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Everything you always wanted to know about France |
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This is newsletter number 101 about life, living in France and our personal experiences over the last 16 years bringing up our family in a French village. perhaps "101" is a good number - we are just beginning to learn a little.
There are over 1,000 articles in our archives at... http://francevoila.com/archives/ http://francevoila.com/archives/ Our holiday/vacation rental site is at... http://rentalsfrance.com/ http://rentalsfrance.com/ we advertise holiday villa and gite rentals in most parts of France, established in 1998 we are one of the most prominent and successful villa rentals sites on the Internet - and aim to stay that way. Do browse through our websites and please use the advertising links. Red Spiders, Hospitals and Hoopoes, It has been an interesting week - among many other things : we have been plagued by itchy red spiders in our house, my Mother has had a hip operation in the local hospital and I just spent 20 minutes watching a hoopoe a few feet away from me in our garden. We all came out in what looked like flea bites last week - thoroughly embarrassed we went to the doctor to be told we have been bitten by microscopic spiders from the vineyards - it is not unusual and it explains two instances of guests claiming we had given them fleas over the six years - so the probability of getting these pesky things would be about one in 250 - painting each other from neck to toe in gunge was hilarious - I am still scratching though so stay away. After 9 months waiting in vain just for a scan in the UK, my Mother came to live with us in France and has had a hip replacement operation after waiting 6 weeks. Says it all really. I remember the national papers reporting on the sighting of a hoopoe in the UK once - common as pigeons here it seems - but one just came to eat a load of stuff in the garden only a few feet away - weird and wonderful birds, I hope their main diet is minute red spiders More this week about property buying and renting in France - I am going to spin off another newsletter just about property so I can write more about other things. If you want to hear about any subject please write to me, I will try to help, or comment. tony@frepro.com Tony == My Mum's fine - standing up after 2 days, with no pain ======= In this weeks issue 1. Renting Out Unfurnished Property in France 2. How Long Do I Wait For Planning Permission 3. How Can I Get Finance 4. Accurate Translations Service 5. A readers Good Experience with Leasebacks 6. Which Locations are the Warmest in Winter 7. Handicapped People in France 8. Nice is a Good Place for Wheelchairs ======= 1. Renting Out Unfurnished Property in France Dear Tony, For a couple of years I am a subscriber to your francevoila website now and very much appreciate what you come up with as for information on all sorts of subjects. I would like to come to you with the following: I am a Dutch lady living in Sydney, Australia. I bought a nice apartment in 2002 in the heart of Montpellier, where my sister used to live. I have had it painted and rented out since June 2003, having arranged a managing contract with the real estate agent. Since mid last year he sold his company. In the meantime the first locateur has left and is replaced by somebody else. The apartment is rented out unfurnished. I have a couple of questions now, which I hope you are able to answer for me: 1. When renting in Australia you pay a bond and fill out an extensive form of what you are renting and the state this is in. At the end of the leas! e the owner/managing agent goes through this list to sort out in what state the premises is returned, according to which you get the bond back. I presume this is customary in France as well? 2. So far I have had an international/global health insurance paid by my ex, which expires this year. In the meantime I took up a health insurance for Australia in my name. Is it advisable, considering my age, to keep and continue this very expensive international insurance, or is it possible for me to take up a French insurance whenever I would think of living over there in the future? Are there any traps on that subject? 3. Is it true that the locateur is guaranteed (protected) to be able to rent an unfurnished place for 3 years, after which he has to reapply for continuation of the rent. What should I do or should I have done to be able to sell or access the place myself? I might want to furnish it and then rent it out. (I have read your interesting info on the hefty income tax on a property if sold within 5 years of acquiring the place!) 