moving to Perpignan / Languedoc, France

For any British families considering moving to Perpignan or anywhere
in Languedoc Roussillon, France, I would strongly recommend renting a
property in France and living there for at least 3-6 months first,
before moving lock, stock and barrel to France.

I moved to France from South Wales three years ago, and made the
mistake of moving everything down and selling my house in South Wales.

Although I do prefer life now in France, it was a struggle at first as
I had come to live in France with so many expectations.

I found a good company called Guardian Property Management who gave me
lots of advice. Their details are http://www.guardian-management.8k.com,
telephone 00 33 633 309 038.

My comments about moving to France.

Firstly, you must understand that moving to France is not as
straightforward as the ideas presented in A Place in the Sun and many
other TV programmes screened on TV.

Although our nearest neighbour, France is culturally very different
from Britain.

Many people - myself included - had thoughts of moving to France and
getting the same job as I had in Britain.

Whilst this may be possible in some industries, you should not rely on
it.

Also, I would add that it is very difficult to find a job as
unemployment is high in France, and, culturally, the French are
reluctant to give jobs to British people, because their culture is
more centred on looking after their own people. This is not to say
they are anti-British, it is just that they have their priorities in
order.

There are some other points I would like to highlight as well, which
are small, but can be frustrating if you don't know about them:

1. Budget airlines like Ryanair and Easyjet offer low fares, but if
you have a debit card, it is impossible to pay for a flight starting
from France, because the fare is charged in Euros, and with a debit
card, purchases on the internet must be in £sterling.

2. The French systems are bureaucratic. Even buying a secondhand car
entails a visit to the local mairie to register this.

3. Remember that you are in France and that many French do not speak
English. Whilst French is relatively easy to understand elsewhere in
France, the Catalan dialect is often difficult to understand. Imagine
trying to hold a conversation about needing your fan belt changed or
how to plumb a washing machine. Insurance policies, legal notices,
taxes, etc, are all written in French, with no English equivalent.
This is where Guardian Property Management helped me out. They speak
French and are experienced in French matters.

4. Complaints to service providers often go unanswered. I complained
about charges on my telephone bill, and it took 8 months to resolve
them.

5. If you miss paying your France Telecom phone bill, the company will
disconnect your line and it will cost you 150Euros for the service to
be reinstalled. The company are strict about this and make few
exceptions. Guardian Property Management offer a service whereby they
can pay your bills for you if you are away from your property.

6. Regarding employment, you would be better off running your own
small business there, relating to tourism or property management.
That said, every man (and his wife) is setting up property management
companies that offer changeovers and airport runs (often providing a
poor service), so competition is fierce. Guardian have a small
business section where they can talk to you about business ideas, and
help with marketing, PR, websites, business plans, etc.

7. If you can negotiate with your UK employer and work over the
internet, this is a great option. I did this for 1 year and so was
earning a UK salary, yet living in France. My salary went much
further. Food and wine and petrol is much cheaper (although eating
out and car repairs are more expensive than UK).

8. Ensure that you have an adequate medical policy. If not, even
though the new E111 card will cover some costs, you will be billed for
your hospital treatment.

9. Do not underestimated the definition of 'rural' in France.
France's landmass is twice the size of Britain and 'rural' really can
mean rural and, unless you grew up in the Highlands of Scotland or the
middle of Wales, there is no comparison of rural. Imagine living 1
hours drive from the nearest town, itself quite small with only 1
supermarket. Many properties are extremely isolated, and the trips
into town, and the sheer isolated, may not be everyone's cup of tea.
That said, the coastlines of France are built-up and the nearer you
are to the sea, the more civilisation there is.

I'd really recommend anyone considering a move to France to realise
that it can be a difficult move and should never be approached with a
flippant attitude. Guardian Property Management helped me out with a
number of problems.

I would also recommend living in France temporarily for 6 months
before taking the plunge. Guardian have a number of short term rental
properties, so you can try the French life before committing.

Moving to France is a dream, and is attainable, but it should not be
taken flippantly, and any move abroad should have a detailed and well-
thought out plan.

If you think of your life as proceeding up the rungs of a ladder, in
Britain, you may have worked your way half-way up the ladder; moving
to a foreign country such as France, will result in you being situated
at the bottom of the ladder.

This is a metaphor for how difficult it can be to integrate initially
into France. But if you come prepared, the difficulties can be less
and more easily passed.

