Full time through winter in search of new life

[dawsey]

Having signed the commitment, we now heading back to the UK for a week. Going to see friends and family up in South Lakeland before we have to return to France for my mandatory suite of immigration interviews before being granted fiscal residence, which is needed to apply for borrowing. It involves language assessment, assessment of my understanding of the republic and civil liberties, health assessment, vaccination record assessment, questionnaires to see if I’m a possible terrorist etc (yes it’s true, I wouldn’t have believed it either but we are now treated exactly the same as any other 3rd country immigrant eg from Asia or Africa). If I don’t submit to it all I can’t get healthcare, apply for a business loan or begin the process of applying for residence. Things are very complicated now. I have Bea to help me get through this, but feel so sorry for all the young Brits now denied the absolute freedom to live, work and travel on the continent that I grew up with.

The mandatory appointments are on 31st May, so we have a window to head back to the UK for a break from the camper, ahh, after living in our camper since October we are both sooo much looking forward to a bit of room to move and a real bed

Our 21 year old LHD Hymer B544 continues to perform exceptionally well, it’s now up to 142,000km, with 35,000 of those km's added by us in the last four and half years, and over 14,000 added since last October. There will be another 2500 added nipping up to Cumbria and back to France again in the next couple of weeks. Having made it a condition of the sale, our plan is to live in ‘Helga’ on the campsite until we take it over in September.

It’s not going to be the best time of the year (September/October), but we’d then be offering old Helga for sale having given her a thorough clean and polish inside and out - money is going to be needed….

This van is quite something, upgraded by me an (ex?) professional engineer to be comfortably off grid capable and meet Beas’s conditions before she was prepared to commit to what we are doing, these being that it had to be possible to do everything in the van that she could do in her house/kitchen, and she had to have all her ‘comforts’. I even had to commit to on board water extraction/collection/purification so she didn’t have to suffer the “merd” (I think that means hard…) french water, or again suffer the indignity of running out of water when wilding. Thankfully I didn’t have to use it much in the end.

I will pen a fleabay classified advert today and upload a link here so you guys can have an initial gander at it, maybe advise me what it’s worth in the UK? With it being LHD I was going to register it and sell it in France, where values are typically higher, but we will likely have enough hassle to deal with so will just offer it in the UK.

 

[dawsey]

You need a Lamborghini
View attachment 753409

I’m a proud Englishman and prefer to own only Brit stuff

All my cars are British and I am even bringing them all with me to the continent despite the many challenges and costs coming with import and registration of modified, high performance and classic RHD British GT and 4x4 (which mine are). It’s partly why I want an old MF tractor, yes Ferguson were taken over by North American Massey in the 50’s, but AFAIK, the 135’s were still made in Coventry. The only reason the camper is German is that the Brits have never made properly winterised vans

 

[Riverbankannie]

Bea sounds like a chateau kind of girl
A fantastic challenge awaits you and I wish you all the best and will certainly visit when going your way.
Most ex-pats that I see on YouTube seem to employ Brit ex-pats themselves for trades but seasonal workers such as cleaners are always going to be a challenge.

 

[dawsey]

Bea sounds like a chateau kind of girl
A fantastic challenge awaits you and I wish you all the best and will certainly visit when going your way.
Most ex-pats that I see on YouTube seem to employ Brit ex-pats themselves for trades but seasonal workers such as cleaners are always going to be a challenge.

Many thanks Annie, I am happy to offer a couple of nights free camping next year to anyone on here in return for a nice review on one of those feedback places (trip advisor etc). You know the sort of comment, “the place is now Brit owned (OK half owned ) and thus theres visibly more care (as there will be) with maintenance, gardening, investment etc” We won’t ask anyone to lie, just to be positive to help us. It’s so important these days. We’d also of course ask for your private feedback about what we are doing wrong and how we can make the place better

 

[Coastal Cruiser.]

Will you be accepting Dags on your site?

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[dawsey]

Will you be accepting Dags on your site?

