Briankenn

Hi All!
I have just joined the forum and hope to find out any useful information from Brits that have moved or retired to France.
Our plan is that when our youngest son has finnish his education and is settled,probably about 5 years, that we sell our house and buy a place with another house to rent or have as a holiday let.
Depending on house prices we should have about £150,000 maybe a bit more.
As we are totally new to this whole idea we would love to be in contact with anyone who has done this and made it work.
Hope to hear from you soon.
Brian and Claire.

EuroTrash

Well you're in the right place, but possibly a bit early to start making plans? Goalposts in France tend to shift a lot at the best of times, and with the UK about to dig the whole pitch up and nobody quite knowing even what the new pitch size will be, let alone where the white and red lines will go...

Hopefully in 5 years time, things will have settled down.

cyrian

Hi and welcome to you both.
As ET has said, you have plenty of time to prepare your plans.
There are a few points that you should bear in mind.
Income.
If you will be living off UK (State and private) pensions then you will be subject to currency fluctuations.
Many expats ( in several Eurozone countries) have been caught out by 25% to 35% drop in their disposable income since 2008.
Return to UK
While initially you intend to remain in France, in reality a significant proportion of expats eventually return to the UK. There can be several reasons for this - perhaps family (grandchildren or parents) reasons or health reasons or the death of a spouse.
Note that it is the family's responsibility to pay for the care of elderly parents in France and not the State.
In addition, if you are not resident in the UK then you are not eligible for NHS care unless you return to the UK to live.
Inheritance tax
This can apply at much lower levels than in the UK and can affect the value of your estate that your children receive.
My point is that property does not generally increase in value as it does in the UK and can take a couple of years to sell.
Therefore, it may be financially difficult to return to the UK if that is the eventual outcome.
There is currently a BE member who is having problems in trying to repatriate her parents to the UK for health and social care.
She has posted in the french forum and the returning to the UK forum.
Please plan carefully.

Pulaski

Unless you are retired and covered by an S1 form.

Briankenn

Thank you. These comments are very useful. I realise it will be a while and things change but I want to be well prepared in advance as it's such a big step. We have only just thought about the possibility of moving. I definitely think that I have come to the right place. Thanks.

Novocastrian

Notwithstanding EuroTrash's correct observation that 5 years in the future is long enough to make planning rather speculative, good for you for starting the planning now.

You have indeed come to the right place and welcome.

dmu

If you haven't already done so, you've both got plenty of time to reach a good level of French by the time you come!
Take a look at the "Growing Old in France" thread in the Read-Me: Moving to France FAQs above, and other pertinent threads, but, as said, who knows what changes will be made in the next few years...
Don't hesitate to ask away, though!

Tweedpipe

And under Marion Marechal Le Pen? Perhaps....... Look what's just happened politically in Italy!

Briankenn

Hi just trying to locate the Growing old in France thread.

Pulaski

Growing old in France. ..... There it is, but there's not much to it.

cyrian

Have a look at this thread
http://britishexpats.com/forum/franc...france-906124/
and the same poster's other thread in the "moving back to the UK" forum.

dmu

"in the Read-Me: Moving to France FAQs above"
Sorry that Pulaski doesn't appreciate its interest; potential retirees should be aware of how things work in France after a certain age, before they take the plunge....

Caerus

Thanks cyrian . I’d forgotten about that one.

Pilou

I have lived 20 years in France and still have a house in the Béarn.
We now live in Portugal but I am sure we will return to France in a couple of years. It is a safe country, well organised and a top health care.
My parents had both cancer, but the health care was unbelievable: taxi, the best and very expensive medication. There was no hope for them, but a top health care: 5 times per week a fysiotherapist at home, ambulance, twice a day a nurse at home. And this at expense for us!!!!

So to get older in France, that is really top of the bill. The downside is that you need to pay part of the health care yourself: medication, specialists etc. When you don't want to pay anything you need to have a 'complementaire'.

Better learn french before you come, because French speak French .....

dmu

To clarify, cancer is an "ALD" (long-term ailment) and everything connected with it is reimbursed 100%, i.e. there's nothing to pay up-front if you've got a Carte Vitale.
On the other hand, only about 70% is reimbursed for any health issue which isn't an ALD, and it's recommended to take out a "mutuelle" (complémentaire) for reimbursement of the other 30%, esp. as you get older. (N.B. this doesn't apply to glasses and false teeth for which you're reimbursed peanuts).