Good luck!

On 4 Apr 2007 03:31:42 -0700,
wrote:


I found a good company called Guardian Property Management who gave me
lots of advice. Their details are http://www.gross-spamagement.8k.com,
telephone.

Did you have to search hard to find them Nic? Possibly in
your own office, hmm?

Is Guardian Property Management, by any chance, a later
version of GME services? http://tinyurl.com/2feczn which
also had an 8k.com address, but is now disabled?

Or am I just a hopeless cynic to think you may be spamming
via google?
Cheers, Alan, Australia
--
http://loraltravel.blogspot.com/
latest: Epidaurus
http://loraldiabetes.blogspot.com/

"Alan S" wrote in message
...
On 4 Apr 2007 03:31:42 -0700,
Is Guardian Property Management, by any chance, a later
version of GME services? http://tinyurl.com/2feczn which
also had an 8k.com address, but is now disabled?

Or am I just a hopeless cynic to think you may be spamming
via google?
Cheers, Alan, Australia
--

Alan

I think you may just be right. Check out the thread:
best beaches in Languedoc Roussillon

Gerrit - Oz

wrote in message
ps.com...
....
Many people - myself included - had thoughts of moving to France and
getting the same job as I had in Britain.

That suggests inadequate research on your part, which would cause you
problems even moving within the UK.

....
1. Budget airlines like Ryanair and Easyjet offer low fares,

On many routes, so do mainline airlines. Last I looked, on flights to
Toulouse I could save all of £3 by driving an extra hour and a half in the
UK to use a budget airline as compared to flying with BA. In the summer,
when BA does flights into Montpellier, it is also by far the most
convenient.

but if
you have a debit card, it is impossible to pay for a flight starting
from France, because the fare is charged in Euros, and with a debit
card, purchases on the internet must be in £sterling.

How did you buy a house in France without a French bank account?

2. The French systems are bureaucratic. Even buying a secondhand car
entails a visit to the local mairie to register this.

That shouldn't be a problem, as it is only polite to introduce yourself to
the mayor on arrival, so you will know where the mairie is.

3. Remember that you are in France and that many French do not speak
English. Whilst French is relatively easy to understand elsewhere in
France, the Catalan dialect is often difficult to understand.

IME perseverence and a willingness on both sides usually overcomes that. My
next-door neighbours have thick Languedoc accents.

Imagine
trying to hold a conversation about needing your fan belt changed or
how to plumb a washing machine.

Do getting an oil leak in my power steering sorted and discussing central
heating boiler with a service man count instead? Changing a fan belt,
plumbing and replacing a melted bus-bar in the electricity distribution
board are simply DIY jobs in my book.

Insurance policies, legal notices,
taxes, etc, are all written in French, with no English equivalent.

I had noticed that. I've not found it a problem.

5. If you miss paying your France Telecom phone bill, the company will
disconnect your line and it will cost you 150Euros for the service to
be reinstalled.

With global roaming on my mobile, I've not found a need for a land line in
France.

6. Regarding employment, you would be better off running your own
small business there,

ROTFL.

As you said earlier, the French love bureaucracy and, it would appear,
nowhere more than in regulating businesses. France is the last place I would
want to set one up.

8. Ensure that you have an adequate medical policy. If not, even
though the new E111 card will cover some costs, ...

The European Health Insurance Card (the E111 is obsolete) is only for use by
UK residents who are temporarily visting another EU country. Using it to
obtain free medical treatement when resident in France is not permitted.

Colin Bignell

"nightjar" nightjar@insert my surname here wrote:

wrote in message
ps.com...
...
Many people - myself included - had thoughts of moving to France and
getting the same job as I had in Britain.

That suggests inadequate research on your part, which would cause you
problems even moving within the UK.

...
1. Budget airlines like Ryanair and Easyjet offer low fares,

On many routes, so do mainline airlines.

Mostly on routes competitive with the budget carriers. I've noticed that
Ryanair and Aer Lingus have very similar fares on routes they share.
Frankly, they (and the rest of them) should be investigated.

--
(*) ... of the royal duchy of city south and deansgate
David Horne- http://www.davidhorne.net
(don't email yahoo address) usenet (at) davidhorne (dot) co (dot) uk

Lol british spam in France

a écrit dans le message de news:
...
For any British families considering moving to Perpignan or anywhere
in Languedoc Roussillon, France, I would strongly recommend renting a
property in France and living there for at least 3-6 months first,
before moving lock, stock and barrel to France.

