not because we are “developers” just because our living requirements changed over time.

Now. I’m sure someone will disagree but by and large you won’t get rich flipping properties here. Yes they are cheap but the market doesn’t reflect the UK as such amd we’ve always been happy to break even on a project and move on as it’s not our primary income.

In our opinion finding somewhere to live is the least of your worries.

Yes the language is very important not just for day to day living and intergrating but as a way to earn money !!

Income / revenue stream is the biggest thing. Even in the village we now live in hardly two months go buy without more brits arriving and looking round. All seem to think they can earn some money as builders / decorating/ servicing gites etc etc. Some with no trade skills whatsoever.

We see this as the biggest issue and why a lot of people struggle. It’s not that you can’t make a living in these areas but if you are relying on the expat community for your living then you are moving into a highly competitive market with usually well established players in it (the guys that have been here 15 plus years )

Being one fluent (Kit) and one conversationally sound (me) we were able to take our UK business and replicate it here and sell our products to everyone which for us made a massive difference !!

Either way. Good luck and go for it !!

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By *anejohnkent6263Couple
over a year ago

canterbury

Its not a big money maker its a lifestyle ....heaven to us

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By *rightonfranceMan
over a year ago

brighton - chalais france

I agree totally with pretty much all the above, having been here 20 years plus now, apart from language a renewable income is critical..

Many "Builders" coming here seem to get the ferry certificate of competancy and after a year become "Master" craftsmen. Sadly over the years I have seen many of the local ex pat community fall foul of these "Builders" There are many out there that have had good experiences too, so I'd advise word of mouth, and do check that the builder has both a siret number and a 10 year insurance policy for works that he carries out.

I'm sure people will tell you differently but there are a lot of cowboys around.. Good luck with everything and do take french lessons, the language will help a lot.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"I agree totally with pretty much all the above, having been here 20 years plus now, apart from language a renewable income is critical..

I'm sure people will tell you differently but there are a lot of cowboys around.. Good luck with everything and do take french lessons, the language will help a lot. "

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By *uxinteriorMan
over a year ago

south west , continental

Why not OP, give it a go, renting a place first is a great idea, to see if you like the area and lifestyle first.

Integration is a big must, you don't get anywhere without the language. The French are pretty forgiving at us Brits annihilating a very sexy language!

Join in with your local communes and you will be surprised the doors that can open.

I attached myself to an avant garde crowd near by and I've explored some pretty neat hidden places, cultural eye openers, art and music

French ladies that I know have been really helpful and shown me lots, I think they like my English head, apparently its very English!

If your going to do a renovation, make sure you budget accordingly. France can be expensive with building materials and builders, tradesmen of a good reputation don't come cheap, siret registered a must.

I generally stay well clear of any British chat/meet up groups. Otherwise you fall in to the little Englander mindset and then it just becomes a crutch.

I still visit the UK regularly, but France is my home and I love it. The peace and quiet, better weather, good food, decent wine, no traffic and being able to pursue my hobbies, living a traditional lifestyle, whilst owning a lovely house was and still is my motivation.

Along the way I have had fantastic experiences, met some great people, even fabbers.

Give it a whirl, life's too short as it is!

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