chocciecake

People unfamiliar with home ed often think those things!
Infact, learning to socialise in a mixed aged environment is so much more natural for humans and avoids alot of the bullying and hierachical kind of BS that goes on in schools.
The kind of socialisation that goes on in most schools, kids would be better off without!

All the home ed kids i have met seem so mature, can talk the ear off anyone with no qualms whether the person is 3 or 63 yrs old..my kids just get on with conversation wherever they are.
There is so much opportunity for socialisation.
I think people thing we cloister our children away with the curtains shut! lol!

In another country where its not the nrom however, as someone above mentioned, you;re in a different scenario so you make your choices depending on whats available and the best at the time.

This jolly Brexit really has buggered things up for alot of people!

Have any of you noticed any ill will towards Brits as a result after the referendum?
I would feel pretty slighted if I was a European i think!

EuroTrash

Not really, people see it as a national politics thing. The neighbours know that I personally have just as much influence over Britain's decisions as they personally do over France's decisions - ie, doodlesquat. We're all victims together. But with the elections coming up here, that's pretty much anyone is interested in at the moment, Brexit is of no interest apart from in the context of what impact it will have on the EU.

Thanks for explaining more about home schooling. I have to say I have never, to my knowledge, known anyone who was homeschooled, so it has always been a bit of a mystery to me. I wish I had been, I absolutely hated school

dmu

We've steered away from the practical issue of your business. You wouldn't be able to run it from France, without setting up a French business structure and, if you've got employees, then the Micro-Entreprise/Auto-Entrepreneur route isn't for you. You should consult an Accountant with knowledge of French Company/Fiscal/Social Laws before taking the plunge.
Our comments might sound negative, but we're realistic and it's surprising how many potential expats don't realise that France is so different from elsewhere.
As I'm wont to say, "fore-warned is fore-armed".

chocciecake

No, I prefer realistic views on things!
The property shows make it look like you just go over, pick a nice place to live, sample some wine and cheese and then settle in!
A french lady I know however told me it's a nightmare for her running her business there.
It's actually surprising how different alot of Europe is from the UK actually...It has made me appreciate the ease of living here a bit more, as I have felt quite disenfranchised since the Brexit vote.

EuroTrash

It surprises me when people find that surprising.
Why would different countries be the same? I would find it more surprising if they were. Different history, different culture, different economy, different lifestyle, different mindset. And surely it would kind of lose the point of moving, if it was same old same old when you got there

Having run a business in the UK and transferred it to France, I wouldn't say it's a nightmare exactly, but certainly it's not as easy or as profitable here. For me, that's more than compensated for by other things. But that equation is different for everyone I guess, it all depends on your personal priorities.

Pulaski

So you're unhappy when the British want to remain distinctively British, but are surprised when France is different from Britain?

Maybe if you understood more about different countries in Europe, how verydifferent they are from the UK, and indeed from each other, and the history of progressive "Europeanization" of the UK since it joined the Common Market in 1973, then you would be more comfortable with Brexit.

chocciecake

I think you are being unnecessarily judgemental there and taking things I have said out of context actually.
ofcourse I know how different other countries are from Britain, i have travelled extensively.

To make out i am "surprised when France is different from Britain? " as if i am some kind of idiot is just plain rude!

No, honestly i thought all of Europe was just like here, including their love of tea and eastenders! Right!

I was talking regarding the ease of regulations here compared to the bureacracy found in other places, like having to bribe people in Italy to get stuff done etc.

You haven't even asked me, nor have i expressed what i felt disenfranchised about after brexit, so how can you even comment!
Your take on Brexit " British want to remain distinctively British" is just your take- that's not what i see it being about at all.

Just an unhelpful and judgemental comment!

Pulaski

That's what I was talking about, as that's what this thread appears to be mostly about - business bureaucracy and taxes, and schools I guess, but you extrapolated my comment into something much bigger, .... then took offence at it.

Apparently everyone has a different opinion about what the Brexit vote "means", but I haven't heard anyone opposed to Brexit who understands why so many people voted for Brexit. The media hasn't helped.

petitefrancaise

Just ignore him. Pulaski has lived in the USA for years, never lived in any continental European country and is fond of winding up newcomers. You probably know more about the UK and France than he does.

Pulaski

I didn't realise that you are my personal biographer.

loy loy

I stopped reading at this point as A: I was bored and B: it seemed good place for me to jump in.

You will spend most of your time ferrying children around. I work from home (I'll get onto that) in what I would call a rural village, it is about 600 people. Just to do weekly food shop takes half a day as the nearest town is 30 mins away. Even filling up with petrol needs careful planning or you could run out. Weekends are spent with Children and their activities. Both in the basketball club, a match could easily be 90 mins away - in opposite directions

Two cars for us is a necessity and insuring them isn't the cheapest, be aware you need insurance for everything here!

Buying and renovating a Chateau! I hope you have lots of money to throw away. A chateau near us is on it's 4th set of "millionaires" who have attempted to renovate it, it's a long and expensive process. We have done small renovations to our house, don't expect to sell on for a profit like the housing market in the UK. Whatever you spend on property here, be prepared to lose. Mind you, it is a good time to buy at the moment, apart from the exchange rate.

Schooling, it would seem around here, I don't know nationally, the village schools are struggling a bit and are dropping in standard. We have had to send ours to a private school. If you are going to do this, do research. Some private schools exist for the children who have been thrown out of the public system. I would advise against home schooling, the school has been the best way for us to integrate into French life, and for the Children and my wife to make friends and learn the language. The more you get involved in local events and clubs the more you will accepted and helped. A friend of ours (French) home schooled this year and I think they will revert. Their child misses all the companionship etc.

My business, I haven't had to pay income tax yet, I was exempt for 5 years (I will start paying this year :-( ) without income tax, I still have to pay 40 - 45% in cotisations. As mentioned, this will only cover 70% of medical care. You will need a top up insurance. We haven't got one and I wished we did, our daughters need orthodental (not sure how to spell that) work! But I have had some minor health problem the last 6 months and the system is amazing, brilliant. I think the UK should look at the French system for health care. I pay for a French accountant to do my tax submission etc.

As for Brexit, I'm not so worried about that, I imagine not a lot will change, I fear MLP and the French elections. The biggest and most problematic problem for us is the exchange rate post Brexit.

Saying all of this, France has its problems and frustrations. It gets us down sometimes, beats us and annoys us. But we wouldn't move back to the UK. We love it here. When I go back to the UK I just want to leave asap. And the sun will be here to soon to raise spirits.

As long as you have a plan, are prepared to lose some money, get frustrated by the bureaucracy but can remain positive, go for it. You only live once!

dmu

I would add that I had an S� rl (before the Auto-Entrepreneur system was created) and had to pay at least 50% of my nominal salary before I could put anything in my pocket.
CC and her OH may have to set up a similar business structure and should bear the crippling côtisations (as employer AND employee) in mind. And an Accountant is indispensable - no one else can keep up to date with the ever-changing percentages and new Taxes, etc... A nightmare for the layman, even for the French...