Ah’ll dae it fera caravan

 

[dawsey]

Tonight I have penned an advert on fleabay for our camper. It gives a very full decription, but runs to many, many pages of detail, as I know our camper inside out. I’m a bit embarrassed to put a link on here, as I know you guys have some amazing and hyper modern (for me that means less than 15yr old) rigs.

 

[Mother Ship]

Why not put copy of advert in classifieds on here?

 

[olley]

To much detail puts people off, adverts ideally should be short and concise.

 

[dawsey]

Why not put copy of advert in classifieds on here?

Happy to. I’m fully aware of the demographics of this forum and was brought up very strictly to respect my elders and very respectfully seek their advice on any serious matter. My parents were proper old, and old school. They had wedding presents made by German prisoners of war… I was an ‘accident’.

I very much love to hear the views and opinions of you guys on every matter, with of course just one exception, the matter which sadly most divides young and old in UK…

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[dawsey]

A lovely rest up in the lakes. 7 days of sleeping in a proper bed, long walks (between said pubs) and blasting about on classic motorbikes in my old neck of the woods, blissful. Almost all my favourite lakeland country pubs have got even better, most have gone gastro, pricey but great grub.

We are now heading back to Dover with ‘Helga’ tomorrow. Leaving 0600 and ferry is 1900. I somehow suspect that even 12 hours won’t be enough - it’s both a Friday and a bank holiday weekend

 

[dawsey]

Having crossed at the weekend, a slight vibration was detected once underway in France. Yesterday, 400km further in to France the vibration started to become so bad I stopped on the Autoroute to checkout the van.

Turns out the UK’s potholes had taken out more than the nearside airbag this time….

Here’s the nearside tyre. Probably less than a mile off a full on blowout on the French motorway at 110kph (70). That would have been fun. I limped on hard shoulder to an exit and swapped over for the spare to make tomorrows immigration appointment and health checks (UK immigrant treated just the same as Africans these days - hope there’s no cough ‘n’ drop )

Taking no chances, we are replacing all the tyres on Thursday after interviews tomorrow. The new owners will be very lucky indeed

 

[Just smiffy]

Having crossed at the weekend, a slight vibration was detected once underway in France. Yesterday, 400km further in to France the vibration started to become so bad I stopped on the Autoroute to checkout the van.

Turns out the UK’s potholes had taken out more than the nearside airbag this time….

Here’s the nearside tyre. Probably less than a mile off a full on blowout on the French motorway at 110kph (70). That would have been fun. I limped on hard shoulder to an exit and swapped over for the spare to make tomorrows immigration appointment and health checks (UK immigrant treated just the same as Africans these days - hope there’s no cough ‘n’ drop )

Taking no chances, we are replacing all the tyres on Thursday after interviews tomorrow. The new owners will be very lucky indeed

View attachment 761646 View attachment 761647 View attachment 761648

Lucky…. What’s the story on them, make age etc…

 

[dawsey]

Michelin Agilis. Very much on the old side 2010. I hadn’t checked the age as when I bought the van 5 yr ago the vendor told me they were all new, they certainly looked it.

Hey ho, another lesson learned, this time without too much pain (4 new Michelin XC camper tyres in france are going to be €800.

 

[corconx]

Michelin Agilis. Very much on the old side 2010. I hadn’t checked the age as when I bought the van 5 yr ago the vendor told me they were all new, they certainly looked it.

Hey ho, another lesson learned, this time without too much pain (4 new Michelin XC camper tyres in france are going to be €800.

Problem is that seven tires when you get them new, can be a few years old!

Carol

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[dawsey]

Very true Carol, it’s why I have never really paid any attention to the age of my tyres, only condition, pressure and summer temperature, which I am forever checking. I have, for example a set of very expensive tyres fitted to one or two of my cars which are now 6 years old but have done around 2000 miles, the rest of the time safely in a garage. They still look new, and have only about one mm of wear.

