Thursday 10 August 2017

Houses are still selling and you can make a living.

I am amazed with the political situation " Brexit" that houses are still selling and often still to the British. We have at least three friends who have sold in the last few weeks, admittedly accepting price cuts, but when you are ready to leave I think you have to accept the market as it is.
In the nearly 16 years we have been here many of our friends from that time have gone back to the UK or indeed passed on.
How many when they go back are happy we wonder? After such a good life here I cannot imagine going back to the traffic, the dull grey skies and rain... and yet each person has reasons to return, often family being high on the list.
Someone who has returned cited they were worried one or other of the partners might die and then what would happen? If you are left on your own I think you would be lost for some time whichever country you lived in.
Going back as earning a living here is not easy, I can understand. If you are not retired and need to work life can be hard, but it can be done and on this site there are adverts for people working who have more business than they can cope with. They do tend to be builders and gardeners or offering services to expats and seasonal residents with limited French.
I was shocked to hear yesterday from some French friends that two different quotes had been received for a gardening job. One quote was for 1200 euros another for 200, easy to guess which quote was chosen.
If you have good business acumen you can do well here but giving mad quotes soon gets a business a bad reputation.
Knowing the market, working hard and showing a bit of iniative can work here as it does in the UK. What you have to cope with here is the French bureaucracy and many of us struggle with this.
France or the UK? you pays your money and you takes your choice.
We choose France.