Dave

Hi We are looking to move to France and we have never even been before so you could say we are virgins & at the early stages of looking. We are looking at the Limousin region due to the little research that we have done

We are planning to go over a few times to recci the area beforehand. We are looking for a place where we can have some land for horses and some smaller animals but also ant to become a part of the local community. Property condition is irrelavant, it can be a shell if need be, the main criteria is land, as we are able to restore over time.

We are both learning the language and will not move until we have mastered that.
However, as with all things, it is hard to know where to start. We will have cash when we sell our house but may need a mortgage/loan.

Anybody who has done similar please offer your assistance as this would be greatly appreciated.

Dave & Cath

simon pochin

Hello , I can find the property you are looking for and the Land for your horses
in a mini paradise with a mediteranian micro climate for a small fee! But I would add that to learn french is ten times quicker in France , I was fluent in a year after emigrating but now my english is terrible !

Dave

Hi Simon

Please tell me more of how you can offer assistance.

But please bear in mind we are at the very early stages of looking so, I wouldnt want to waste your time.

Dave

Uriah

Why do you want to go to France?
Don't get me wrong, I am not trying to put you off, but getting that question sorted out before anything else - especially as you say you have never been - can save a lot of heartache later on. What do your family and friends think?
Will you need to work? If so will you be able to get a job to pay the mortgage you say you might need. You can't speak French so getting work will be difficult. Will you be doing the renovations, if that is what you go for, or paying someone else. If you are doing it yourself will you have enough holiday, if you are working, to get much work done. Think how long and tiring just re-decorating a room in your house is. I have just scratched the surface here, there is so much to consider.
If I were you, I would answer the above question and then really, really, really do as much homework and research as humanly possible, make plenty of trips, stay on holiday, start learning French.
I know there are probably lots of anecdotes about going over, falling in love with a house, buying then and there and living happily ever after. There are also plenty who crash and burn, but you don't hear about those - bad TV.
France is a great place and I wish you well in your endeavor. Some things to remember:
Add 10-20% to the house price for fees
Add 100% if you are going to renovate
An appointment is a statement of intention, not fact - get used to waiting
Don't upset the mayor - it's not like it is in England
Do it their way
Hope it helps.

Dave

Hi
Well to answer your questions which we have considered very deeply already. We have heard so much about France and the lifestyle and have been talking to friends who have done this and who are moving over there at the end of March. So although we havent been yet feel we know quite a bit. We wont be needing to work, not at first anyway so will have time to renovate. Sounds shallow but we have seen some of the TV shows about France, Language, plans, building etc and will not be as gullible as some.

We have started to learn the language and will back that learning curve up with regular visits & holidays in the next 2 years. Our plans include quite a lot but we are hoping to be over there by 2010.

We are looking now on Internet etc, to get an idea on property and prices to allow us to build a budget and plan ahead. I have building background so can carry out/assist in some of the work.

Thanks for the points you raised but we have asked & answered most of them to ourselves, hence why we are now at the stage we are at

simon pochin

hello again , well Ive been down here for donkeys and I know the propery ropes and Im bilingual I've had a very nasty paragliding accident which has left me a little handicapped so I'm also looking for potential sources of income . I also enjoy helping people realise their dreams . Somebody who can represent you and introduce you to potential sellers could save a couple of grand here and a few hundred there , but if you turn up with text book and cassete style french with an english car and start going round the angencies your sure to pay the top whack . I also think that now is agood time to buy , but not everyone agrees with me on that one (yet). Don't worry about wasting my time , but don't waste yours by learning french in England , no disrespect to your teacher but for languages you just have to get stuck in and live with the locals , eat drink and talk with them , and avoide moving to regions where every other inhabitant is english ,take care . Simon and Claire ,ps ignore the negative mails about France and the 'what will your friends say'they'll say 'can we come on holiday please'and obviously you'll have to spend some time here first , but dont forget England only an easyjet or a ryanair away 30 quid tops!

Dave

Anybody got any updates for us as we plan to go ove for the first time i July/August to reccy the area around Limousin

Ka Ora!

Come over look get a feel for the place. You Will find this place a valuable source of info because what you are about to do most have done whether its getting registered will the relevant official people doctors hospital i have spent at least 7 months of our four and a half years here in hospital at one time or another we will gladly help dont be put off by any negative comments give it a whirl.

Best of luck

susiq

hi

i'm not fra from the Limousin , its stunning there. known as the long summer and short winter area (well, at least that what several french friends have told me).


its easy to find a property to renovate with land (i have horses and goats that are outside). the Limousin is the cheap pf the areas in this region, but is starting to get known by the english so prices are on there way up (we are building family so know prices in the area). also there are english speaking agents ten a peny here, every region you go to. also english run agencies. but be aware that english agencies thend to add money to the prices of land because the english are prepared to pay more than the french in general.

as for the language, personally i have found it really hard to learn the language ( i think most people do tobe honest, unless you have great basics before you come).


agri land is really cheap, your looking at about €500 per acre (thats area 86, so can imagine that limousine would be the same or cheaper.

please bare in mind with builders (if you are renovating here) that they are not the same as in england (when you have a good builder in england i mean lol). they are booked up a long time in advace ususally, if they are good that is. and are expensive ususally. they often (i'm not saying all, but the french builder we have come across have done this, every one) say they will be there at a certain date, take a hefty deposite then not rturn, unti the followingyear to actually do the work!! Often my family business gets booked to sort things like that out.

