House Hunting in France is a full-time job

When I left home to go house hunting, my hubby’s final words were, ‘It’s not going to be a holiday, you know.’ After my experiences over the last couple of days, he was spot-on.

It’s fair to say that this trip has been planned like a military operation and has worked as expected. It’s certainly not a relaxing, gentle break, but I suppose it was never meant to be that and if it is, then something has gone horribly wrong. Continue reading here for a first-hand account of the full-time work which goes into house hunting in France.

Moving to France

Let’s face it: moving anywhere is not easy, and honestly, it is daunting. If you start thinking about moving to a foreign country or making a big international move, you could easily be overwhelmed by the prospect. Moving to France requires a visa (extended stay) or a residency card, renting or buying property, opening a bank account, setting up utilities, and importing some of your belongings. The good news is some local resources and companies help with these tasks. Some people relocate once they retire and the kids leave the house. Others are relocated with their jobs, and some look for employment in France.

Julie Whitmarsh

Julie and her husband Andy started visiting the Vaucluse area 25 years ago & over the years have increased the amount of time they spend there with their growing family. She has a deep affection for the area, finding it is a great place to visit, where the whole family can relax and enjoy time together.

She longs for the day when she can ‘up-sticks’ from her home on Dartmoor & relocate to the Luberon and spend her days cycling, walking, visiting markets & brocante fairs and of course enjoying the local food and drink.

Her blog VaucluseDreamer gives her a space to highlight some of her favourite things about the area from places to visit to particular activities that she and her family all enjoy.

She hopes one day it will be a place where she can share the process of renovating a house in France, but at the moment that will have to wait.