Conversely I’ve had to replace tyres with tread damage from the rough flint shingle used on driveways in kent where they were only 6m old, due to MOT failure.

When is too old? If there is no evidence of damage, no cracks, and the tyre has loads of tread, and it is always kept out of direct sun, it would seem incongruous to be replacing them at some arbitrary age, especially, as you say, they can sit on a rack for years before being fitted. There’s nothing in law, and Tyre Manufacturers seem to recommend replacing at 7-10 years, but they also advise replacement based on inspection where UV damage (cracking) to the sidewall is the focus. The ‘rack life’, where the tyre can still be sold as new is 5years IIRC.

I wonder how many heavily loaded MoHo tyres have heavy hidden fatigue damage to the reinforcing steel due to the pothole situation in the UK? - It doesn’t bear thinking about.

 

[Raul]

Ha - I’m not sure many will think that a free pitch is adequate reward for cleaning communal sanitary blocks

However if any retired tree surgeons, landscape gardeners, electricians, plumbers and general builders are on here there will be no end of general maintenance with that place, in addition to the big investment jobs like enlarging swimming pools and restoring big old houses...

However, my guess would be that the many retired or semi retired folks gracing this forum will probably be well pleased to not need to be engaging in that type of backbreaking work anymore…. isn’t that why eastern europeans were invented in the first place ?

Take a note, and put me in your diary. I have worked abroad during my travels many times. I even built a hole homestead from empty field with lots of mod cons to live on.

 

[dawsey]

Well, so concludes a whole day getting medical exam, x-rays, then sitting through tests of my french and a one on one interview, then a bloody presentation about the republic and a signed declaration to do 100hrs of french language lessons and also cultural lessons. All this just to validate my 1-yr visa. Bloody hell, what a palava. It ain’t as if I’m applying for citizenship or something.

 

[dawsey]

OK I’ve now been able to apply for my French national insurance number. It’s unreal what I had to do to validate my visa: x rays for tuberculosis, interview and test of my knowledge of French. Medical, blood pressure and heart etc, and tested for HIV, Hepatitis A and B. Full disclosure of any mental health problems (3 pages of answering ‘no’, then signature). Then I had to sign up to 4 days of lessons about the republic, civil liberties, democracy, and what is is to be a European, and 100hr of French lessons as my French isn’t good enough. No exceptions. When I protested (all had to be in French) that I really didn’t need formal lessons, I am married to a Frenchie and I have every incentive to get better as I am buying a business, it made no difference. The examiner had his boxes to tick and we Brits are no longer in Europe so I am treated the same as some illiterate imported muslim wife from some dustblown village in sub saharan africa or the subcontinent.

I know I get in trouble for mentioning the B word, but Jeez, it has made relocation to Europe, even to our nearest continental neighbour, immeasurably more complicated.

All this must be done to validate a 1yr visa and give a normal person any chance of an extension to the visa to 2 years. For me I still have to do it, but I can in theory, assuming I pass the next load of tests go straight to full residence as I’ve been married to a Frenchie for over 3 years. The French, like other european countries have really tightened up on what people from outside europe have to do before they are entitled to the services of the state (free health care etc, much of the tests seem designed to weed out the health tourists). I even have to apply for a French driving licence within a year, they were adamant, and it is contrary to the information I had before coming out here. I have a feeling that importing, registering and insuring my little collection of old brit cars will be even more ‘fun’ than I originally thought…

This is now the reality of that which we all voted for. I didn’t want it and didn’t vote for it but I do say ‘we’ as being European I do understand democracy. I feel so sorry for all those young people for whom it is now far more complicated (starting with the TLS stuff) to study and work on the continent, and for all the older folks who will now find it much more challenging to come and spend time or retire in France or elsewhere, especially if they do not have decent language skills (which, sadly, does mean, and will now of course continue to mean, most Brits). I hope individual agreements are reached between the UK and the EU states. This situation is beyond ridiculous in this modern world. I’d be hopeful that the Spanish, Greeks and Portuguese will sort out some sort of fast track for the Brits first for obvious reasons. Maybe some time after the French will as well. If not, the Dordogne is going to get a heap cheaper

I can see why there was so much debate about the Irish border, imagine if they had made crossing and relocating from South to North of Ireland and vice versa this hard….

