First, want to say how awesome you all are on this site. Totally appreciate all the advice and information so freely and kindly given! You guys Rock.
Am opening this thread because there are a few of us Americans finally making the Big Decision to move and live in France. Whew!
A lot of the information here is British Expats and how your pensions etc work. Being American ( ) we have a few different issues re our taxes, visas etc etc.
So, would love to add a topic thread to this wonderful group for those of us who are floundering a bit from the American side.
Appreciate all the insight and sharing anyone can offer. Vive la France!
Hurrah! And thanks! Have a feeling this thread will grow through the year. France living vs visiting has been ādiscoveredā at last by our lot. Sharing our ups and downs will be a great connector. What brought you here so long ago?
Great idea! We are a family of 4 planning on moving to France from the USA next year. First step is selling our home which we are about to list. No real idea where we want to live in France yet, weāll probably travel around for a while to get a feel for places before we finally decide.
One question I have which maybe Robert can answer, would you happen to have a rough estimate for monthly cost of living in France for a family of 4? No need to include home/rent/car etc as that can vary greatly depending on peopleās budgets. Iām moreso interested in daily necessities like food, electricity, water, utilities and such. What would we need to get by per month? Also, no need to include areas with a high cost of living like Paris or St Tropez haha.
What brought me to France back in 1990 had a lot to do with economics, as I discovered that I could buy a complete new house here for the same price as building a two bedroom extension to my home in the UK. Then of course there was also the better weather, food, and marvelously cheap wine.
Why Vendee ? (Half way down the left hand side as you look at a map of the country.) Well, at that time of day there were no motorways (interstates), and so Vendee was as far south as one could drive from the English Channel ports down the old āRoutes Nationalesā (US routes) in one day with two young children in the back of the car.
The costs of living here do of course vary as to where one is situated and the standard of comfort desired to be maintained.
We are situated in a rural area about an hour or so by road from the coast, so we have a good availability of seafood at good prices.
There are only two of us in our household, but we probably spend more than we need to on daily living. For example, we did our weekly shop today and spent around ā¬160, but that did include 14 bottles of wine (there was a special offer on), and a bottle of Grand Marnier liqueur.
Our electricity bill is ā¬127 per month (an average for the year), but we have some electric heating, all the mod cons of dishwasher, 2 fridges, 2 freezers, tumble dryer, and some AC in the summer.
We have oil fired central heating that costs about ā¬1,200 per year depending on the fluctuating price of the heating oil.
Our water bill is around ā¬550 per year, but then we do use it to water our small garden, and the wife likes to luxuriate in our corner bath that takes more water than a standard tub.
Our property taxes come to around ā¬1,250 per year at present, but this is decreasing as the āTaxe dāHabitationā is being progressively done away with.
Gasoline is currently ā¬1.72 per litre, but diesel is cheaper and of course you could always go all electric with some quite generous government support towards the cost of buying an electric car.
Our ātop upā health insurance costs around ā¬50 per month per person, but then we are both in our 60s and so we pay a bit more than younger folks. Having said that, if one should happen to be afflicted with something serious and long term such as cancer, then the state run national health scheme pays 100% of the cost instead of the more usual 70%. (I had blood cancer 5 years ago and have not had to pay 1 penny towards the various extensive treatments I have had which would have cost tens of thousands in the US.)
Sales tax (TVA) is a standard 20% across the land, so the price you see marked on an item is the price you actually pay. Yes, the sales tax is a lot higher than in the US, but then it does pay for a super dooper world class health system which includes controlled prices for prescription drugs, so overall you get a real good deal on health expenses compared to the US.
Not sure if this applies to you or not, but there is a nice little clause in the Franco/American tax treaty that exempts income from US investments held by American citizens from French income tax and social charges.
Hope this helps answer some of your questions.
Very helpful, thank you! My wife and I were both surprised at your grocery trip that includes 14 bottles of wine - I think we could barely get away with 14 bottles of wine here for $200!
Yes, it always grieves me a bit to pay $15 or so for a bottle of wine in Virginia that I could buy for $3.50 here in France. Of course it is possible to spend $200 on one bottle here, but fortunately my wife and I actually donāt care for the taste of the more expensive red wines. We donāt buy the cheapest, but have found by trial and error a selection of very reasonably priced wines (between 2 and 3 Euros a bottle), that both ourselves, and our friends all like. We have a cool cellar for storage, so we can take advantage when there is a special offer such as buy 4 and get 2 free.
I remember a few years ago when I last traveled to France and Spain, wine was very cheap and there were plenty of great tasting ones. We do similar here in the US with finding the best bang for the buck between taste and price, but that usually has us paying anywhere from $12-$25 per bottle to stay on the ācheapā side.
Hi Robert! Have an off-the-wall question. As I wait for the house paperwork to get sorted am sitting in Germany. Due to the pandemic and shipping chaos etc, I shipped my personal belongings here. Ship arrives next week and it will all go directly into a storage unit as I wait for the house.
Do I need any special Certification or paper to then move it all across to France? Or, is all the current shipping documentation/ inventory etc enough? Itās going be stored here for approx 2-3 months. Donāt want to have to pay taxes on it as I donāt now under āpersonal goodsā.
My head is aching with trying to figure out all the details!
Thanks!!
My last transatlantic move was ages ago. Split the load between aprtment in Germany and aprtment in London. No duties to be paid in either country as all personal possesions. All paperwork handled by agents.
Would assume that once you cleared and goods are in Germany (storage) moving personal goods within the EU should be not be complicated. Speak to the company moving your belongings from Germany to France.
Only complicated move I did was to Canadaā¦ had to list every bottle of booze (including partial filled) we took. And pay import duty. Paperwork was worse than moving to France
I believe that any import duties or taxes payable should be dealt with when your things arrive in the EU ---- meaning in Germany. Once they are in, they are in, and so moving them within the EU (Germany to France) wonāt be a problem.
As long as the stuff is all personal property that has been previously used by you in the US, then there really shouldnāt be anything to pay. If you have new things that you bought specifically to ship to Europe, or alcoholic drinks, tobacco, or other specially taxable goods, then there may well be a bill to be paid.
I was just like you, the āwhat ifā has sometimes caused sleepless nights. Learning to let go and just live has actually just happened with retirement and our move to France.
Donāt worry too much. Murphys law applies - but you are after all moving to a wonderful place to live.
Well, it looks like another month to wait. Sellers havenāt finished the diagnostic reports on the house, so Notaire is on hold. Itās been three months now. Is this a normal time-frame for house purchases in France?
Trying to stay positive. I am hearing the Bellac notaire is lovely so will just ākeep breathingā.
) we have a few different issues re our taxes, visas etc etc.