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A visitor's guide to France | |
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In 2004, over 200,000 people decided to pack their bags, and possibly sell up their home, and move out of Britain in search of a life somewhere else. In 2008, others are still following them, even if the pound/euro exchange rate is now not nearly as favourable as it was. Historically, the British have been a mobile nation, strongly attached to their country, yet at the same time very willing to move abroad, either for good or for a limited period; and in doing so, they tended to take their lifestyle with them wherever they went - India, America, Hong Kong, Australia. This is not unusual - indeed, it is a normal pattern among emigrating communities, who become immigrants in their new country. It should not really surprise anyone that Bangla Deshis living in Britain keep up their lifestyles, language and habits, just in the same way as the British kept up theirs when they lived in Bengal, and many keep them in the twenty-first century, when moving to France. Moving to France In recent years, one of the countries that has been attracting the most interest is France. According to a recent BBC documentary, 20,000 Britons a year are packing up and moving out of the overcrowded UK in search of more elbow room in the the country just over the water, France. But what the BBC documentary did not mention is that about half of those who decide to move "permanently" to France do not stay more than a year or two, or else give up the "permanent" notion, and become seasonal migrants. Moving house can be a traumatic experience; moving to live in a new country, especially one whose language one does not speak properly, can be even more so. And for this reason, it is never advisable to decide to move to France on a whim, on the basis of a happy holiday with great weather and plenty of barbecues and life round the swimming pool. Even in the warmest bits of France, on the Mediterranean coast, winter is a reality, just like snow and rain are. Life in France may be different from life in the UK, but it is still full of the everyday chores, hassles and problems that life can bring anywhere. Those who emigrate to France imagining that they will entirely escape the nitty gritty of life are under a serious delusion, and are among those who are the first to head back home again. UK removals specialists do not run one-way operations only. There are two fundamental aspects that need careful consideration before you even think of setting up home in France. a) Language b) Culture Most Brits who think of moving to France have a very poor mastery of the language. GCSE or "O" Level French doesn't get you very far, especially when your French-learning days are lost in the hazy mists of a dim and distant childhood. Anyone who is even thinking of moving to France should make a serious effort at learning the language with a reasonable degree of proficiency before looking for property. Of course, the French learned in evening classes or at a language school will not prepare you for all the situations that you will find yourself in once you get round to renting or buying property in France; but at least it will give you a basis on which to work. "Social French" will at least help you enjoy a coffee or a drink with your neighbours, or in the local café, which is a start; but it will not get you very far with the lawyer or the builder - not to mention the tax authorities. Of course, the better you speak French, the easier it will be to integrate into local society and communities - not to mention getting by with local suppliers, local professionals such as the doctor or the lawyer, and local bureaucracy which is something that even the French often find incredibly fastidious and a big hassle. In short, if you want to make a success of your life in France, speaking French is an essential skill to master. And to master well. As for "culture", this is even more important. A lot of Brits on holiday abroad seem to fail to understand that people in foreign countries are not just British who happen to live in another country, speak another language, and call themselves by another name. They are different, they think differently, they have a different cultural background, they prioritize differently, they have different values, and different ways of doing things. The worst thing that an incoming Briton can do is to imagine that his way or her way is best, or indeed is the only proper way to do things. This is cultural imperialism, and while it may have worked for a couple of centuries in the days of the British empire, when the British (just like the French) imposed their way of doing things and thinking over a sizeable part of the world, it does not work in the context of modern Europe. Anyone who thinks of moving to live successfully in France, particularly in a rural area, must be willing to adapt to local ways and work with the local system, to change at least some attitudes and preconceptions, and where necessary "go native". When in Rome, do as the Romans. Unless you want to remain largely detached from the local community, or attached just to some diffuse local community of expats, adapting to local life, and even better, participating in it, is absolutely essential. It is unfortunate that a proportion of British immigrants living in France have not understood this, and have led to situations in which - just here and there - "Brits go home" signs have been sprayed on walls. Above all, it is vital to avoid seeming to be condescending towards local customs, habits or slowness. Even if you think some things were done better back in the UK, don't say so - or at least not until you have become a fully accepted member of the local community. It is not just foreigners landing in out-of-the-way parts of France who can make themselves disliked for this reason; whether you are British, Dutch or even just Parisian makes no difference. I know of a small area of France where about a third of the population is now "outsiders" - including a number of Parisians. The latter are not particularly appreciated by the "locals". As an outsider, you must adapt to local ways; do not expect local ways to adapt to you Residential and tax status. If you plan to live 183 days per year or more in France, you will be officially fiscally resident in France. You will thus become a full French taxpayer, as regards income. This concerns your income wherever it may be - including pensions, dividends, unearned income or earned income of any sort. You will not necessarily be worse off in France, unless you have a very high income. If you have a low income, your income tax in France is liable to be less than in the UK. Half the population of France pay no "income tax" at all. However, French "income tax" does not include the additional "CSG" and "CRDS" taxes, which in everything but in name constitute a virtually flat rate income tax, currently amounting to 11% on all income. If you are fiscally resident in France, you will also be subject to French jurisdiction in the event of death. Your estate, including all assets in any other country except property , must be divided up among your heirs in compliance with French inheritance laws, which impose an equal distribution among your direct heirs (children) of the major part of your estate - two thirds of it if you have two direct heirs, three quarters if you have three, etc.. It is impossible, under French law, to leave all your estate to one child, and none to another - whatever mitigating circumstances there may be. As for leaving it all to a home for stray pussy cats, you can only do that if you have no direct heirs at all. As a resident with an EU nationality, you can vote in municipal elections and European elections. You can also be elected to the local council, but you cannot