Ho Hum. I am simply reporting how things really are today. We will hopefully move past this and I can get my NI number, become tax resident etc. We need that to make the business loan application. Once that is approved, I look forward to sharing the crazy money pit we have decided to buy

 

[corconx]

I think you should have done it earlier or arranged for European ancestors! Friends who went to live in France some 10 years ago had German ancestors and got in that way I believe as did all family (grown up mid 40’s!)

Made life easier

Carol

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Dutch 68]

OK I’ve now been able to apply for my French national insurance number. It’s unreal what I had to do to validate my visa: x rays for tuberculosis, interview and test of my knowledge of French. Medical, blood pressure and heart etc, and tested for HIV, Hepatitis A and B. Full disclosure of any mental health problems (3 pages of answering ‘no’, then signature). Then I had to sign up to 4 days of lessons about the republic, civil liberties, democracy, and what is is to be a European, and 100hr of French lessons as my French isn’t good enough. No exceptions. When I protested (all had to be in French) that I really didn’t need formal lessons, I am married to a Frenchie and I have every incentive to get better as I am buying a business, it made no difference. The examiner had his boxes to tick and we Brits are no longer in Europe so I am treated the same as some illiterate imported muslim wife from some dustblown village in sub saharan africa or the subcontinent.

I know I get in trouble for mentioning the B word, but Jeez, it has made relocation to Europe, even to our nearest continental neighbour, immeasurably more complicated.

All this must be done to validate a 1yr visa and give a normal person any chance of an extension to the visa to 2 years. For me I still have to do it, but I can in theory, assuming I pass the next load of tests go straight to full residence as I’ve been married to a Frenchie for over 3 years. The French, like other european countries have really tightened up on what people from outside europe have to do before they are entitled to the services of the state (free health care etc, much of the tests seem designed to weed out the health tourists). I even have to apply for a French driving licence within a year, they were adamant, and it is contrary to the information I had before coming out here. I have a feeling that importing, registering and insuring my little collection of old brit cars will be even more ‘fun’ than I originally thought…

This is now the reality of that which we all voted for. I didn’t want it and didn’t vote for it but I do say ‘we’ as being European I do understand democracy. I feel so sorry for all those young people for whom it is now far more complicated (starting with the TLS stuff) to study and work on the continent, and for all the older folks who will now find it much more challenging to come and spend time or retire in France or elsewhere, especially if they do not have decent language skills (which, sadly, does mean, and will now of course continue to mean, most Brits). I hope individual agreements are reached between the UK and the EU states. This situation is beyond ridiculous in this modern world. I’d be hopeful that the Spanish, Greeks and Portuguese will sort out some sort of fast track for the Brits first for obvious reasons. Maybe some time after the French will as well. If not, the Dordogne is going to get a heap cheaper

I can see why there was so much debate about the Irish border, imagine if they had made crossing and relocating from South to North of Ireland and vice versa this hard….

Ho Hum. I am simply reporting how things really are today. We will hopefully move past this and I can get my NI number, become tax resident etc. We need that to make the business loan application. Once that is approved, I look forward to sharing the crazy money pit we have decided to buy

And we are so much better of now eh? ,

 

[Garry - June]

OK I’ve now been able to apply for my French national insurance number. It’s unreal what I had to do to validate my visa: x rays for tuberculosis, interview and test of my knowledge of French. Medical, blood pressure and heart etc, and tested for HIV, Hepatitis A and B. Full disclosure of any mental health problems (3 pages of answering ‘no’, then signature). Then I had to sign up to 4 days of lessons about the republic, civil liberties, democracy, and what is is to be a European, and 100hr of French lessons as my French isn’t good enough. No exceptions. When I protested (all had to be in French) that I really didn’t need formal lessons, I am married to a Frenchie and I have every incentive to get better as I am buying a business, it made no difference. The examiner had his boxes to tick and we Brits are no longer in Europe so I am treated the same as some illiterate imported muslim wife from some dustblown village in sub saharan africa or the subcontinent.

