FRANCE FACT FILE
Background
France is twice the size of the UK and home to 60 million people.
France has many neighbours - Andorra, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, Spain and Switzerland - and shares its coastline with the Atlantic to the west, the Mediterranean to the south and the North Sea and of course the English Channel to the north.
The currency of France is the Euro.
The international telephone dialing code for France is +33.
The French landscape varies from the mostly flat plains and gently rolling hills found in the north and west to the largely mountainous south (where you'll find the Pyrenees) and east (where you'll find the Alps).
Climate
France has generally very good weather for Europe, with cool winters and mild summers, but because of the size of the country the climate does vary considerably from area to area.
In the North West and Mid West of France, the winters are mild and the summers warm, and the green landscape testifies to frequent rain all year round. Inland France has cold winters, hot summers and less rainfall. The mountain regions have very cold, often long winters with snow, and hot but often wet summers. The Mediterranean coast has mild winters and hot dry summers with sometimes heavy rainfall.
Getting There
France can be reached from the UK with ease by ferry, plane and even train thanks to the Channel Tunnel.
Ferries are an ideal way to reach France because you can take your car (or a larger vehicle for removals!) with you.
For list of current routes between English and French ports click here
And of course you can fly to numerous airports in France. Budget airlines have opened up new routes to towns and cities all over France which in turn has opened up new property markets to British buyers.
For a list of current routes between English and French airports click here
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Living There
An estimated 150,000 British people live permanently in France with a further half a million owning a second home there. This influx has helped push French property prices, with British buyers often more willing and able to pay more for property than the locals.
An estate agent is France is called an Agence Immobilière. Unlike the UK, estate agents in France have to be qualified and licensed. Indeed only an Agence Immobilière can legally display properties for sale in their shop window.
It is the buyer who pays the estate agents' commission in France. Often the displayed price will include this commission (commission comprise) but it is always best to ask if this is the case or not. Commissions charge vary, but are often 5-7% and even more in popular areas.
A Notaire is responsible for all legal aspects of a property transaction and often the same Notaire is used by both buyer and seller. But it's important to note that the Notaire works for the government and is not specifically interested in the interests of either seller or buyer.
France has excellent health, pension and education systems - paid for by one of the highest tax burdens in Europe.
Unemployment is France is higher than in the UK and employment is not easy to come by. As well as the language barrier, available jobs must first go to French citizens. Hence large numbers of British people living in France resort to self-employment.
Embassies
French Embassy, 58 Knightsbridge
London SW1X 7JT
(020 7073 1000)
British Embassy, 18 bis rue d’Anjou,
75008 Paris
(+44 01 44 51 31 00)
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So close that some Brits are now choosing to commute from the Pas-de-Calais region and beyond to their jobs in the UK, France has everything to offer those looking to permanently move abroad and those looking for a holiday home - from the beaches of Cannes to skiing in the Alps to the vineyards of Provence.
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Tuesday February 21st 2006 ,
10:33 am
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Historically, the three
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Thursday February 16th 2006 ,
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Of the 1001 people surveyed, 37%
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Wednesday October 05th 2005 ,
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Number Of Brits Owning Holiday Homes Abroad Doubles In A Decade
Thursday June 16th 2005 ,
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Spain The Most Popular Destination For Brits Moving Abroad
Tuesday June 14th 2005 ,
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Spain is the number one destination for British people seeking a new life abroad according to Barclays Bank.
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Expat Loses Pension Increase Appeal
Sunday May 29th 2005 ,
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A British woman who emigrated to South Africa in 1989 has lost her appeal to the House Of Lords to have her British state pension rise in line with inflation
Learn French And Look For Property In La Rochelle, France
Saturday May 28th 2005 ,
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A Brighton based company has launched tailor-made packages for French house hunters that combine property buying trips with language courses in the Poitou-Charents region of France.
Lingualearn's French, Leisure And
Don’t Miss The Homes Overseas Magazine Exhibition At Earls Court This Weekend!
Monday May 16th 2005 ,
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According to Homes Overseas Magazine, over two million Brits are currently looking to buy abroad and if that includes you the place to be this coming weekend is The Homes
European Central Bank Issues Another Warning About House Prices
Tuesday May 10th 2005 ,
4:30 pm
In its latest monthly report, the European Central Bank has once again said that it is concerned about the high price of property in several of the countries that make
Second Homes Becoming More Popular With Europeans
Wednesday April 27th 2005 ,
9:15 am
Buying a second home is becoming increasingly popular not only with Brits but amongst Europeans in general according to The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors’ (RICS) European Housing Review 2005.
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