Herault, South of France (and info for those interested in moving here)

Please take a look at the album I have started to create tonight but not finished yet.

This is the area in which we are very much privileged to live.

On average in this area we have 350 days of sunshine. The winter can be cold specifically because we get the Mistral (mountain wind). Conversely it creates a natural fan in the summer when we suffer from extremely high humidity if the wind is blowing towards us from the sea.

If you like the area (particularly those who love historical sites), please see my Album re holiday apartment in Meze.

Re: Herault, South of France (and info for those interested in moving here)

Thanks for uploading FLamingo - it looks lovely!

How long have you lived there, where did you live before? What are the local people like? How do they take to people wishing to move there?

Hope that's not too many questions but I often ponder about moving somewhere warmer

Re: Herault, South of France (and info for those interested in moving here)

We have now lived here over 5 years permanently. Before that we had a village house as a holiday home but it had no exterior. The villa (in the UK a detached 2 bedroom bungalow) came up for sale. The young woman who was had bought it was relocated in respect of her work so never moved into it. The villa was not finished. We got well and truely stitched up by her as she hadn't installed electricity (a legal requirement but we didn't wish to sue her) to the villa which cost us a lot of money because the cabling had to conform to EDF - the equivalent of the main electricity supplier in the UK.

Our villa was built but not finished internally. In France all they are obliged to provide is a sink base unit and sink for the kitchen. The internal walls were all dry lined but unfinished. In our area in France you have a legal obligation to build external walls so we had to do that and loads of landscaping as originally the villa was tiered as it was previously a vineyard.

I would say 98% the French have welcomed us totally. There are a couple of men in the village who 'blank' us completely but that is their problem, not ours.

Being less than 2 hours to the Spanish border, the language here is appalling with a very strong Spanish influence so if you want to learn the language you need to seek out somebody who has come from Paris or the Loire Valley (the latter of which, apparently they speak the equivalent of The Queen's English).

We have absolutely no regrets about moving here and if it wasn't for my two aged parents and my husband's aged mother, we would not visit the UK anymore.

Admittedly, the cost of living has rocketed here in the last 18 months but this is the case all over the world. I buy what I can in Lidl (which exists in the UK) but certain items are inferior e.g. washing liquid (it does not wash clothes clean) for the washing machine; their toilet paper is ridiculously thin so a false economy. We all learn by experience.

To be accepted in any foreign country you need to accept their rules and their traditions which we do. If we didn't then we shouldn't be here. One huge gripe about France is the bureaucracy. Getting anything done takes forever. Similarly, in private shops if there is a customer which the shop owner knows he/she will have a lengthy conversation and totally ignore the queue of people. This irritates me bigtime.

Other than that we have no complaints.

We have twice weekly ordinary bin collections and once weekly paper/plastic recyclables.

Our village Esplanade is hosed down and swept every day of the week. Of course this is possible here because it is a small area but since we have lived here we gather that in some parts of the UK the bins are only collected fortnightly. Well this is totally inadequate especially for mothers with babies and nappies.

In my opinion with the itinerants arriving in the UK the Government ought to take heed of what the French do - i.e. children going to school - whatever religion they are, are not allowed to dress nor wear crosses etc. depicting their religion. The Muslim children must dress westernised and I totally endorse this. Also I endorse this in that the 'wealth' of the parents is not apparent to the childrens' counterparts. All children are treated equally. There is no school uniform as such but there are restrictions.

The schools in France have a very good reputation also the healthcare in France is now the foremost in the world I believe. My husband is 66 yrs old therefore via the French equivalent of the NHS we get 70% coverage but for the remaining 30% we did not have to, but have, taken out top up health insurance and for the two of us it costs 1,500euros per year. This year it has the premium has shot up because now my husband is over 65. Before it was just over 1,000 euros. For expats this insurance is absolutely essential because if you don't have it, your hospital bills could run into thousands. There is no such thing as the NHS here - everything is private and should you have the misfortune to go into hospital you get a private room almost to hotel quality.

