Moving to your new French home and living in France
France is the most popular country in the world amongst holidaymakers and no wonder so many leave determined to buy a French home. Francophiles have been living in France for years and rising housing prices abroad have meant more and more people are determined to buy property in France.
Before taking the plunge, however, there are things you need to know in order to make the most of your new French home.
Living in France - finding work and unemployment in France
If you need to work to support yourself when living in France then you should try to find employment before relocating travel. Finding work can be difficult if you do not speak French and there may not be work available near where you want to buy a property in France.
You do not have any automatic right to benefit payments from the state when first moving to your French home. Making social security contributions will protect you should you become unemployed whilst in France
Living in France - education, health and pensions
Healthcare in France is rated the best in the world. Information about entitlements, cover etc can be found here. These are things you should endeavour to find out before moving to your new French home, particularly if you have any special medical requirements.
Make the most of your twilight years in your French home. Some retirees who bought property in France came to regret it but there are ways to avoid the pitfalls that befell them. Let retiring to France be your gift to yourself for all those years of hard work.
If you are moving with children then how much they get out of living in France depends largely on how they adapt to attending a French school. You should learn as much as you can about education in France before committing to buying property in France.
Living in France - moving to France and getting connected
You are looking forward to retirement, your new job or starting that new business. What else do you need to know about moving to France? Whether you hire a van and drive to France or pay for a professional service will depend on what you plan on taking to your property in France.
Access to water, gas and electricity is essential for everyday living in France so you need to find out about utilities in France. Before buying property in France you should know a little about the procedure for getting your French home connected.
There is legislation and documentation that anyone buying a French home needs to know about. This is equally true whether you plan on living in your new French home or just using your property in France as a holiday home.
Once you move in there will be other finance and practicalities to consider such as opening a bank account, registering at the local health centre.
Living in France - business and tax
A large number of ex-pats starting a new life in France do so hoping to start their own business but, as with anywhere, buying a business in France is something you should think carefully about before committing to.
And now the really bad news! There is tax in France, just the same as at home. Anyone looking to buy property in France should familiarise themselves with the local legislation to protect themselves and their French home.
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