4. Concerning revenue tax. Having this done by my sister last year, who has moved abroa!d since, I am left to do this in a different way. Is it advisable to find a tax agent in France and if so can he charge costs that are deductible from the revenue tax, or should I do it myself? I envy you and your family, Tony, and think it very courageous and appropriate to have moved to that beautiful spot on earth with all its richness of culture and traditions. I do know that it does take a long time to adept, if that is what you would want, but by the looks of it, you now have the best of both worlds. La Vie en Rose. Best regards, Karian === Hello Karian Your agent should have a signed declaration of the condition of the property before the rental - this is called an Etat de Lieu, it is normally a three months advance on rentals kept as security until the end of the rental. If you are a French resident and have registered for social services then you can take out a supplementary insurance to cover all medical services. This is less expensive than a similar one in the UK. Full insurance is also possible without state support and this has also proved to be more efficient and less expensive than the UK - I cannot compare this to Australia, but as charges here are much lower I would guess insurance is cheaper. The renter is protected for three 3 year tenancies - 9 years in total - you can give notice six months before the end of each term of rent revision and can only give notice to quit if you wish to sell the property or live there yourself. The tenant does not have to reapply - the owner has to make sure this is done at least 6 months before the end of the term. The tenant has the first option to purchase. Depending on other factors, children etc, a tenant can be very difficult to get out if they are determined to stay, and have strong rights of tenure. Very few charges can be deducted from revenue - there are simple plans which do give some tax benefits but not allowing any costs. Yes we are aware of the good and the bad points of living in France - I'm sure La Vie en Oz has many pink bits as well. Hope to see you when you are over next time best wishes Tony === Hi Tony, Thank you very much for your information. I certainly will pass by next time I am around. It will probably not be on one of my boomerang trips. And yes it is very pleasant Down Under but I do miss the little boulangeries and cafes and the french arrogance, which I think they can get away with, just about...... Regards, Karian ======= 2. How Long Do I Wait For Planning Permission We have applied for planning permission on a property we are currently buying in the Pyrenees, permission has been passed by the mayor and has now gone to the DDE would you know how long this usually takes before we could expect to hear anything. Regards Avid reader === Hi The department is obliged by law to give you a reply in 30 days - the reply can be to extend this for a further 30 days - theoretically if you have not heard within 60 days you have got planning by default. There are exceptions, for example if you are within 500 meters of a historic monument these times can be doubled. Sounds like all is well Bonne chance Tony ======= 3. How Can I Get Finance Hi Tony I'm looking to relocate to the South of France and I am looking to purchase perhaps 3 small properties that could be let. I am currently self employed and have trouble showing healthy profits due to a healthy disregard for the tax man. I have been searching for a way of funding these properties and keep coming up empty. I understand that there is no such thing as self-cert mortgages but is there a way of buying properties via a well-written business plan where ones earnings are not taken into account? Or perhaps some kind of buy-to-let self funding vehicle? Thanks for the emails, I'm learning a lot! Jon Wilson === Hi Jon In my experience over the last 16 years - loans in France are given against proven income and never against assets. Talk to your bank, they will listen to a business plan if it is based on rental income from a prven lease or Gite busness. There are a zillion sites offering loans, mortgages etc - we looked at doing this, but like leasebacks, I believe most are not all they claim to be. Bonne Chance Tony ======= 4. Accurate Translations Service Hi Tony; I read about one of your readerīs comments on getting accurate translations done. We know all about the frustrations of this and so recently invested (quite costly) in a program that translates up to 10 languages including SWEDISH! We also had to get an international key board to handle the differences in the alphabets. We are thinking of offering a translation service at a small cost. It is a matter of actually typing in the language to be translated and then running the program. Both the original language typed in and the translation appear one beneath the other. We have found it to be 98% accurate, which is amazingly better than the translation services we have paid for in the past! if you would like to print our email address, we would be happy to see if we can be of help to other readers. Regards Rosemary and Hokan BERG rosemary.jaworsky@wanadoo.fr. Rosemary Jaworsky ======= 5. A readers Good Experience with Leasebacks === Tony I have been reading with interest over the last couple of years the enquiries and replies about leaseback that you have been receiving. I think two matters are of particular importance: the possibility that a commercial bail may be automatically renewed on expirey unless the owner gives prompt notice to the commercial lessee - the notice requirements should be stated in the bail; and whether compensation is payable to the commercial lessee on termination of the bail. If so, again this