Alexis Goldberg of the FranceBuyingGuide.com helps readers with their questions about buying and living in France. If you need a question answering, email france@overseasguidescompany.com

 

“We’ve bought in the Languedoc and are due to move in June, or hopefully earlier. If we have room in the removal van what would you suggest we bring? We will be running a bed and breakfast, so are wondering which things are much more expensive in France – my daughter says everything! What are your thoughts on white goods, mattresses, bed linen, garden furniture, settees, etc. I know the removal firm won’t bring paint which is a shame but it appears we may have some space so want to make the best use of it.”

What to bring? Well, I would say that if you have any white goods it would be a good idea to bring them with you. They are marginally more expensive in France although having said that, there are plenty of discount stores selling some decent brands. We found an excellent Samsung fridge/freezer at an outlet close to Narbonne for example. But if you have such items already, definitely bring them.

Beds and bedding are easily come by and there is a wide choice in most towns although for good sheets and soft pillows you may find a wider range back in the UK. Furniture tends to be either traditional or ultra modern down here and if you have decent sofas/chairs for example, I would advise bringing them too. However, we have really enjoyed looking in local “brocantes” for good furniture items in this area and it is fun to explore these for the traditional French country look. There are some good shops, such as Maisons du Monde, selling attractive furniture/deco objects and indeed I have a whole list of decent stores selling such items in my “France Buying Guide”.

Paint is notoriously expensive and not of the greatest quality in France. We have found an excellent site though – UK Paint Depot, run by an English chap in the coastal village of Leucate. They will match any of the decent paints by companies such as Farrow & Ball and Fired Earth and we have personally bought a fair amount of their paint and found it to be excellent. See their website here.

I think the important thing is to take with you anything substantial which you already own and do not want to part with, particularly since you are bringing a van across, but at the same time to bear in mind that you will definitely find some interesting homewares once you get here. It is true that some things are more expensive but equally it is fun to look around and find items that you would not necessarily find in the UK. It’s all part of the fun of living in France!

Do keep in touch and let me know where you are moving to, and if you would like any more specific information about anything, please do contact me again. We pride ourselves on giving personal attention to all our readers and are always pleased to help. On a personal note, my husband and I have certainly not looked back and love the life down here.

For details of properties for sale in France, visit the French listings on Rightmove Overseas. One way to save money when buying in France, or moving there, is to use a currency specialist when transferring your pounds into euros to complete the purchase of your property. For more information on this, contact Smart Currency Exchange.

To understand the full step-by-step process to buying a property in France, collect The Overseas Guides Company’s ‘France Property Buying Guide’