Moving to France

Site map  Home page  Travel France   Holidays   Info about France  French artists   Our books  Order books

The British Medical Council publishes a table which allows you to measure the amount of stress you have suffered during the past year. It lists various events, such as illness, moving house, changing a job and so on. These are given points. You tot up the points to see whether you are near the danger level. Changing a lifestyle, a culture and a country takes you right up to the danger line. You can't afford to make any mistakes.

Alan Biggins knows something of these things. Having gone to France to study the language, he took a job as an estate agent to finance his education. He met many people who had moved, and took great interest in the process. He even lectured on it. In the making of his course, he talked to the experts - those who had moved. 112 of them. His fifty point questionnaire turned up much that could have been predicted, such as too-often incompetent (and sometimes crooked) estate agents. In a sea as rich as this, sharks are to be expected. His survey also turned up thirteen reefs that have claimed victim after victim and caused untold misery and expense. And he came up with a series of recommendations for those wishing to move to France. The most popular (all but one of the 112) was: 

• Don't buy. Rent first. There were many reasons why it is wisest to try living in France before moving there for good. Up to half of the 'Brits' who go to live in France will be trying to get out again within two years. A shocking statistic. Renting gives you the chance to look for a house in leisure, not just 'on the fly', at the end of a couple of days' visit. 

Of course, this is information you won't come by at a property-selling fair. Estate agents are salesmen, not free advice centres, so, be careful.....

 

Dear Mr Biggins, Thank you so much for your two books which I have just finished reading. They were superb! I didn't want them to finish and my husband will be reading them next. We are considering moving to France but will certainly take on board all of your advice. ....... I have read  many books about life in France but yours beats the lot for sheer readability and down-to-earth advice. Yours sincerely, Mrs. Kathy Bestwick

Want to know what other reefs to look out for? Save yourself the agony of finding out the hard way. more about our books  or order them using the Order books link below

This is one of a series of pages on buying French property and living in France, as can be seen from the site map. The next page is working in France - self employed