I know I get in trouble for mentioning the B word, but Jeez, it has made relocation to Europe, even to our nearest continental neighbour, immeasurably more complicated.

All this must be done to validate a 1yr visa and give a normal person any chance of an extension to the visa to 2 years. For me I still have to do it, but I can in theory, assuming I pass the next load of tests go straight to full residence as I’ve been married to a Frenchie for over 3 years. The French, like other european countries have really tightened up on what people from outside europe have to do before they are entitled to the services of the state (feee health care etc, much of the tests seem designed to weed out the health tourists)

This is now the reality of that which we all voted for. I didn’t want it and didn’t vote for it but I do say ‘we’ as being European I do understand democracy. I feel so sorry for all those young people for whom it is now far more complicated (starting with the TLS stuff) to live and work on the continent, and for all the older folks who will now find it much more challenging to come and spend time or retire in France or elsewhere, especially if they do not have decent language skills (which, sadly, does mean, and will now of course continue to mean, most Brits). I hope individual agreements are reached between the UK and the EU states. It is ridiculous. Probably the Spanish, Greeks, Portuguese will do it first for obvious reasons. Maybe some time after the French will as well. If not, the Dordogne is going to get a heap cheaper

Ho Hum. I am simply reporting how things really are today. We will hopefully move past this and I can get my NI number, become tax resident etc. We need that to make the business loan application. Once that is approved, I look forward to sharing the crazy money pit we have decided to buy

I think you should have done it earlier or arranged for European ancestors! Friends who went to live in France some 10 years ago had German ancestors and got in that way I believe as did all family (grown up mid 40’s!)

Made life easier

Carol

OK I’ve now been able to apply for my French national insurance number. It’s unreal what I had to do to validate my visa: x rays for tuberculosis, interview and test of my knowledge of French. Medical, blood pressure and heart etc, and tested for HIV, Hepatitis A and B. Full disclosure of any mental health problems (3 pages of answering ‘no’, then signature). Then I had to sign up to 4 days of lessons about the republic, civil liberties, democracy, and what is is to be a European, and 100hr of French lessons as my French isn’t good enough. No exceptions. When I protested (all had to be in French) that I really didn’t need formal lessons, I am married to a Frenchie and I have every incentive to get better as I am buying a business, it made no difference. The examiner had his boxes to tick and we Brits are no longer in Europe so I am treated the same as some illiterate imported muslim wife from some dustblown village in sub saharan africa or the subcontinent.

I know I get in trouble for mentioning the B word, but Jeez, it has made relocation to Europe, even to our nearest continental neighbour, immeasurably more complicated.

All this must be done to validate a 1yr visa and give a normal person any chance of an extension to the visa to 2 years. For me I still have to do it, but I can in theory, assuming I pass the next load of tests go straight to full residence as I’ve been married to a Frenchie for over 3 years. The French, like other european countries have really tightened up on what people from outside europe have to do before they are entitled to the services of the state (free health care etc, much of the tests seem designed to weed out the health tourists). I even have to apply for a French driving licence within a year, they were adamant, and it is contrary to the information I had before coming out here. I have a feeling that importing, registering and insuring my little collection of old brit cars will be even more ‘fun’ than I originally thought…

This is now the reality of that which we all voted for. I didn’t want it and didn’t vote for it but I do say ‘we’ as being European I do understand democracy. I feel so sorry for all those young people for whom it is now far more complicated (starting with the TLS stuff) to study and work on the continent, and for all the older folks who will now find it much more challenging to come and spend time or retire in France or elsewhere, especially if they do not have decent language skills (which, sadly, does mean, and will now of course continue to mean, most Brits). I hope individual agreements are reached between the UK and the EU states. This situation is beyond ridiculous in this modern world. I’d be hopeful that the Spanish, Greeks and Portuguese will sort out some sort of fast track for the Brits first for obvious reasons. Maybe some time after the French will as well. If not, the Dordogne is going to get a heap cheaper

I can see why there was so much debate about the Irish border, imagine if they had made crossing and relocating from South to North of Ireland and vice versa this hard….