should be set out in the bail. We own a leaseback property in the Alps which has three years left on the bail. The bails affecting some of the other apartments in the complex have already expired and these apartments are now either being lived in full-time by their owners or let and managed separately by their owners, either on their own account or through other local letting agencies. There is a properly-regulated and efficient co-proprietors' association, which employs a reputable agency (Lamy) to manage the complex. It is so important to have proper French legal advice, but it can work! Kind regards. Jane http://www.alpineinspirations.com/ Alpine Inspirations ======= 6. Which Locations are the Warmest in Winter Tony, Your honest comments on French matters for those contemplating taking up residence in France are very much appreciated. Now, when house hunting one can find suitable properties/environment by visiting regions, but lovely in June could be unbearable in January. And vice-versa dependent on individual preference. Therefore, would you be brutally truthful on the following, please. Which locations are the warmest in Winter, least long periods of cold, and avoid what I am now hearing of more frequently as Perfidious Winds in areas, belts and corridors? Or, in other words, climatewise where might one be tempted to settle and enjoy milder winters, to be dissuaded from Spain. Kind regards, Roy Bartley === Hello Roy In my opinion, The Herault Valley, St Chinian (dept 34) - Menton, Nice, Cannes, Antibes (dept 06) - Collioure (dept 66) In addition you could research the Atlantic coast from Biarritz to la Rochelle, but I found this far less attractive It is a personal choice, you should stay and rent for a year to learn about any region Hope this helps Tony ======= 7. Handicapped People in France Hi Tony I am an expat brit living here in France for more than 20 years, I am now handicapped at. 80%,trying to find a job is almost impossible. There are more people working to try to find handicapped people jobs than there are handicapped people. Most of the associations are a farce, it costs usually cost 40 or 50 etc euro in donations. I have french nationality so I have 560 euro a month to live with, take off medical insurance, telephone and car, which I need as I live in the country, no public transport, and I can't walk far. I have an invalide card on my car, but I once got a ticket for not paying while parked in a handicapped place. God help you if you need to move around in a wheel chair, you can't get past the cars parked on the pavement and most administrative buildings have bad or impossible access for the handicapped. I have resigned looking for a job, its just a joke, after 8 months of paper work to do a formation they nicely told me I wont' pass the medical. Yet I have a pilot's licence and I hoped to be an instructor, but they managed to find away to stop me so I'll just have to continue to live in poverty - in France with 560 euro, its a disgrace. This country is a joke, I was made handicapped here and now they don't give a damn, we handicapped are just rubbish to be thrown out, they don't need us at all. I would do any job at all. I would move anywhere to find one, but they don't exist. Have a look at my site http://www.digymusic.com/ Digimusic Mel === Hi Mel Thanks for writing - handicapped people are invisible in France - I would like to write more about this and try to make some awareness and to list places with facilities and help. Please tell me more - all I can do is get publicity and maybe get people to talk. Love your work Best Tony ======= 8. Nice is a Good Place for Wheelchairs Tony You mentioned in one of your columns that in 16 years you have never gotten any feedback from someone in a wheelchair about the accessibility of accommodations in France. I have been traveling to the South of France for over 30 years in a wheelchair. I have found it to be very accessible. In particular Nice. Several years ago we rented a villa in Theoule-sur-Mer and explored the coast for a month. The next year we bought an apartment in the center of Nice. Nice is flat, has good public transportation and it will get better with the new (due to be finished in 2006)tram system in which every car will have 2 places reserved for wheelchairs and perfectly level ramps for entry and exit. Our apartment, which is in a converted bank building, has 2 1/2 bathrooms all of which are completely accessible. They were this way when we walked/rolled into the apartment for the first time. There are a few things to be aware of. When looking at real estate ads, the fact that a building has an acenseur/elevator is no guarantee that you can get into the building. Some buildings have dozens of steps just to get to the elevator and then the elevator itself may not be wide enough to fit through. Most of the new "programs" have units designated of handicap access. Nice has miles of flat sidewalks with curb cuts and ramps. I regularly see folks in chairs. Further, the Promenade provides an excellent venue for exercising with great views. I hope this helps and will encourage anyone that is apprehensive about taking a trip to the south of France. It's paradise. A bientot. Jody ======= |
