Care in the UK, Do my parents have to sell house in France?
Sep 19th 2017, 1:39 pm
#31
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 6,148
Re: Care in the UK, Do we have to sell house in France?
True but as far as I know the value of a house is determined by the market. If the house is on the market and nobody is willing to buy it, the first offer is the market value. Different in a vibrant market where houses are sold quickly but in many parts of France houses could be empty for years.
Sep 19th 2017, 1:48 pm
#33
Yo
Joined: Nov 2012
Location: UK
Posts: 24,474
Re: Care in the UK, Do we have to sell house in France?
True but as far as I know the value of a house is determined by the market. If the house is on the market and nobody is willing to buy it, the first offer is the market value. Different in a vibrant market where houses are sold quickly but in many parts of France houses could be empty for years.
Sep 19th 2017, 3:22 pm
#34
Austin. TX.
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 5,930
Re: Care in the UK, Do my parents have to sell house in France?
This should absolutely be a sticky post in the french forum.
In fact the OP could go over there and ask for advice. There was one poster who had to sort out her parents house in france and get them back to the UK. And she was based in Texas.
Selling a house in France? If it's a nice new one on the edge of a town with schools and jobs around then it's not that hard. Unfortunately, retiring Brits like the sort of houses that french people would not touch with a barge pole. In need of restoration, out in the middle of nowhere, no schools, no work or a long commute to work. They can indeed take years to sell and often you have to sell for a lot less than you bought it for.
I'll see if I can pm the poster I'm thinking of. Can't remember her BE pseudo though...
In fact the OP could go over there and ask for advice. There was one poster who had to sort out her parents house in france and get them back to the UK. And she was based in Texas.
Selling a house in France? If it's a nice new one on the edge of a town with schools and jobs around then it's not that hard. Unfortunately, retiring Brits like the sort of houses that french people would not touch with a barge pole. In need of restoration, out in the middle of nowhere, no schools, no work or a long commute to work. They can indeed take years to sell and often you have to sell for a lot less than you bought it for.
I'll see if I can pm the poster I'm thinking of. Can't remember her BE pseudo though...
Sep 19th 2017, 4:21 pm
#35
BE Forum Addict
Joined: May 2012
Location: South Bucks
Posts: 1,654
Re: Care in the UK, Do my parents have to sell house in France?
This thread has raised a lot of forseeable issues, so many that it almost warrants being distilled into a wiki or a sticky and posted in the Spain and France forums.
- the risks of buying a house that may be unsaleable at any reasonable price, especially in an "emergency"
- tying up most of your tangible net worth in a house, especially one that is potentially unsaleable, and even more so if you don't have relatively substantial income during retirement, enough to pay for end of life care, or insurance or a nest egg to pay for care
- living long term in a country and not speaking the language, the consequences, especially later in life can be disturbing
- expecting to return to the UK when your health declines and expecting "the government" is going to willingly pick up the tab without setting some reasonable hurdles
- the idea that on returning to the UK you somehow expect "the government" to step up with housing and "benefits". ..... When you retired to Spain, France, etc. you didn't expect the Spanish or French government to find you housing and give you a cash hand out. Therefore morally you have no right to expect housing and benefits when you decide that it is financially advantageous to return to the UK for residential care paid for by "the government."
- the risks of buying a house that may be unsaleable at any reasonable price, especially in an "emergency"
- tying up most of your tangible net worth in a house, especially one that is potentially unsaleable, and even more so if you don't have relatively substantial income during retirement, enough to pay for end of life care, or insurance or a nest egg to pay for care
- living long term in a country and not speaking the language, the consequences, especially later in life can be disturbing
- expecting to return to the UK when your health declines and expecting "the government" is going to willingly pick up the tab without setting some reasonable hurdles
- the idea that on returning to the UK you somehow expect "the government" to step up with housing and "benefits". ..... When you retired to Spain, France, etc. you didn't expect the Spanish or French government to find you housing and give you a cash hand out. Therefore morally you have no right to expect housing and benefits when you decide that it is financially advantageous to return to the UK for residential care paid for by "the government."
Sep 19th 2017, 4:23 pm
#36
Austin. TX.
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 5,930
Re: Care in the UK, Do my parents have to sell house in France?
OP, look for JJMB's posts in the france forum. I've sent her a pm to see if she can help you but not sure she's around much these days.
Sep 19th 2017, 4:31 pm
#37
Banned
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 364
Re: Care in the UK, Do my parents have to sell house in France?
http://britishexpats.com/forum/franc.../#post11880384
But looks like the OP ignored the advice 18 months ago and is now surprised at this situation...
Sep 19th 2017, 5:21 pm
#38
Austin. TX.
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 5,930
Re: Care in the UK, Do my parents have to sell house in France?