Re: Herault, South of France (and info for those interested in moving here)

Thanks for the info Flamingo. It actually sounds alright

And how did you get your holiday apartment? I guess you use the revenue from it to supplement your income? Are the property prices cheaper there? Would you recommend people do similar? (Get a place to live for themselves and another to rent out?).

Sorry to ask so many questions again but I do find it all very interesting

Re: Herault, South of France (and info for those interested in moving here)

Azz - we bought our holiday apartment because I, in particular, wanted to put some of the profits we got from selling our property in the uk - back into a property. My husband's 'baby' was a speedboat which he has.

After the cost of taxes, management fees (it is the equivalent of leasehold) we do not make much profit but the apartment has gone up in price. We are considering selling it at the end of the 2010 rental season or before if we get any interest.

Personally my recommendation would be to buy a place WITH A SWIMMING POOL with separate holiday accommodation. In the peak seasons of July and August you can get £1,000 per week!

When we bought our properties we just got in before the prices in France rocketed. Now there are no bargains unless you buy a wreck in the countryside to be renovated. In respect of this, if you are willing and able to undertake the renovation, there are still loads of bargains to be had but usually these properties are remote and not close to villages.

A lot of English who come here boost their income by having apartments on their land to let. The other option is a 'Chambre d'Hote' i.e. a bed and breakfast (evening meals generate a lot more income, but tie you up bigtime as the French don't normally eat until 9 or 10pm and like to eat very slowly).

Another source of income here is if you are willing to undertake 'property management' i.e. cleaning and changing bed linen, towel etc; meeting and greeting people from airport, but I can tell you this is BLOODY HARD WORK we did it for 3 years and the English I am sorry to say, leave the properties in the worst state. The French are brilliant. We managed one self-catering property and as it happened it was a Swedish renter. She had the audacity to ask if we would be going each day to clean it. We explained that it was a self catering property. Well she left it in the most disgusting state. I heaved when I arrived to clean it.

For a person below retirement age, the biggest problem is healthcare. You need to be able to pay for this 100% privately. We are lucky, because my husband was over 60 when we came to live in France, we get 70% through a reciprocal agreement with the UK therefore only had to top up 30% privately. So in summary - it is the healthcare you need to consider seriously.

Hope this has been helpful to you Azz and maybe others considering coming to live in France.

Re: Herault, South of France (and info for those interested in moving here)

Thanks for the info Flamingo! Good tip re the swimming pool too - I can see why that would fetch more rental income. Plus it would be nice to have anyway

Sounds like you've tried a few things and know your stuff - I may have to pick your brains in the future, as I would love to move somewhere warmer, even if for a few years

Re: Herault, South of France (and info for those interested in moving here)

Go for it Azz - do no procrastinate -when working with PCs it is irrelevant where you live. We are seriously considering selling our holiday apartment at the the end of 2010s season but would sell it earlier. We would sell it fully furnished and equipped so it would just be a case of arriving with your clothes and personal effects. There is a TV (not Sky free to air but easily arrangeable)' there is a phone socket but we have no phone at the moment.

In the hallway could easily establish an office.

IMPORTANT - If you buy through an immobilier (estate agent) conversely to the UK, it is the buyer who pays the fees and the agents fees are normally 10%. Money for old rope so avoid if possible buying through an immobilier.

Re: Herault, South of France (and info for those interested in moving here)

I wish I could, but it's never that easy - esp with a big dog who'll need a huge garden.

I might see if I can find one of those 'bargains' out in the sticks tho

Re: Herault, South of France (and info for those interested in moving here)

Hi Flamingo --here's another francophile who would love to live there -unfortunately I cannot convince the OH -shame!

Re: Herault, South of France (and info for those interested in moving here)

If funds permit I suggest to anybody - try it for at least 6 months first and preferably winter months which will give you an insight as to how many places are closed in the winter and you will experience the worst weather.

There masses of long term rental properties available if you cannot afford to buy. If you do decide to take this route though, I would highly recommend you look for somewhere at the very least with an outside terrace. In the summer is is just too claustrophic to be couped up all day in a property.

Good luck.