Robsie

Hello, Bonjour!

I'm new to this site and forums in general so please bear with me!

Well, we've (me, my husband and 4 yr old son) have decided after years of deliberation (and visits to Paris, Loire Valley and the Vendee) to rent the house out in Wales and go for it in France. We've always wanted to move to France but never actually had the guts to do it. It has come to the point that after years of thinking about it, I have to do it or shut-up about it!

It does seem a little crazy as we are not even sure which part of France we would like to live and we only speak a little french! We shall be leaving early June and are now looking for a house to rent in France (without having to pay holiday rental prices if possible).

My husband is very keen to find a job before we leave but I'm not sure if this is possible?? He is a very experienced builder/plasterer (25 years in the trade). I work full time as an Operations Manager at the moment but will also be looking for some kind of part-time employment. I am also considering completing an intensive TEFL course in April as a back up.

Wherever we move, it should ideally be close to a school for our son.
We would very much like to part of the community so being in a very rural area is out of the question.

Can anyone offer any assistance or point me in the right direction please?

Thanks!

themoose

For rentals in all area's you can check out htpp://www.pap.fr.

This site covers general rentals, holiday rentals and buying. It is done by location, so it would be best to have an idea of where in France you would like to be.

If you find an area you can search on number only.



Wherever you select, i wish you and your family all the best of luck. Hope the above is of some use.

Robsie

Hello Moose

Thanks for responding for the advice - It is definately of some use, I shall take a look at the website now.

themoose

You are very welcome. The page can be translated. It is used throughout France, therefore if you have worries about being overcharged because you are british, fear not.

There are links to estate agents too, so good luck

val50

Hi there and welcome to the forum
Good luck with your move.
There is lots of info here, from previous posts, about registering to work
in France. I'm sure once your husband has managed to do that, he will find work, especially if you settle in a area with a larger English speaking community.
Many of the immobiliers also do rentals, as do the Notaires. If you do a search on Google you will find lots of info, get ideas on rentals etc.
Each area is so different, it really does depend on what you are happy with. I love living by the sea, so really enjoy Normandy. It's also good as it has a good train service, ferries etc. Further south is probably not so damp. Other areas will be colder in winter, warmer in summer.
Most of us who have moved here with children haven't had a problem with schools, in fact, quite the opposite.
Again, quite a few of us spoke little or no french when we arrived. It's amazing how much you pick up once you are living here.
There are a lot of forums out there, lots of good advice from people who have been in your situation. Read as much as you can, and keep asking questions.
Most important of all, enjoy yourself.

Robsie

Thanks Val

It's great to receive some encouragement. It is a scary move to leave our family and the UK but it will all be worthwhile I'm sure.

Thanks again for the advice!

Jazzy n Lol

Hello and welcome from me too It's always nice to see fellow Taffs making the pilgrimage. Not sure which part of Wales you are from, but if you're not Gog's (!) then the southern welsh is very similar to the dialect spoken in Breton, which might give you a head start in the language department!

Good luck!

snoopycat

Just wanted to send you all the best for your search.
we are moving to Beziers (Languedoc) in 4 weeks time and I'm excited and apprehensive at the same time.

We bought a house through a local immobilier and they couldn't have been nicer or more helpful to us, so there are some good ones around, although we had read a few horror stories.

Good luck to you, there are a lot of nice and knowledgable people on this forum.

Robsie

Hello Snoopycat

4 weeks eh, not long to go then - how exciting. Do you mind me asking on how you came to decide on the Languedoc region? Just being inquisitive really.
It's good to know that we're not barking mad and that there are others out there doing the same thing!

Yes, it is a good forum isn't it.

Good luck with your adventure!

snoopycat

Thanks Robsie,

We chose the Languedoc primarily because of the weather...(creaking oldish bones)! .....particularly husband's, and also the good range of transport, buses, rail links and airports.

Also the food is good and great markets. Add in the Mediterranean.

Other than that, just trawling the internet, looking at relocation magazines,
and reading forums.

A big change, but we're a bit impulsive and it's never failed.....yet!!!!

scaredycat

Hello Robsie,

we are also hoping to move to France when we've sold our house in England. We have chosen the Charente Maritime area in the South West (nice climate and several airports nearby). We have visited the area a few times and found the local people to be friendly and helpful.

We did our initial search in our motorhome as there are lots of cheap and even free places tp park. In November we rented a gite for a month and this cost 350 Euros for the month including utilities. We found it through www. rentaplaceinfrance.com

I hope this helps

snoopycat

Hi Scaredy,

I remember you from a while back.......hope your house sells soon for you,

Regards from your internet cousin,

Snoopy

Robsie

Hi Scaredycat

Thanks for responding - it really is good to hear other peoples stories.

We've decided to rent our house out (bit of a security blanket!) but if we do find our perfect house in France then I'm sure it will be on put on the market pronto!

We did actually think of selling our car and putting the money towards a motorhome but that plan went out the window when we realised that we under-estimated the price of a motorhome!

Thanks for the tip on the website, I shall take a look this evening. I think the problem we will have is that we are approaching the summer holiday season so it will be difficult to find something so reasonably priced but you never know!

Cheers again and good luck with the selling the house!

scaredycat

Hi Snoopy,

I'm reading all your posts as you've been in the same position as me so keep us informed of your progress with your move as it's all helpful information.

We thought our house would sell quickly but then the market slowed right down and everything seems to be on hold. I'm glad things are working out for you.. I'm sure there's always a 'right time'.

I hope everything runs smoothly for you, I know you've made a brave decision and there will be lots of adventures ahead.

Best of luck

snoopycat

----

Thanks , Scaredycat,....I hope the right time for you comes , well at the right time

I'll keep posting if you'll keep reading

The next few weeks are going to be interesting to say the least,

All the best to you,

Snoopy