Ho Hum. I am simply reporting how things really are today. We will hopefully move past this and I can get my NI number, become tax resident etc. We need that to make the business loan application. Once that is approved, I look forward to sharing the crazy money pit we have decided to buy

The thing you are forgetting is whilst all this may be relevant to yourself because of your situation...or indeed to anyone who wants to spend their retirement in the Sun, or just those who want to spend longer than 90 days travelling abroad without having the hassle of applying for visa's or doing the Schengen shuffle its no good moaning about folk who voted for Brexit.... for the simple reason that all that means absolutely diddly squat for 99.999% of the 17 odd million who voted Leave... none of it has any relevance at all to a 30 or 40 something factory worker who only has his mortgage and 2 week holiday in the sun to worry about.. that's the simple unavoidable truth of the matter..

 

[Dutch 68]

The thing you are forgetting is whilst all this may be relevant to yourself because of your situation...or indeed to anyone who wants to spend their retirement in the Sun, or just those who want to spend longer than 90 days travelling abroad without having the hassle of applying for visa's or doing the Schengen shuffle its no good moaning about folk who voted for Brexit.... for the simple reason that all that means absolutely diddly squat for 99.999% of the 17 odd million who voted Leave... none of it has any relevance at all to a 30 or 40 something factory worker who only has his mortgage and 2 week holiday in the sun to worry about.. that's the simple unavoidable truth of the matter..

However when he becomes a retired motorhome owner in the future……..

 

[dawsey]

Last night we fetched up on another of our favourite little French aires, the one next to the sports fields in Mauleon, Deux Sevres. It’s our 4th time staying on this one. We should have built up a map of recommendations, but it’s too late now,
and there are plenty other online tools.

This is the one where the pizza shop is a mile away, no deliveries. Bea remembered that the pizza was good so once again, the push bike was ‘repurposed’

sorry old pic I forgot to make new one

 

[dawsey]

calling the yogurtpot. I’ve free time for the elec diag now, remind me if u still want it.

Summer now. Waiting for the purchase to progress, can’t stand staying on aires anymore. Now staying on campsites.

We have learned a hard lesson. Staying on aires is great in autumn, winter (if water works) and spring. But summer ?

Nooooooooo!!!!

If you are not in a hurry, and you need more than an overnight car park, no. absolutely not. We just can’t stand them anymore…

Have ASCI, 15-20€ well spent. Now off for a swim. Camper safari tent up, awning open, bikes down, table up, stuff left outside, and now off for a beer in the bar with camper just left open and unlocked. Maybe then for a long dog walk, then an impromptu few beers with our brit or dutch neighbours as last night. Far, far, far better than sitting huddled in some miserable shitty little free aire just to save a few quid - watching the locals passing by giving a look that says ‘you freeloading c***’ (or words/thoughts to said effect).

Yeah that’s a grand holiday make no mistake.

ahhh, Campsites rule! maybe we will buy one !!! - I knew there was a reason

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Nanniemate]

calling the yogurtpot. I’ve free time for the elec diag now, remind me if u still want it.

Summer now. Waiting for the purchase to progress, can’t stand staying on aires anymore. Now staying on campsites.

We have learned a hard lesson. Staying on aires is great in autumn, winter (if water works) and spring. But summer ?

Nooooooooo!!!!

