Possible relocation to France

[Worldwide Worker]

Hi Folks

I am expecting a job offer from a French company and will be based in Belfort in the Franche-Comté region and I have search the internet and found some answers but not all.

I am South African and my Partner in German and we are moving from the UK where we have been for the past 4 years. The company will sort out work permits, visa, etc but I will probably have to do the rest. I like to be prepared for the salary negotiations by doing a budget exercise beforehand so that I know what the minimum is that I can live with. Companies will generally offer the lowest and then it is up to negotiation. So a few questions if anyone can help.

1. What is the cost of living really like? Generally it appears to be less than the UK. Here we spend on average £100 per week in Morrisons for the 2 of us. Nothing special is bought and it is just the usual household and food items.
2. Any idea regarding housing costs. We would look to rent and then if the job develops maybe purchase at a later stage after say 2 years. I know that the countryside is generally cheaper than big cities like Paris and I am battling to find any real estate companies in the region to get a gut feel of what we are in for.
3. Monthly house running costs for utilities and the like.
4. From what I gather telecoms is not a problem and I have cot budget costs from the various suppliers so that is a known.
5. I don’t know what the public transport situation is like in the country. Paris I know is excellent and hence I feel that I would probably need a car. Any ideas on secondhand or should one go knew. Should I try to get a company car as part of the package, and is that normal in France?
6. Any other costs that I need to allow for?
7. How difficult is it to move pets from the UK to France?

I appreciate all the help that is given

Take Care

André

[Stravinsky]

Originally Posted by Worldwide Worker

Hi Folks

I am expecting a job offer from a French company and will be based in Belfort in the Franche-Comté region and I have search the internet and found some answers but not all.

I am South African and my Partner in German and we are moving from the UK where we have been for the past 4 years. The company will sort out work permits, visa, etc but I will probably have to do the rest. I like to be prepared for the salary negotiations by doing a budget exercise beforehand so that I know what the minimum is that I can live with. Companies will generally offer the lowest and then it is up to negotiation. So a few questions if anyone can help.

1. What is the cost of living really like? Generally it appears to be less than the UK. Here we spend on average £100 per week in Morrisons for the 2 of us. Nothing special is bought and it is just the usual household and food items.
2. Any idea regarding housing costs. We would look to rent and then if the job develops maybe purchase at a later stage after say 2 years. I know that the countryside is generally cheaper than big cities like Paris and I am battling to find any real estate companies in the region to get a gut feel of what we are in for.
3. Monthly house running costs for utilities and the like.
4. From what I gather telecoms is not a problem and I have cot budget costs from the various suppliers so that is a known.
5. I don’t know what the public transport situation is like in the country. Paris I know is excellent and hence I feel that I would probably need a car. Any ideas on secondhand or should one go knew. Should I try to get a company car as part of the package, and is that normal in France?
6. Any other costs that I need to allow for?
7. How difficult is it to move pets from the UK to France?

I appreciate all the help that is given

Take Care

André

Cant help you on most of the things Andre, but as regards pets, go to a vet and get a Pet Passport. Only bother with the blood tests if there is a possibility that you might return to the UK. It can be quite costly, and was about £180 for us with the blood tests.

Take the tunnel rather than the ferry. Less stress for the animals, as on the ferry they have to spend 90 minutes or so locked in a car.

[Worldwide Worker]

Thanks Stravinsky.

We have already done that in anticipation of relocating from the UK. The tip about the tunnel is a good one and we will keep that in mind.

Enjoy sunny Spain. Here we have another one of those dull grey days.

André

[Bevdeforges]

Oh, well done! Belfort is a nice area - not that far from Germany - and if you like to ski, you can head to either the Schwartzwald or the Juras.

I'll try taking your questions one at a time, as far as I can. I've not lived in the Belfort area, just passed through en route to the Juras a few times, and I used to live across the border in Freiburg.

>>1. What is the cost of living really like? Generally it appears to be less than the UK. Here we spend on average £100 per week in Morrisons for the 2 of us. Nothing special is bought and it is just the usual household and food items.<<

Food costs are probably somewhat less than the UK (it has been ages since I lived there, but I recall things were pretty expensive then). Wine is dirt cheap - which is a huge advantage (IMO anyhow) and the quality of the food is superb. You can save money at a hypermarket (like Carrefour or Cora) but check out the local markets, one or two days a week in most towns.

>>2. Any idea regarding housing costs. We would look to rent and then if the job develops maybe purchase at a later stage after say 2 years. I know that the countryside is generally cheaper than big cities like Paris and I am battling to find any real estate companies in the region to get a gut feel of what we are in for.<<

Take a look at the Particuliers à particulier website IMMOBILIER DE PARTICULIER A PARTICULIER. Choix entre des milliers d'annonces immobilières de particuliers, location, achat et vente en immobilier | PAP.fr - this is a weekly journal for people selling homes and renting without an agent. You have to find the departement by number for the listings, but it will give you an idea of housing prices. (The departement number is the first two digits of the postal code.)

>>3. Monthly house running costs for utilities and the like.<<

Electric is fairly expensive in France. (Those nukes are not cheap to run.) But it depends on your usage. We pay close to 0.08€ per KW hour during "pleine" time, and 0.045€ during the off peak hours. You are not dependent on EDF for electricity anymore and can do some shopping around for better rates.

You will need a good heating system in Belfort. It gets cold there in the winter (and electric heat runs your electric bill up real quick). And there is a two-part property tax (I think that's like the rates system in the UK) - property owner pays the taxe foncière and the occupant pays the taxe d'habitation. If you own your house, you pay both. Rates vary wildly between towns and the taxes are roughly based on the size of your home in square meters.

>>4. From what I gather telecoms is not a problem and I have cot budget costs from the various suppliers so that is a known.<<

Shouldn't be a problem. There are lots of deals combining telephone, Internet and television.

>>5. I don’t know what the public transport situation is like in the country. Paris I know is excellent and hence I feel that I would probably need a car. Any ideas on secondhand or should one go knew. Should I try to get a company car as part of the package, and is that normal in France?<<

Company cars depend on your position. Manager level, they are reasonably common, at least here in the Paris area. Not sure about Belfort. They have several tax measures in place to "discourage" companies from handing out company cars, so don't be surprised if your employer balks unless your in a job that involves driving.

Public transport is generally good to reasonable in most larger towns. Belfort probably has decent bus service, but outside the city center area, it can be spotty to non-existant. You'll probably need a car no matter what. New or used is pretty much up to you.

>>6. Any other costs that I need to allow for?<<

There is no income tax withholding on salary. You pay up your first year at the same time you start making periodic payments against your second year's taxes, so it sort of hits you as a double whammy during your second year in France. Remember to put something aside for that first income tax bill.

>>7. How difficult is it to move pets from the UK to France?<<

With the caveat already mentioned about getting a pet passport just in case you want to go back to the UK, there really is no problem. First time you go to the vet, they'll set you up with a "carnet de santé" for your pets to record regular vaccinations and there is a procedure for recording their chip or tatoo in France (so you can get them back if they get lost), but I think it's mostly a transfer of address thing.
Cheers,
Bev

[Worldwide Worker]

Bev. Thanks a stack for all that information. It really is a great help and gives me something to work on.

Take Care
André