I moved to France from South Wales three years ago, and made the
mistake of moving everything down and selling my house in South Wales.

Although I do prefer life now in France, it was a struggle at first as
I had come to live in France with so many expectations.

I found a good company called Guardian Property Management who gave me
lots of advice. Their details are http://www.guardian-management.8k.com,
telephone 00 33 633 309 038.

My comments about moving to France.

Firstly, you must understand that moving to France is not as
straightforward as the ideas presented in A Place in the Sun and many
other TV programmes screened on TV.

Although our nearest neighbour, France is culturally very different
from Britain.

Many people - myself included - had thoughts of moving to France and
getting the same job as I had in Britain.

Whilst this may be possible in some industries, you should not rely on
it.

Also, I would add that it is very difficult to find a job as
unemployment is high in France, and, culturally, the French are
reluctant to give jobs to British people, because their culture is
more centred on looking after their own people. This is not to say
they are anti-British, it is just that they have their priorities in
order.

There are some other points I would like to highlight as well, which
are small, but can be frustrating if you don't know about them:

1. Budget airlines like Ryanair and Easyjet offer low fares, but if
you have a debit card, it is impossible to pay for a flight starting
from France, because the fare is charged in Euros, and with a debit
card, purchases on the internet must be in £sterling.

2. The French systems are bureaucratic. Even buying a secondhand car
entails a visit to the local mairie to register this.

3. Remember that you are in France and that many French do not speak
English. Whilst French is relatively easy to understand elsewhere in
France, the Catalan dialect is often difficult to understand. Imagine
trying to hold a conversation about needing your fan belt changed or
how to plumb a washing machine. Insurance policies, legal notices,
taxes, etc, are all written in French, with no English equivalent.
This is where Guardian Property Management helped me out. They speak
French and are experienced in French matters.

4. Complaints to service providers often go unanswered. I complained
about charges on my telephone bill, and it took 8 months to resolve
them.

5. If you miss paying your France Telecom phone bill, the company will
disconnect your line and it will cost you 150Euros for the service to
be reinstalled. The company are strict about this and make few
exceptions. Guardian Property Management offer a service whereby they
can pay your bills for you if you are away from your property.

6. Regarding employment, you would be better off running your own
small business there, relating to tourism or property management.
That said, every man (and his wife) is setting up property management
companies that offer changeovers and airport runs (often providing a
poor service), so competition is fierce. Guardian have a small
business section where they can talk to you about business ideas, and
help with marketing, PR, websites, business plans, etc.

7. If you can negotiate with your UK employer and work over the
internet, this is a great option. I did this for 1 year and so was
earning a UK salary, yet living in France. My salary went much
further. Food and wine and petrol is much cheaper (although eating
out and car repairs are more expensive than UK).

8. Ensure that you have an adequate medical policy. If not, even
though the new E111 card will cover some costs, you will be billed for
your hospital treatment.

9. Do not underestimated the definition of 'rural' in France.
France's landmass is twice the size of Britain and 'rural' really can
mean rural and, unless you grew up in the Highlands of Scotland or the
middle of Wales, there is no comparison of rural. Imagine living 1
hours drive from the nearest town, itself quite small with only 1
supermarket. Many properties are extremely isolated, and the trips
into town, and the sheer isolated, may not be everyone's cup of tea.
That said, the coastlines of France are built-up and the nearer you
are to the sea, the more civilisation there is.

I'd really recommend anyone considering a move to France to realise
that it can be a difficult move and should never be approached with a
flippant attitude. Guardian Property Management helped me out with a
number of problems.

I would also recommend living in France temporarily for 6 months
before taking the plunge. Guardian have a number of short term rental
properties, so you can try the French life before committing.

Moving to France is a dream, and is attainable, but it should not be
taken flippantly, and any move abroad should have a detailed and well-
thought out plan.

If you think of your life as proceeding up the rungs of a ladder, in
Britain, you may have worked your way half-way up the ladder; moving
to a foreign country such as France, will result in you being situated
at the bottom of the ladder.

This is a metaphor for how difficult it can be to integrate initially
into France. But if you come prepared, the difficulties can be less
and more easily passed.