If you are not in a hurry, and you need more than an overnight car park, no. absolutely not. We just can’t stand them anymore…

Have ASCI, 15-20€ well spent. Now off for a swim. Camper safari tent up, awning open, bikes down, table up, stuff left outside, and now off for a beer in the bar with camper just left open and unlocked. Maybe then for a long dog walk, then an impromptu few beers with our brit or dutch neighbours as last night. Far, far, far better than sitting huddled in some miserable shitty little free aire just to save a few quid - watching the locals passing by giving a look that says ‘you freeloading c***’ (or words/thoughts to said effect).

Yeah that’s a grand holiday make no mistake.

ahhh, Campsites rule! maybe we will buy one !!! - I knew there was a reason

Yogurtpot have you seen this

 

[dawsey]

I feel we should add more qualification on the disparaging remarks on the aires, there’s no intent to switch from saying ‘aires are great’ to ‘aires are rubbish’. It’s just the differences in the seasons, and how you can use the camper. We are coming up on 8 months in the camper, from autumn to summer.

Autumn, winter, even spring, through the darkness and the cold, the van is battened down, heating on etc, so an aire is just fine, apart from when there’s no water, but you can usually find a tap somewhere if you look hard enough. Cemeteries, public loos etc.

When summer arrived, full timing becomes different. The main problem is the heat, many aires don’t have tree cover and it becomes unbearable trying to manage the temperature in the van. Security is a concern with so many more folk about and so leaving windows fully open overnight for ventilation is a no no or if not in the van. On one recent aire, we even had some poor chap who must have been mentally ill paying us ‘visits’.

We also found that as the weather warms, many more people start using the aires, often cramming onto often fairly small parking spaces. Some aires start to feel a little cramped, though most are nicely spaced for campers, we had just been massively spoilt having had them pretty much all to ourselves for so long

The. there’s the transient nature of folk staying. No point to introduce yourself and say hello when you are arriving at 5pm and you are gone the next day at 9am, the aires are often not very convivial.

But really, it is the heat. Our poor black lab was really starting to suffer, we were having to find aires near rivers so she could cool off.

Interest rates are up, our subsistence income is up a little, So we decided on some luxury and went on a site, immediately found a big pitch under trees, set everything outside, our little black lab was suddenly so much happier (as were we). Windows open, stuff outside, relax among other like minded folk but who are in holiday mode, not travelling mode, so everyone is much more friendly. Yes it is costing us a few quid every night, and it can’t be for too long, but for us it’s like a holiday from something that is becoming quite difficult in hot weather.

I don’t know how the ‘vanlifers’ tolerate it permanently… - I’m just itching to get our place bought, get stuck into the project and get to work. I wish we’d found something earlier. The financing and all else (residence, NI number) is taking ages. It will be late September before we can move in.

 

[Carpmart]

It sounds a right faff getting the visa sorted.

I’ve just had a read through a good proportion of this topic, quite a read!

How far along financing the project/purchase are you? It’s a very different world we live in these days and easy to envisage large funding applications for older couples, non resident and with no previous experience, being challenging… also are the rates you can borrow at attractive enough? There will be a huge proportion of your income going to servicing just the interest on the debt at the current EU base rate.

Final point is timescales…. If they suggest Sept is achievable then IMHO, it will be double the time everyone is saying to get the transaction completed. Things just go slowly in my experience. It took me eight months to complete a non financed sale of a French property in 2018. The issue for you is even a moderate delay will push you into winter 2023/24 and you want have any income until at least Easter 2024… what does that do to your business plans?

Very best of luck and keep us posted on your progress.

 

[Wingingit#1]

We have dreams of maybe buying a 'project' over in france but just having slimmed through some of this its way more involved than i'd first envisaged .
Good luck

 

[dawsey]

It sounds a right faff getting the visa sorted.

I’ve just had a read through a good proportion of this topic, quite a read!

How far along financing the project/purchase are you? It’s a very different world we live in these days and easy to envisage large funding applications for older couples, non resident and with no previous experience, being challenging… also are the rates you can borrow at attractive enough? There will be a huge proportion of your income going to servicing just the interest on the debt at the current EU base rate.