Horse feeds simply aren't as good as england. if you have fatties then your fine, but if you have a horse that needs a conditioning feed be aware after 4 years of looking i haven't found 1. i have asked vets farriers etc. But we now have baileys, dodson and horrle and spillers (i thin thats all that are over here). hilton herbs are here. wormer is stupidly priced (as the french usually don't bother worming!! a fact taht my past 3 vets have drummed into me about worming. keep telling them i do worm but as they are used to non wormers its everytime unti they get to know you personally).

can't think of anything else that may help you.

come and explore have a nose anout as a general rule the french are really friendly (i think more so than the english, as we are so busy in england).

the health system is fantastic here,absolutly brilliant. the past 3 vets i have had aren't that fantastic, but as long as you know enough about horses and have a good vet back in england that would offer advise then you will be fine. i find that here my vet contacts me with things he's not seen before!! but at treatment i can't fault them. they are far far more caring than the uk vets i used.

hth

susi

gailj

Hi Dave

I live in the Indre Region (36) and this is next to Limousin 86 Region. It is so wonderful to live here. I have loads of friends who have horses and find it is a good region for this, land is plentiful and vets/farriers etc are great. Limousin has been known to be cheaper than a lot of places, but there are loads of Brits moving/looking to move with their horses, so it's pushing the prices up. In the region you are looking at, there are a lot of properties for sale, i.e. barns, stone houses, farms, renovation projects with land...some are not entirely joined to the land, i.e. the house is on one side of the road and the land across the road and this is not unusual at all in France!!!! The Limousin Region I would say is great value for money and it is very very picturesque, but you have to make sure you look shortly as it has been featured on the UK TV and I have met so many people who have come over due to seeing the beauty of the place and the "value for money" on TV programmes! Good hunting!

bramblebush

I am in cote D'or (21) we have been here for 20 months.

The french are very nice people, very friendly and welcoming.

We have found the language hard, we picked up lots but still so much more to learn, our children were fluent in no time.

Work is very hard to come by. You need to be fluent and even then it is hard.
The unemployment rate in france is high and they tend to employment french people over foreigners, quite right too.

Good luck, keep researching and visiting it's all part of the fun

chrissyfrog

Dave I would suggest you rent a property for at least 6 months before moving out it will cost you about €600 per month for a 2/3 bed property furnished or unfurnished. most of the french agents will have properties available. you will then know if france is for you.
most people decide a place in the country is for them but later discover they prefer a village with the baker, butcher, local bar etc.

Be aware of how much you are spending on renovation you may spend more than the property will be worth resale. renovation costs are much higher than the UK. You may have to use french registered artisans for any electrical and plumbing work to gain the certificate of conformity and they are not cheap.

There are some people deciding on returning to the UK after a renovation project and are finding it difficult to recover what they have spent on a property. And property values rise at a fraction of the UK rates.

We are leaving france after only being here 18 months because it is not for us and wish we had rented before selling up in UK. we never needed work having taken early retirement. We sold easily because we priced the property correctly. we had bought a newly constructed house in a small hamlet.

most people decide to learn to speak french but you also need to read and write a little. I know from other expats that finding work is very difficult thats why lots decide to work for the estate agencies on commission only basis.

be as wary as you would in the UK of who to use for help and guidance in france regardless of nationality.

We found our french neighbours to be fantastic and the brits to be standoffish unless they wanted something. Some services namely france telecom only speak french when you have a problem but speak english when trying to sell to you. We were surprised to find some brits really helpful and some were helpful if paid. you do need their company.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

tommyauvergne

Dave and Cath, you both seem to have it planned, 2010, and seem to want to do your homework. May I suggest making your future holidays learning ones. There are plenty of language courses etc for one week, two weeks or even months in most areas. This will give insight into the areas and will get you to speak to the locals etc. Good luck.

thisisitimhere

Hi
We have lived in the charente now for 15 months, please take our advise, before you buy here, live here a winter, it takes a special person to live in the charente, its hard, we came over and were the luckiest of the lucky to find a job with an english company here, but the money was smick and we were unable to live of it, it has been horrid, my daughter now speaks fluent french and is happy, i have been having lessons for one year now, and just get by, the charente is wonderful for a holiday, but to live here, think again, we are and are looking at the south of france, in the charente there are no jobs, and no money, i really hope it works for you.
bonne chance

sutty and sue

Hi Dave and Cath
We are visiting Limousin early August, like yourselves we are looking to relocate with 2 horses and 2 dogs. We are looking for house with land, but are not looking to renovate.
We have been trying to contact Trudi and Patrick who have a holiday equestrian business in Limousin area but have been unable to email on the address we have.
Anyone with any useful information would be greatly appreciated.
Sue and Pete.