Blackladder

Hi everyone,
I'm new here and would like to introduce myself (should have done it before). I was born in the Midlands, Worcestershire to be precise, and lived in France (Pyrenees) for 2 glorious years in the 1960s . I have now lived and worked in Sweden for more than 30 years and, with retirement approaching, would like to buy a small place in either Limousin or Charentes. Are there any members or others who have any experience of living there? I would dearly love to move back to the Pyrenees, but I fear that the properties there are beyond my budget (max 100,000 E). Any reflections would be gratefully received.

Ka Ora!

Im in the Pyrenees, Ariege to be more precise. There are still Properties in that ball park price range but a lot is going to depend on what you want and how much work you want to do to it. If you can try and avoid the immobliers check the local papers etc as you get more for your money.

Chris'nJulie

It really depends on the lifestyle you want, I would have thought.
When we were looking for property in France, I rather liked the idea of living somewhere in the Midi-Pyrenees, and we looked around. We also looked around in other areas and eventually settled on the Limousin. We are in the Correze, and love it here. But we like the peace and quiet and remoteness, so it suits us down to the ground. If that's the sort of lifestyle that appeals to you, then I highly recommend this area. It's very similar in some ways to the Midi-Pyrenees - my wife thought both areas "semi-medieval" in that the towns and villages had an air about them of that era - stone, multi-storey buildings and nestling in valleys surround by high ground, with a haze of woodsmoke in the winter. Obviously the Correze doesn't have quite the same mountainscape, but it is very hilly and forested. We like it.

Chris

Scots in Treignac

Another factor is access.
How much traveling will you be involved in. Friends and family visiting, or you going to the UK or elsewhere. Then there's the trip to the supermarket.
Airports and stations are impotant. The airport at Clermont *****nd with it's Ryan air flights encouraged Brits to buy -then the flights stopped.
By rail Limoges is 2.5 hours from Paris, but then you have to allow 2 hours to cross Paris.

I'm about 1 hours drive from Limoges in the Creuse. The long term ex-pats allow 7hours to Calais. Limoges airport has flights to about 4 uk airports and Bergerac isn't too far away, but it costs 20 euros to get a taxi from the airport to city centre.

Different regions have a variety of packages for their residents. Some are aimed at retired ex pats from different parts of Europe.

Near Rodez entry is free to a lot of attractions if you hve paying visitors with you.special

In Creuse ther is a dial a bus system which will add to the local bus or train service by special bus or taxi. You still have to get the 6.30 train if ther is one.

Blackladder

Hi and thanks for your thoughts! I want to emphasize that we are just in the early stages of moving, and of course having seen 20 per cent of my life's savings wiped off the slate with the nosediving pound, things may take a little longer than at first planned, but it seems that the property market in France in general is falling in price and that there are bargains to be made in numerous regions. Still like the idea of Limousin/Charentes though. We don't really need to think about travelling too much to the UK since I have no living relatives there, and my wife has all her relatives here in Sweden. We live pretty rural where we are, so we wouldn't feel the need for a big city close by, rather the opposite! Just wondered how you are coping with the language issue. I speak reasonable French having lived there once, but my wife is still at about O level.

Nice to have found this and the other interesting threads here!
Regards

Andrea50

Hiya, Mr Blackladder! Now, sounds like you two and us two are in similar positions - we too have had a hefty chunk of our budget for buying in France wiped out in about 4 months. But the way we are looking at it is that if one can find the right property, and if you have cash ready, it can be possible to still get a reasonable property for around 100,000k. That's about the same as our budget too. I found a lovely property in Limousin, an old farm, with about half an acre, partly renovated, which was in a superb position. A little isolated but did have some neighbours within sight for those twinkly lights at night so you don't feel buried It was on at 117,000 euros, and I mailed the agent and told him we only had 80,000 but it was cash and he said the owners would consider an offer around that as they had to move urgently. Basically, I think you have to "try it on" and see what happens.

Also, if you don't mind being a bit out in the sticks (which we prefer) it can be cheaper in a few ways, especially if you are not planning lots of travel. For a start, if you are outside the (usually) 2 km boundary from a village the two taxes are often way cheaper. The other thing to remember is if you are looking for an actual home ie not hoping to make a fast buck, then long-term, you don't really lose out enormously. Also, ask yourself, how much is your 100,000 k earning in interest at the moment? Yep, not a lot, so buying a property is an investment in your life rather than a financial consideration.

With regard to the language issue, I lived in France before, during 2003 to 2006, and when I got there I too had no more than 0 level French (and a grade 5 at that). But, I managed. Everyone was really kind and helpful, and I soon learned to just laugh off with a gallic shrug my mistakes like they did, and after two years I was speaking it quite well. It almost happens without you knowing it, you just seem to absorb it and start using it. It's more to do with confidence - and being able to laugh at yourself! Provided you don't need "working French" ie you don't want to work in a high-powered French office or something, you will be fine. All the worry I had about language was for nothing, as you will find as soon as you get there you will get by. Many of our French friends even if they didn't speak English themselves had children who did and they helped translate to start with until we got better. Overall, I loved it!

Well, that's my thoughts anyway - if you are interested I have loads of saved properties and agencies for Limousin as we were looking there - also there is a lovely lady on here called Brenda who is in that area - I suspect she will jump in here shortly and tell you more about her area.

Good luck!

Andy

Blackladder

Bonjour Andy and thanks for the reply!
Yes, I would be most grateful for the info you kindly offered about properties etc., sometimes I feel snowed under looking at all the places on offer on all of these English (?) speaking agencies - some are very good granted, but some are a bit difficult to understand. And yes, our budget is about the same - 100, 000 Euros.
Thanks
Bl

Andrea50

Hiya,

Here's one link - this is a good agency - the guy there is called Lee Fuerer, and he speaks English.

More to follow by pm if you wish?

http://www.dordognevallee.fr/a100.htm

Andrea50

Oops, am I allowed to do that? Not commercial linking or anything is it?

Sorry mods! Don't kick my whatsit, all done in the best possible taste as Kenny E would say!

Ewood

Cupid Stunt! If you remember