I'm no expert but even in France you may have to contribute towards the cost of your mum's care in a nursing home.
Sep 19th 2017, 6:07 pm
#39
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 91
Re: Care in the UK, Do my parents have to sell house in France?
I don't think we could cope with carers anyway so we're doing 24/7 care in the short term and I have stopped all evening meetings I used to go to look after mum.
Sep 19th 2017, 6:11 pm
#40
Austin. TX.
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 5,930
Re: Care in the UK, Do my parents have to sell house in France?
Sep 19th 2017, 6:32 pm
#42
Austin. TX.
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 5,930
Re: Care in the UK, Do my parents have to sell house in France?
This might be better in the france forum now if the OP is moving back to France.
Sep 19th 2017, 6:34 pm
#43
SUPER MODERATOR
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 88,023
Re: Care in the UK, Do my parents have to sell house in France?
DayPerson if you do open a new thread maybe add a link to this thread in the opening post.
Sep 20th 2017, 1:23 am
#44
Concierge
Joined: Jan 2013
Location: Western Australia
Posts: 21,139
Re: Care in the UK, Do my parents have to sell house in France?
I must be thick because I can't understand this thread at all.
The only sticking point to the OP's mum getting the care she needs in the UK seems to be the house in France. If it was sold, mum and dad could meet the habitual residence test and be eligible for care and benefits in the UK.
The best, the only solution seems to be to sell the house. It may well sell for far less than was paid, but what does that really matter in the scheme of things? The aim here is to get the best care for mum, and having a house in France isn't benefiting her at all.
Sell the house.
Mum and dad will then be able to meet the habitual residence test and be eligible for benefits and help with care costs.
Dad can buy a little property with the proceeds, or rent for a while and put his name on the council's housing list.
Mum will have carers that speak to her in a language she can understand.
Dad and daughter will be able to converse with carers in a language they can understand.
Why return to France, where the OP says there's huge difficulty in getting appropriate care for mum, and even when care is offered they won't accept it?? All for the sake of hanging onto a house??
The only sticking point to the OP's mum getting the care she needs in the UK seems to be the house in France. If it was sold, mum and dad could meet the habitual residence test and be eligible for care and benefits in the UK.
The best, the only solution seems to be to sell the house. It may well sell for far less than was paid, but what does that really matter in the scheme of things? The aim here is to get the best care for mum, and having a house in France isn't benefiting her at all.
Sell the house.
Mum and dad will then be able to meet the habitual residence test and be eligible for benefits and help with care costs.
Dad can buy a little property with the proceeds, or rent for a while and put his name on the council's housing list.
Mum will have carers that speak to her in a language she can understand.
Dad and daughter will be able to converse with carers in a language they can understand.
Why return to France, where the OP says there's huge difficulty in getting appropriate care for mum, and even when care is offered they won't accept it?? All for the sake of hanging onto a house??
Sep 20th 2017, 3:03 am
#45
Austin. TX.
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 5,930
Re: Care in the UK, Do my parents have to sell house in France?
I must be thick because I can't understand this thread at all.
The only sticking point to the OP's mum getting the care she needs in the UK seems to be the house in France. If it was sold, mum and dad could meet the habitual residence test and be eligible for care and benefits in the UK.
The best, the only solution seems to be to sell the house. It may well sell for far less than was paid, but what does that really matter in the scheme of things? The aim here is to get the best care for mum, and having a house in France isn't benefiting her at all.
Sell the house.
Mum and dad will then be able to meet the habitual residence test and be eligible for benefits and help with care costs.
Dad can buy a little property with the proceeds, or rent for a while and put his name on the council's housing list.
Mum will have carers that speak to her in a language she can understand.
Dad and daughter will be able to converse with carers in a language they can understand.
Why return to France, where the OP says there's huge difficulty in getting appropriate care for mum, and even when care is offered they won't accept it?? All for the sake of hanging onto a house??
The only sticking point to the OP's mum getting the care she needs in the UK seems to be the house in France. If it was sold, mum and dad could meet the habitual residence test and be eligible for care and benefits in the UK.
The best, the only solution seems to be to sell the house. It may well sell for far less than was paid, but what does that really matter in the scheme of things? The aim here is to get the best care for mum, and having a house in France isn't benefiting her at all.
Sell the house.
Mum and dad will then be able to meet the habitual residence test and be eligible for benefits and help with care costs.
Dad can buy a little property with the proceeds, or rent for a while and put his name on the council's housing list.
Mum will have carers that speak to her in a language she can understand.
Dad and daughter will be able to converse with carers in a language they can understand.
Why return to France, where the OP says there's huge difficulty in getting appropriate care for mum, and even when care is offered they won't accept it?? All for the sake of hanging onto a house??
Last edited by Jerseygirl; Sep 20th 2017 at 11:40 am. Reason: Cocked up quote