Good luck!

Beware of apatrids like martin, evleth and crapman michaelnewport

"Martin" a écrit dans le message de news:
...
On 4 Apr 2007 03:31:42 -0700, wrote:

For any British families considering moving to Perpignan or anywhere
in Languedoc Roussillon, France, I would strongly recommend renting a
property in France and living there for at least 3-6 months first,
before moving lock, stock and barrel to France.

I moved to France from South Wales three years ago, and made the
mistake of moving everything down and selling my house in South Wales.

Although I do prefer life now in France, it was a struggle at first as
I had come to live in France with so many expectations.

I found a good company called Guardian Property Management who gave me
lots of advice. Their details are http://www.guardian-management.8k.com,
telephone 00 33 633 309 038.

My comments about moving to France.

Firstly, you must understand that moving to France is not as
straightforward as the ideas presented in A Place in the Sun and many
other TV programmes screened on TV.

Oddly many of these programs highlight the problems.


Although our nearest neighbour, France is culturally very different
from Britain.

Many people - myself included - had thoughts of moving to France and
getting the same job as I had in Britain.

Whilst this may be possible in some industries, you should not rely on
it.

The general advice is to find a job before moving, if possible.


Also, I would add that it is very difficult to find a job as
unemployment is high in France, and, culturally, the French are
reluctant to give jobs to British people, because their culture is
more centred on looking after their own people. This is not to say
they are anti-British, it is just that they have their priorities in
order.

There are some other points I would like to highlight as well, which
are small, but can be frustrating if you don't know about them:

1. Budget airlines like Ryanair and Easyjet offer low fares, but if
you have a debit card, it is impossible to pay for a flight starting
from France, because the fare is charged in Euros, and with a debit
card, purchases on the internet must be in £sterling.

Surely if you settle in France you open a French bank account?


2. The French systems are bureaucratic. Even buying a secondhand car
entails a visit to the local mairie to register this.

OTOH because you are registered too, many things become easier.


3. Remember that you are in France and that many French do not speak
English. Whilst French is relatively easy to understand elsewhere in
France, the Catalan dialect is often difficult to understand. Imagine
trying to hold a conversation about needing your fan belt changed or
how to plumb a washing machine. Insurance policies, legal notices,
taxes, etc, are all written in French, with no English equivalent.
This is where Guardian Property Management helped me out. They speak
French and are experienced in French matters.

4. Complaints to service providers often go unanswered. I complained
about charges on my telephone bill, and it took 8 months to resolve
them.

In what way is this different to UK or anywhere else in Europe?


5. If you miss paying your France Telecom phone bill, the company will
disconnect your line and it will cost you 150Euros for the service to
be reinstalled. The company are strict about this and make few
exceptions. Guardian Property Management offer a service whereby they
can pay your bills for you if you are away from your property.

Others cope by paying utility bills using direct debit.


6. Regarding employment, you would be better off running your own
small business there, relating to tourism or property management.
That said, every man (and his wife) is setting up property management
companies that offer changeovers and airport runs (often providing a
poor service), so competition is fierce. Guardian have a small
business section where they can talk to you about business ideas, and
help with marketing, PR, websites, business plans, etc.

7. If you can negotiate with your UK employer and work over the
internet, this is a great option. I did this for 1 year and so was
earning a UK salary, yet living in France. My salary went much
further.

What about the problems of paying your income tax in France?
You have told the French you have a UK income?

Food and wine and petrol is much cheaper (although eating
out and car repairs are more expensive than UK).

I found Citroen car servicing and repairs comparatively cheap and more
reliable
in Brittany.


8. Ensure that you have an adequate medical policy. If not, even
though the new E111 card will cover some costs, you will be billed for
your hospital treatment.

I don't think your UK E111 covers you once you become resident abroad.


9. Do not underestimated the definition of 'rural' in France.
France's landmass is twice the size of Britain and 'rural' really can
mean rural and, unless you grew up in the Highlands of Scotland or the
middle of Wales, there is no comparison of rural. Imagine living 1
hours drive from the nearest town, itself quite small with only 1
supermarket. Many properties are extremely isolated, and the trips
into town, and the sheer isolated, may not be everyone's cup of tea.
That said, the coastlines of France are built-up and the nearer you
are to the sea, the more civilisation there is.