Final point is timescales…. If they suggest Sept is achievable then IMHO, it will be double the time everyone is saying to get the transaction completed. Things just go slowly in my experience. It took me eight months to complete a non financed sale of a French property in 2018. The issue for you is even a moderate delay will push you into winter 2023/24 and you want have any income until at least Easter 2024… what does that do to your business plans?

Very best of luck and keep us posted on your progress.

Offer is accepted and we have appointed notaire and accountant. We will sign compromis de vent at end this month.

We need Visa and NI numbers before we can approach banks. Just waiting NI numbers, mine will take longer. In meantime we have to put together a detailed 3 yr business plan and the ‘dossier’. CVs translated to French, all sorts of other documents, the numbers in the templates as demanded by each financial institution, declarations d’honneur etc etc

There’s no ‘credit file’ or ‘credit checks’ in France, it’s proper old style. You have to go meet a bank manager in person and they look at you and your case and your deposit and decide. We have prelim appointments with Credit Mutuel and Credit Agricole. We want to borrow a lot of money.

ECB rate rising, yes. We have been told the best case is 4.1% for us with our ‘apport’ which means what we bring to table. It’s sort of like a deposit but different. Like for example my Range Rover is part of our ‘apporte’ (literally french for ‘bring’) but, as everything else, that’s not the whole story.

It’s just not same as UK, things are much more subtle, much more smoke and mirrors. There’s just no place where you can go see what the financial products are and compare them. If you aren’t 100% sure what you are doing you have to use a broker (we not sure but we are not involving some shyster broker). The banks look at you, your case, the area, the economic outlook, the chance of more business with you, what’s on offer from local and national government and decide what they will offer you (if anything). Then it is take it or leave it. It’s why you have to approach different banks and go through the process with each. It takes ages.

There are ‘pots’ of government subsidised ‘cheap debt’ provided through the banks where certain proportions of the debt is charged at what would be loss making interest. You have to apply, convince them, be luck in the budget cycle, have meetings, have the project in the right area and the moon must align with Jupiter, but if so, the total debt cost can come down. We are targeting 3.5%, which seems impossible right ? - We will be very pleased if we get 3.6 or even 3.7%. We plan to refinance the debt in a few years when/if the rates come back down.

None of this would be remotely possible if Bea was not French and did not speak fluent French, or if we both had not been living and working both in UK and in different European countries on and off for 20yrs and just understand the subtle cultural differences.

The seller of the Chateau is motivated. (I keep calling it that, I shouldn’t, it’s a Manoire that centuries ago pre revolution was a Chateau and was rebuilt less ahem ‘ostentatiously’ post being destroyed during the revolution by the surviving members of the noble family, for obvious reasons.

For me a chateau has to have big towers…

Searches and all that other conveyencery stuff is mostly done, we have accepted the bits of woodworm, presence of lead, dodgy electrics, tired roof and all other horrors of a big, neglected old French place - yes it’s an absolute money pit. The main house alone needs about a million to sort it out, still it’s liveable if a bit rough.

The problem will be getting the finance agreed, how long it takes is down to the banks and if they like us and see us and the business as a good and safe bet. In France this is a delicate process, can’t be rushed. Problem is they all bugger off on their hols for the whole of August and no decisions are made.

It doesn’t matter to us if it will be delayed, even to Christmas. Campsites make no money from September anyway, so the business case isn’t affected. It might stop us spending cash quickly though, our plan is to immediately buy 6 new statics on tic (credi-buy) and design, build, set up a brand new restaurant.

Looking forward to that. While we have zero experience of running a campsite, we have at least stayed on them. When it comes to setting up a restaurant we know absolutely nothing at all, I frequently burn soup.

Should be fun though…. worst case we return to UK bruised and bankrupt having fully cashed in my private pensions and we have to go back to work and look forward to the state pension…..

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}