Moving from Acton to France
Posted on 20/08/2014
If you are considering moving to France, like over 150,000 Brits have already decided to, then you may be thinking about all the benefits this has for you. Property price’s in France are lower than they are in the UK, and France has a friendlier and slower pace of life making it more enjoyable, furthermore, France isn’t too far from the UK meaning you can visit family and friends and they can visit you, and you can move your belongings to your new home with you with much less expense than if you were moving to say Australia.
Further to thinking about the benefits of living in France, there are some other things you should be considering:
Are going to get a resident permit?
You will be allowed to live and work in France permanently if you have a British passport, but you might need to have a resident permit when you apply for things like a bank account and jobs.
When you should get a job in France?
You should start looking for job as soon as possible, you should not move to France until you have secured a job there as it could take while to find work and unless you have savings you are willing to dip into, you will need to make some money to live on.
What are you going to do with your UK home?
Most people try to sell the property as quickly as possible, but is this really the best thing to do? The smarter thing to do is to rent it out using a letting agent for at least the first year of living abroad, that way if you miss the UK and your family and friends you can move back much easier.
How are you going to buy your home in France?
There are two things that you can do:
1. Go to your current mortgage provider, or an equivalent UK mortgage provider and ask them to help you finance your home in France.
2. Apply for a Euro mortgage from a French bank or financial institute. The interest rates are often much lower from a French bank which makes them seem the better and cheaper option, but you need to keep in mind that the charges from a bank for arranging the mortgage are much higher, this includes having to pay more costs up-front. Also remember that the fluctuation in the conversion rates between euro and sterling may sometimes work in your favour, but equally may mean you pay more. The main difference between buying a home in France is that you are committed at an earlier stage when you’re buying property in France
Other than a mortgage provider, what other professionals will I need to use?
You will need to have a French solicitor, or a notaire. Surveys aren’t compulsory in France but if one is required your French estate agent, preferably one who speaks English unless you can speak French, can help you to find one.
Should I use a removal company?
The answer to this really depends on how much stuff you are going to be taking with you, and whether you are able and have the time to move it yourself. If you need to a hire a van and pay for the ferry, and especially if you may possibly have to make more than one journey, consider is it really much more expensive to hire a removal company? Removal companies have insurance so that if anything were to happen to your belongings you would be covered. Furthermore they have experience in removals, this includes knowing the best way to load and unload the van.