I'd really recommend anyone considering a move to France to realise
that it can be a difficult move and should never be approached with a
flippant attitude. Guardian Property Management helped me out with a
number of problems.

I would also recommend living in France temporarily for 6 months
before taking the plunge.

I'd recommend doing it in winter!

Guardian have a number of short term rental
properties, so you can try the French life before committing.

Moving to France is a dream, and is attainable, but it should not be
taken flippantly, and any move abroad should have a detailed and well-
thought out plan.

If you think of your life as proceeding up the rungs of a ladder, in
Britain, you may have worked your way half-way up the ladder; moving
to a foreign country such as France, will result in you being situated
at the bottom of the ladder.

That depends on your occupation. Many including myself have found
themselves far
higher up the ladder after moving abroad.


This is a metaphor for how difficult it can be to integrate initially
into France. But if you come prepared, the difficulties can be less
and more easily passed.

Beware of Brits offering help/exploiting you seems to be the message in
most UK
TV moving abroad programs.


Good luck!

I take it you are employed by Guardian Property Management?
--

Martin

You know nothing about France, nevertheless you roll on
Eat your steak and kidney pie and don't type with your mouth full.


"nightjar .uk.com" nightjar@insert my surname here a écrit dans le
message de news: ...

wrote in message
ps.com...
...
Many people - myself included - had thoughts of moving to France and
getting the same job as I had in Britain.

That suggests inadequate research on your part, which would cause you
problems even moving within the UK.

...
1. Budget airlines like Ryanair and Easyjet offer low fares,

On many routes, so do mainline airlines. Last I looked, on flights to
Toulouse I could save all of £3 by driving an extra hour and a half in the
UK to use a budget airline as compared to flying with BA. In the summer,
when BA does flights into Montpellier, it is also by far the most
convenient.

but if
you have a debit card, it is impossible to pay for a flight starting
from France, because the fare is charged in Euros, and with a debit
card, purchases on the internet must be in £sterling.

How did you buy a house in France without a French bank account?

2. The French systems are bureaucratic. Even buying a secondhand car
entails a visit to the local mairie to register this.

That shouldn't be a problem, as it is only polite to introduce yourself to
the mayor on arrival, so you will know where the mairie is.

3. Remember that you are in France and that many French do not speak
English. Whilst French is relatively easy to understand elsewhere in
France, the Catalan dialect is often difficult to understand.

IME perseverence and a willingness on both sides usually overcomes that.
My next-door neighbours have thick Languedoc accents.

Imagine
trying to hold a conversation about needing your fan belt changed or
how to plumb a washing machine.

Do getting an oil leak in my power steering sorted and discussing central
heating boiler with a service man count instead? Changing a fan belt,
plumbing and replacing a melted bus-bar in the electricity distribution
board are simply DIY jobs in my book.

Insurance policies, legal notices,
taxes, etc, are all written in French, with no English equivalent.

I had noticed that. I've not found it a problem.

5. If you miss paying your France Telecom phone bill, the company will
disconnect your line and it will cost you 150Euros for the service to
be reinstalled.

With global roaming on my mobile, I've not found a need for a land line in
France.

6. Regarding employment, you would be better off running your own
small business there,

ROTFL.

As you said earlier, the French love bureaucracy and, it would appear,
nowhere more than in regulating businesses. France is the last place I
would want to set one up.

8. Ensure that you have an adequate medical policy. If not, even
though the new E111 card will cover some costs, ...

The European Health Insurance Card (the E111 is obsolete) is only for use
by UK residents who are temporarily visting another EU country. Using it
to obtain free medical treatement when resident in France is not
permitted.

Colin Bignell

wrote:


I found a good company called Guardian Property Management who gave me
lots of advice. Their details are http://www.guardian-management.8k.com,
telephone 00 33 633 309 038.

{ spam forwarded to }

Y.

--
Yitzhak Isaac Goldstein
AADP's 'left-wing Jewish intellectual'
'**** me, it's a torment to live amongst the nations'
http://www.chez.com/desmondcoughlan/

On 4 Apr 2007 03:31:42 -0700, wrote:

For any British families considering moving to Perpignan or anywhere
in Languedoc Roussillon, France, I would strongly recommend renting a
property in France and living there for at least 3-6 months first,
before moving lock, stock and barrel to France.

Perpignan railway station is the centre of the Universe.
Salvador Dali.