Thread: Long Term Renting?
View Single Post
  #5 (permalink)  
Old 15th April 2009, 02:23 PM
SoeurEnFrance SoeurEnFrance is offline
Active Expat
  
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 32
Rep Power: 40
SoeurEnFrance is on a distinguished road

Originally from usa. Expat in france.
Default
The only way i can think to compare it is to have an example that mirrors the US.

So take an average wage, say $4000 per month gross income, for a single mom, renting in a smaller town, not paris or anything...i am very fond of chartres, but only for gothic and romantic reasons
Lets say i rented a small house but on an acre or so...enough to grow veg and have a horse or something. Lets assume i have a car...one child...what would my take home pay be after taxes? What might my rent be? What might the water, gas, and elec be? Just average it...what am i looking at having leftover after the main bills are paid? And also, can anyone speak to how self-employment operates in france? How is that taxed?

Thanks! I work best off of seeing figures.
Steph

Quote:
Originally Posted by frogblogger View Post
Hi Steph,
Loads of people rent, although the proportion of house owners/renters is growing, the rate of growth slackened off when the property market boomed (not to the extent of the US and the UK, but some substantial rises nonetheless). Over here it's harder to get a home loan, the French banks and other lenders didn't take anything the risks the UK/US markets did.

People have slightly different priorities here - mortgaging yourself to the hilt to own a fantastic home and then have next to nothing left to pay the food bills is not their way. Renting is fine, zero stigma attached.

Property prices are flat at the moment, and although not dropping too fast, no likelihood of any recovery for a while yet I reckon. Who knows when the best time to buy is though - if I did I would be a multi millionaire by now

As for rentals, depending where you are they are not so cheap. A few examples I know about - a three bed 100m2 apartment in a popular town in the Savoie Alps is about 900 euros a month, for example. A small studio apartment, 23m2 in the same town... 300 euros pcm. Out in the sticks in the Vaucluse (near Avignon in the south) the same 100m2 apartment would be 100/150 euros pcm less. A big 5 bedroomed, 3 bathrooms apartment in a farm here in the Vaucluse, with some land - rented out for 1250 euros pcm.

Then on top of that you have monthly heating/electric/water bills and taxes if it is your permanent residence (ok some rentals include all of these, but the rental rate is increased accordingly).
Reply With Quote