We are selling up in UK to start a gite business in France!

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wallypott
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Joined: Sat Mar 27, 2010 9:50 pm

Post by wallypott »

😄 thanks Kathy
Villarais
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Joined: Mon May 25, 2009 11:06 am
Location: Charente-Maritime, France, and SE England
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Post by Villarais »

Hello Emma, your project sounds interesting. I would say just 2 things, as I still live in the UK so do not have the experience that others have on here.
1. I would start learning French now; don't just be willing to learn.
2. It would help if you had a particular property in mind. I suggest that you look for somewhere that already has what you want, rather than try to create something out of an old farmhouse or whatever. So Wallypott's place or Pujols' maybe.

Once you have a particular property to consider you will probably have some new doubts, and can then decide whether to continue, with help from LMH of course, or even decide that the whole idea is not for you after all. I suspect that you will carry on with renewed vigour once you can see where you will be.
dorie
Posts: 96
Joined: Tue Apr 30, 2013 2:46 pm
Location: Haute Savoie

Post by dorie »

Just pitching in with how we have found things, 4 years in...

Get an English speaking accountant / business adviser. We only planned to use the company for 18 months until our French was better but still use them 4 years later as decided they were worth the expense of dealing with all paperwork...plus a tax controlle

Having lived in 3 countries, we think the cost of living / tax expenses work out about the same. In France, you tend to get a lot of bills for things so you always feel like you are paying out, but no different in the end to it being deducted from your regular salary (you just tend to ignore it and focus on the amount going into your account!)

For us, we find healthcare cheaper here than UK and Australia, plus a better service.

I seriously under estimated how hard it would be to learn French, and still struggle but getting there slowly

It is hard work, and friends back home will think you have an easy life...and want to come stay for free in peak times...but I wouldn't go back to my old job!

Bon Chance!
Fleur
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Joined: Tue Jan 25, 2011 11:54 am
Location: S.W. France
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Post by Fleur »

Bonne chance et bon courage!


I am not a B&B owner and we do not live in France full-time However yesterday I prepared our French home ready for daughter and family to stay. O.H. and I moved into our 2 person gite next door.

Changing and making up all the beds, doing the housework, tidying etc was exhausting. I know I couldn't cope with all that work in the heat of Summer .

The day before I had attended the local court, I was the victim, a local drunk managed to demolish our front gates last October. We were not in France at the time. Our French neighbours have been really helpful.
Because these situations can arise I implore you to make every effort to become fluent in French. Since the accident I have dealt with phone calls to the local gendarmes, plus Fr. Insurance company and spoke briefly at the hearing last week.

Good luck with your venture but do be prepared.
Fleur
JaneS
Posts: 116
Joined: Sat Nov 15, 2014 10:41 am
Location: Suisse Normande

Post by JaneS »

A lot of wise words have been expressed all of which I agree with. Please think of the bigger picture and by that I mean you may have fallen in love with your chosen area, but will guests pay to come to stay with you in that area? How are you going to promote your property - it is a lot harder than you think.

I wish you well.

Jane
JaneS
JP
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Joined: Wed Jun 17, 2015 7:16 am
Location: var france
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Post by JP »

Some quote occupancy rates in France as low as 20% which is diabolical and can no way support a business. I was chatting today with an owner on the Normandy / Brittany border and there occupancy has been falling continually for the last 15 years and can now only guarantee July and August but there guests are mainly English and a few french. You need to be in a location that attracts international guests, we are in the Var and our guests come from everywhere, this year we have had Americans, Canadians, Chinese, Russians and most European countries plus we have a summer season that basically runs from Easter through to the end of October and a busy winter season too.
Basically if properties are cheap it's because no one wants to live there, there is no tourist trade, there are no jobs and poor transport links.
I would say do it but choose carefully and with your international tourist head on. Personally for me that means anywhere from Marseille to Monaco within 20 minutes of the coast or inland Provence more than an hour from the coast.
la vache!
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Joined: Wed Feb 16, 2005 7:22 pm

Post by la vache! »

JP wrote:Some quote occupancy rates in France as low as 20% which is diabolical and can no way support a business. I was chatting today with an owner on the Normandy / Brittany border and there occupancy has been falling continually for the last 15 years and can now only guarantee July and August but there guests are mainly English and a few french. You need to be in a location that attracts international guests, we are in the Var and our guests come from everywhere, this year we have had Americans, Canadians, Chinese, Russians and most European countries plus we have a summer season that basically runs from Easter through to the end of October and a busy winter season too.
Basically if properties are cheap it's because no one wants to live there, there is no tourist trade, there are no jobs and poor transport links.
I would say do it but choose carefully and with your international tourist head on. Personally for me that means anywhere from Marseille to Monaco within 20 minutes of the coast or inland Provence more than an hour from the coast.
I'm on the Normandy/Brittany border and although this year has been tougher my occupancy definitely hasn't got lower every year and my season is a lot longer than just July and August. Unfortunately we don't get the American tourists who visit the PACA and the Chinese and Japanese tend to just come to Mont St Michel as a day trip, but there are lots of French who holiday here as well as British, Irish, Dutch and German.
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