become mayor. Buying property in France If you plan on buying property in France, this is probably the best argument of all for learning French first. There are hundreds of French property sites in English on the Internet....... but there are thousands of estate agencies and "notaires" (solicitors) who are not on the Internet, or at least not in English. The writer of this article remembers well a case in the days before Internet where an early British emigrant to France wanted to sell the first property he had bought, which was not particularly fantastic, even if it was in a pretty area. For two years, his property was on the books of a local estate agent, as a relatively low price, but did not sell. Eventually I persuaded him to put an advert in a major UK Sunday paper. He promptly had half a dozen enquiries, and within three weeks the house had been sold for considerably more than he had been asking for in vain for two years. If a French property is advertised by an international or UK-based estate agent, it is almost certainly being offered at above-market prices. Sometimes at considerably above the market price for the area. While there are plenty of honest estate agents, there are plenty more whose main aim is to get the best price possible, and if this means pulling the wool over they eyes of unsuspecting buyers from abroad, that is what they'll do.... with glee. Frequently, the owners are in on the game too, having discovered that it is easy to rip off affluent Brits and Dutch, who out of ignorance will pay well over the going rate in their area. This is one of the reasons for hostility towards foreign incomers in some parts of France; affluent Brits, Germans, Dutch or Swiss have pushed up property prices, putting anything traditional or attractive out of reach of local inhabitants. This can lead to tensions, particularly when it results in complete villages becoming virtual foreign enclaves. One very good word of advice, if you think that moving to France really is for you; rent a property for at least a month in an area that you do not already know, and start looking for properties locally, just to see how you get by. No need to buy one of course, this is just a dummy run. Surveyors? In the UK, it is customary if not essential to have a property surveyed before buying it. Not so in France, particularly with old rural property. A surveyor's remit is to find as much wrong with a property as possible, so that he cannot therefore be sued subsequently for not having noticed a defect. Old rural properties are full of defects, from cracked walls, to sagging floors, damp, dry rot - and even termites in southwest France. But there is a cure for everything, especially when a building is being fully renovated. If the walls are still standing after a century or two, there's unlikely to be any fundamental problem with them, unless the roof has gone. The best advice is to check the place over very thoroughly, survey it yourself, and if possible get a second opionion from someone with no financial interest in your purchase. If the property is cheap, and you like it, buy it before someone else does; there's not too much to lose. If it is not too cheap (and this is increasingly the case), make the closest inspection possible before you sign anything! Remember, a property in France is sold "as is" (French "en l'état") , and once you've bought it, there is no recourse to be had if later on you come across hidden defects that you had not noticed in time ! Renovating: If you want to make substantial alterations to a house, such as changing doors or windows or adding on bits, you have to get a building permit (permis de construire). This document can be obtained from the local town hall (mairie), and must be returned, completed, with a sheaf of annexes, including plans, photos, etc. If the whole property has a floorspace of less than 75 m², you can do the plans yourself. If its over 75 sq.m, you'll have to get them done or at least redone by a registered French architect or building supervisor (maître d'oeuvre). It can take several months before a permis de construire is approved - or sent back for modification. If you just plan to make changes inside the building (changing partition walls, putting rooms into an old attic, etc) then no building permit is needed. Or at least, it is not customary to ask for one. However, a word of warning to do-it-yourselfers. If you buy a property in which the electricity supply has been shut down for some time, you will not be able to get reconnected until new wiring, compliant with the latest standards, has been installed by a qualified electrician. That means an electrician duly qualified to work in France. If the electricity supply has not been formally disconnected, then you can just get it reconnected in your name, whatever state it is in. Unless you have already moved in, the best way to have your property redone is to find a "maître d'oeuvre", a professional whose job is to oversee progress on the site, do the paperwork, and liaise with contractors. But make sure that you find a reliable "maître d'oeuvre" The messages about house buying are therefore: 1) Preliminaries: Never buy a property in France without first visiting the region carefully, and checking out house prices with local estate agents and notaries. 2) Remember, there are a lot of people out there who are just after your money, and will do all they can to get you to buy a place in France. They'll paint a fantastic rosy picture of moving to France, hoping you'll swallow it. So make sure you take advice from people who have no direct or indirect interest in your move, and be wary of advice from lawyers and banks, very wary of encouragement from estate agents, property magazines, etc., and even that "nice English couple" you meet in a French village, who may well have many reasons for wanting to bring in some British neighbours - but are largely motivated by their interests, not yours. 2) Language: The better you speak French, the easier it will be. 3) Surveys: Don't bother with a surveyor; but do check a property thoroughly before making an offer. 4) Price: Don't forget that the price you negociate does not include taxes and lawyers fees, which will add between 5% and 10%. 5) Selling: Don't imagine that if you come to sell your property, you will necessarily recoup your costs. If you paid over the odds in the first place, you are very unlikely to get back your investment. Conclusion If you think that you can make it, and learn to live in France as part of the community, having learned enough of the language to get by with, do so! The writer of this page has lived in France for all his working life, and has few regrets. While administrative red tape can get anyone down at times, and sometimes you may find things infuriating, France is a great country, with lots of great people. Property is generally cheaper, if not far cheaper, than in most parts of the UK, and there is that great asset that so many people are looking for, wide open countryside and space - room to move in. But there's the French winter too, problems of misunderstanding, distance from friends and family - possibly children or ageing parents. You'll find plenty of cafés, but may miss the pub. If you don't have French health cover, you'll need to get yourself privately insured or else risk paying the bills. Low-cost airlines serve many rural regions, but there's no guarantee that they will continue to do so when oil hits $100 a barrel.... and certainly not at the same low cost. There are lots of things that people often fail to think of before making the move - and that is why so many of them do not stay for long. But sum up the pros and the cons, and make a measured decision. If the answer is yes, then go for it. Come and join us, and help build the integrated Europe of tomorrow. |
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