This French Life

  • Tips once in your French home

    House1810_9WITH the excitement of completing on your new home comes a whole new set of challenges.

    There are the services to get hooked up, internet connection to sort out and things like how the septic tank works – you can’t tackle them all in a couple of days so some planning is required.

    Contacting France Telecom’s English helpline
    There is an English language helpline but unfortunately the service is not always answered.

    Broadband access in France
    One of the key things people want to install is access to the web, here are some tips.

    Electricity tariffs in France
    If you use items that require larger amounts of electricity at certain times of the night you can save.

    The cost of living in France
    One of the things that is difficult to work out is how far your income, which may be lower than you are used to, is likely to stretch.

    Insuring your property or home
    It is a legal requirement to insure a vehicle, your home, yourself for civil liability and school children.

    Keeping la chasse off your land
    It can come as a bit of a shock to see a hunter crossing your property with a gun slung over a shoulder.

    Tips on using septic tanks in France
    Still a common site in the countryside the fosse septique requires a little care and attention.

    Waste water and sewage treatment in France
    Used waste water cannot be discharged in France without appropriate treatment either via a private waste water treatment system or a municipal waste water plant.

    Preparing your house for winter
    Many people move to France for the sunshine, but heavy rain, strong winds and freezing temperatures can be experienced almost anywhere.

    Natural risks for French communes
    Information on natural risks such as avalanche, flooding and forest fire, as well as extensive lists of other websites if you require more detail.

    Manuals and handbooks for French telephones
    How to get hold of instruction booklets for France Telecom telephones.

    Buying items from a French auction
    Pick up a bit of a bargain for your French home by heading to the auction room.

  • Working and employment in France

    Euro notesNOT everyone can retire to France and live off their pension, so it may be necessary for people to find a job or work for themselves.

    There are many protections in place for French workers, but this can make employers extremely choosy and job opportunities may not be as easy to track down as expected.

    Websites for business start ups in France
    Setting up a business in France can be a daunting prospect but a browse around the internet can produce some useful advice.

    Selling on a French market
    Example of how one trader opened a market stall in France selling fishing tackle.

    Finding agricultural work in France
    Drawing together agricultural positions, but also those in the forestry industry, fishing and jobs working in the countryside.

    Finding summer jobs in France
    A wide range of occupations are available to browse and include permanent and seasonal job opportunities.

    A job with the French civil service
    If your language skills are strong then the civil service may provide an opening, but competition is tough.

    Helping disabled people in finding employment
    A free service allows employers to advertise available positions and job seekers to post an online C.V. and search for employment.

    Review of Starting a Business in France book
    Useful guide that looks into many aspects of starting and running a business.

    Professional qualifications recognised in France
    If you are able to get your professional qualifications recognised in France it could provide you with a way to earn a living.

    Finding local Chambres de Métiers
    Looking to start up as a builder, or artisan, in France then it is important that you are properly registered.

    Quick guide to business registration
    Real advice from a small business owner who has gone on to establish himself in the Limousin.

    Advice on French banking system
    Advice on the banking system and what to expect.

    The portage salarial scheme in France
    If you are an independent operator in specific fields, then you could get someone else to do the paper work.

    Tips on using Google Adwords to promote your business
    Advice on the use of Google Adwords and pay per click advertising to help your business in France.

    The auto-entrepreneur system for small businesses
    The government is to introduce the auto-entrepreneur system for small businesses.

    English language guide to l’auto-entrepreneur system
    Unofficial translation of the auto-entrepreneur guide for small businesses.

  • Taxation and finance issues in France

    Coins1803_13MONEY and tax issues are likely to be high on your list of things to do when moving to France.

    The French tax system does have quite a reputation, some would say rightly so, and that’s why making sure you are properly registered, or at least ensure professional advisers are doing their job, can take away the stress and strain of a move.

    French tax return for income received abroad
    The end of May sees the deadline for the submission of details about your income to the French tax authorities.

    Holiday home tax changes passed, questions remain
    The new legislation put forward by François Hollande’s to increase taxes on foreign-owned second homes in France has passed its final hurdle.

    Update on changes to CGT on second homes in France
    Capital gains tax (CGT) when selling property excluding main residences was a central element of the debates of the Additional Finance Bill for 2011

    French income tax system
    You are required to declare all your earnings from the moment you arrive in France if your stay is uninterrupted.

    Exchange rate for French income tax returns
    Where to track down the exchange rates required should you draw income from abroad.

    Basic residency rules for France
    The most important factor that will decide how the tax office will treat you will be where you are considered resident.

    Inland revenue advice if leaving the UK
    The Inland Revenue has a list of Frequently Asked Questions that may prove useful for some.

    Helping hand offered by tax office
    Dordogne tax office advice and .pdf documents to download.

    How to use a French cheque book
    How to lay out the words and numbers when writing a cheque, as their use is still quite common in France.

    Opening a bank account
    Opening a bank account is not a difficult task and the French banking system is quick and efficient.

    Advice on French banking system
    Independent advice centre on how the French banking system work.

  • Advice on buying property in France

    Dord_prop0701_1BUYING a home in France need not be a fraught experience as long as you read up in advance.

