Back in 2011, Neil and Marie Poyner decided to quit their management jobs in Oxfordshire and move to St Paul Lizonne in France’s Dordogne.
Article written by The Overseas Guides Company
With grand plans to take on a new challenge of running a holiday cottage, Le Raphael, they were keen to get stuck in. Today they tell the FranceBuyingGuide.com how they saved a considerable amount of money by utilising the services of a currency exchange specialist…
Our first currency transfer through Smart was for the balance payment of £25,000, which was required to buy our French home. The exchange rate for the euro was very poor at the time, at a level of around €1.12/£1. We were aware that we needed to maximise our purchase by getting the best exchange rate that we could find and that’s where Smart came in”.
“We make monthly transfers from our UK to our French account, to ensure we have adequate funds. My pension and our rental income is paid into our UK bank account and then we buy euros to fund our day to day living”.
The couple explained why they are so happy with Smart’s service: “Our traders, James Thorpe and David Comber both help to make our regular monthly payments pain-free and efficient. Smart’s service is so easy – I can ask for a price, receive an answer, agree to the deal, pay and have the money in our French bank account in as little as two days. Having a trader assigned to you is a really good idea as it provides you with a first line of contact and allows you to establish a professional relationship and rapport”.
“Before acting on our estate agent’s advice and using Smart, we had considered using a bank, but the difference between the rates that a high street bank can offer and what Smart can do means that in practice it’s just not a competitive option”.
To search for property in France, visit the listings on Rightmove. For more information on how Smart Currency Exchange could save you money when sending money between the UK and your overseas account, download their free report here or visit the Currency Zone.
To understand the full step-by-step process to buying a property in France, collect The Overseas Guides Company’s ‘France Property Buying Guide’
The views and comments herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of Rightmove Overseas, Rightmove Group Ltd or Rightmove Plc