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Relocation services

loraineheller

When moving to France, did anyone use a relocation service to help with visas, housing, taxes, and other issues?  I'd appreciate getting your recommendations on which service to choose (or not) and how best to work with them.  Thanks.

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donkeybros

Bonjour. I don't recommend working with a relocation service for a couple of reasons.

1. You have to provide the information to them, so why not just do the Visa yourself. Its not that hard, and you just follow the instructions. They would do that and you would pay them to do what you can do for yourself.

2.Your ideas about what you want to do and where you want to be often change when you get here. If you remain fairly fluid about your final location, it is easy to base yourself somewhere in a previously booked rented apartment or Gite, and do your own searches by exploring the different towns and villages within your search area. Many time houses that are for sale are not on realty sites, and you will find an AV (A Vendre) sign on the gate or door. If you don't speak the language (a good working knowledge is highly desirable!) you can employ someone to make phone calls for you when you are IN France.

If you want to just work with Realty companies, then you will pay both their % of the sale price ON TOP OF the sale price, and also + the Notaire's Fees. If you buy privately, the seller has to have all documentation/surveys/audits et al done, and you just pay the Notaire's fees. The Notaire will tell you what you need to do in this case and can guide you through the process. You do not need a relocation service to do this. You will pay for them to look at properties for you, and they might waste a lot of your money in the process. This is all much better done by YOU, IMO. Nobody can make those decisions for you.

Once you are living in France, you will need to make those decisions for yourself anyway, so why not get into the swing of things straight up?

Once in France, you can find English speaking tax accountants by asking on one of the local FB sites. People love to share their favourite people with you, so ask away.

The first year of your life in France will largely be taken up with complying with all the bureaucracy and settling into your new life. Nobody can do that for you.

Do not be faint of heart in this process because you will have to deal with every other aspect of your life once in France. Nobody will be there to hold your hand unless you have generous neighbours and friends :)  which I hope you find. I say this in the best possible way.

Bonne Chance. :)