    The purchasing process in France is balanced for both buyer and seller, with a cooling off period also available, below are a number of articles that will help you understand the system, as well as ask questions of the professionals involved.

    Finding French estate agents
    French estate agents (agent immobilier), just like their British counterparts, are there to bring buyers and sellers of property together.

    Dealing with French estate agents
    There are a number of steps, phrases and documents involved when buying a house, make sure you keep up with your estate agent when looking at properties.

    Role of a notaire
    The notaire is an important figure in French society, they see 15 million people every year and draft more than 4 million legal documents.

    The Compromis de Vente
    Once you are happy with the price for your property then the initial contract, the Compromis de Vente, is drawn up.

    Importance of clauses suspensives when buying a property
    Conditional clauses, known as clauses suspensives, can be inserted into the property purchase contract.

    Septic tank regulations for property sales in France
    A report on the condition of a property’s septic tank, if it has one, has been necessary before a house sale.

    The Acte de Vente
    The completion of the sale of a property in France is undertaken by the notaire using an Acte de Vente, or deed of sale.

    What to ask of your French lawyer
    Independent French property lawyers can help purchasers through the different stages of the transaction, explaining the conveyance procedure and its implications.

    Buying a home en viager
    One method of buying a property in France is en viager, which sees the purchaser agree to pay a monthly charge whilst the owner lives in the house.

    Buying at a property auction
    If you buy a property at auction in France not only can the sale process be completed in under a fortnight, but you may pick up a bargain.

    Setting up a farm in France
    French agricultural life still plays a role in many corners of the country, but despite this many farms are still left to drift into a state of disrepair.

    Buying property In France as a disabled person
    If you are not as mobile as you once were don’t let this put you off. All it needs is more thought, more planning and a checklist of your needs.

    Finding a long term rental
    Renting a property long-term provides you with a certain security whilst searching for a dream home in France, but finding a place can be tough.

    Selling your French property yourself
    The first thing to consider is the creation of a website promoting your home, the second is marketing it and getting it in front of plenty of people.

    Snapshot of towns in France
    Check the population size, age ranges of the people living in French towns, as well as average wage rates plus other details.

  • French road cycling championships

    French cycling championshipFOR biking enthusiasts the time to become passionate about the cycling championships has come round again.

    Semur en Auxois, Cote d’Or, which staged the 7th stage of the 2007 Tour de France, is the venue for Les Championnats de France de Cyclisme sur Route (the French road cycling championships) which comes to Burgundy for the fifth time.

    The championships run from Thursday, June 26 until Sunday, June 29, in Semur en Auxois itself and surrounding villages. This being the last chance for the professionals to achieve their best times before the Tour de France which starts on July 5.

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  • Importance of clauses suspensives when buying a property

    FieldblockThis is it! You have turned over every stone in the country and at last found the French gem you were looking for, writes Guillaume Barlet .

    However, there is a lot of money at stake and you are determined to keep your feet on the ground until you can hook your hammock between the old trees you spotted at the end of the jardin.

    Once you have agreed a price, a first contract, or compromis de vente, should be signed and this is the most important part of that transaction.

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  • Test your knowledge of all things France

    Speak the Culture FranceJUST how good is your knowledge of France, both covering events from the present day to looking back over the past?

    Well have a go at the questions posed by author Andrew Whittaker, who compiled the book Speak the Culture: France, to see how much you really know.

    This month’s quiz questions take in a bit of sport, the arts and cinema as well as a test of your knowledge of recent events which made the news.

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  • Irish quest to get statue of their Vercingetorix

    Vercingetorix BurgundyTHE Irish town of Dún Laoghaire (pronounced dun Leary) has turned to the Côte d’Or to help support its plans to erect a statue to the High King Laoghaire (Ard-Ri Laoghaire), the eponymous founder of the ‘dún’ (stone fortress) that gave its name to the town.

    The town is looking to the statue of the Gaul leader Vercingetorix, which stands on the battle site of Alésia above Alise Sainte Reine in the Côte d’Or, Burgundy as the inspiration for its own.

    The proposal is gaining support from Dún Laoghaire’s county council, as well as members of the local community association, led by chairperson Michael Merrigan and even the Dún Laoghaire football club whose emblem is the sacred Black Bull of High King Laoghaire.

    The statue would stand in the town centre and be ready in time for Ireland’s national commemorations of the 100th anniversary of the creation of the Irish Free State.

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  • Forbidden music of the Third Reich

    David EarleDANCE is an expression of emotion, passion, expression and love of the art form.

    And it doesn’t come much better than watching a group perform at such a high standard as that of the contemporary Dancetheatre David Earle.

    The group are making their second performance in France, the last being in 2006 and they are presenting a powerful and unique project of dance to music of composers persecuted, banned, isolated, imprisoned or killed in Europe between 1933 and 1945.

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  • Bringing together Riviera women

    Anna FillDURING her time as a DJ and radio journalist Anna Fill deftly linked between music tracks and news events.

    Now Anna has brought those same skills to the online world with the creation of The Riviera Woman website, which looks to offer ways for people on the Mediterranean coast to link up, share ideas and network.

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