I wish you well with your move - no doubt you have thought it out carefully. Some of the figures you have been quoting, ie for re-registaration of a car, are not quite correct. I have done it and believe me, even forgetting the cost side, there is NOTHING like French bureaucracy! And I speak fluent French!
Regarding your moving costs - I find the quote quite reasonable, assuming that you will be moving a complete household. I am presently moving within Switzerland, to a slightly smaller house, and am moving some excess furniture from here to my home in France (900 km door to door). My goods of 8.5 cubic meter comes to a price double your quote!!
The Charente is a truly lovely area. The coast is magnificent. The wine areas of the Bordeaux region are just outstanding. I spent one very happy ‘gap year’, many years ago, at a brilliant school in La Rochelle (Charente Maritime).
Despite the ‘occassional’ negative aspects (hey nowhere if 100% perfect) we both love life in France. The only reason we bought another house in Andalucia is because of the brrrrr cold French winters (and we are on the Med. side!). Just make sure you have a great heating system and an extra log burner or two.
Good luck with your new life - feel free to contact me for any needed advice.
Moving From Spain to France
Thanks laclotte, yes, winters will be a bit of a shock I think, but it's currently colder in our villa than it is outside! - We've got 2 fab woodburners & full central heating in the French house, a real luxury! - I nice big Aga should help heat the house too. We're going to be keeping our apartments on down on the coast here, so we'll have the option of popping back down here whenever we want. Although the drive is somewhat lengthly so it won't be just for a weekend visit.
Regarding prices for re-registering cars, I've been quoted these by friends in France from UK to French Registration. I'm sure we'll find out the real costs soon enough & I'm going to have to sharpen my French to start getting the cert of conformity first!
I paid the same price for shipping a whole household a couple of years ago when I sold up in the UK, that was 20m3, we are leaving a lot here & shipping 10m3 to France, so I think it's costly epecially considering what the transport companies have told me about empty vans!
Await my PM's for all the questions I'll come up - thank you
Regarding prices for re-registering cars, I've been quoted these by friends in France from UK to French Registration. I'm sure we'll find out the real costs soon enough & I'm going to have to sharpen my French to start getting the cert of conformity first!
I paid the same price for shipping a whole household a couple of years ago when I sold up in the UK, that was 20m3, we are leaving a lot here & shipping 10m3 to France, so I think it's costly epecially considering what the transport companies have told me about empty vans!
Await my PM's for all the questions I'll come up - thank you
Saw the programme , "Selling Houses" and the French properties looked very good value for the money, more of a home than the equivalent value in Spain. I really like France and most things are now cheaper than Spain. Did think about moving as have a daughter living in Paris, the only thing that worries me is that the French really DO NOT like the Brits. Some villages have had graffiti saying something such as "Brits *beep* off" although have seen a few comments on the walls close to málaga airport.
I think the problem with the ‘Brits’ and the French is more of an historical nature. I don’t think that the present day French really dislike the English but ‘en mass’ a group of lout mouthed Brits can be off-putting….as can a similar group of any northern European country …. Germans in particular spring to mind!! Like in every country the locals will accept you happily into their society if they see you are even just ‘trying’ to integrate.
I have been asked to arbitrate in a local land ‘problem’ between two English couples (neither of whom speaks a word of French!) - now this is just the type of issue that gives the English a bad name…..why do the English instigate a court case so hastily (in France) and neither understand the law nor speak the language? This episode will damage the reputation of all English in the area - unfair I know but all then get tarred with the same brush.
I have been asked to arbitrate in a local land ‘problem’ between two English couples (neither of whom speaks a word of French!) - now this is just the type of issue that gives the English a bad name…..why do the English instigate a court case so hastily (in France) and neither understand the law nor speak the language? This episode will damage the reputation of all English in the area - unfair I know but all then get tarred with the same brush.
- You don't get harmony when everybody sings the same note -
- rymanskid
- Andalucia.com Amigo
- Posts: 128
- Joined: Fri Feb 02, 2007 7:01 pm
- Location: fuengirola and exeter
Good Luck posh
Have to agree with a lot of what you say,have thought very seriously about moving to France as well mainly due to the ridiculous price of property on the coast in Spain, have looked inland but most seems very old and needs a lot of work , can only hope the lotto comes up one day ha ha anyway good luck with your new venture
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