Living in the dordoigne (1 Viewer)

[sally47]

Hoping to go and live in dordoigne such a nice area and good value would like to buy this year most important able to keep our MH and reregister anyone living their could give us any advice please looking at properties in March will be spending time in duras and park voyager really like to know how friendly the natives are and cost of living thanks

 

[Pilote87]

Hi Sally,

I have sent you a PM

J

 

[lorger]

@laneside has just done similar last year so I'm sure he'll be along soon.

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[laneside]

Hi Sally
We moved to the Limousin almost a year ago and our advice would be just do it, there are far too many benefits to list. Our recommendations would be to spend lots and lots of time looking, without your rose tinted glasses on, the reason being France is such a beautiful and vast country compared to England. It can be too easy to fall in love with a place without realising that a trip to the shops and back could take most of a half day. Ignore what you read regarding the French being stuffy, perhaps it is the case in the cities but very much not the case with rural French people

 

[sally47]

Hi guys thanks for replies in answer to pilot like the area around Bergerac as regards the language could speak and understand a bit some years ago and enjoy trying wife is Danish and believe me French is easier and the van is tag axle chieftain R/H drive understand Spanish won't give cert but French will and hearts now set on the dordoigne hope this helps

 

[moulin 87]

Problem will be you'll be spoilt for choice, so many different types of house and all budgets, the french housing market is very flat....We've owned/lived in France for 15 years (Limousin), all the fears you may have will disappear very quickly..

If you are thinking of using the site at Duras, if the English owners are on site it is fine if not the English managers they have are a NIGHTMARE, or they were 18 months ago!!!!!

The English estate in Duras (Red Key I think) is good but he does go on and on...We are thinking of moving to the same area so my wife is on first name terms with many of the agents....

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[Robert Clark]

Moving abroad is a BIG step, one which you need to do with care and consideration
I'd suggest renting in your chosen area for at least 6 months, then you can see what the area is 'really' like
The rent will be lost money, but it's a lot less than you'd loose if you decided to sell up after a year or so
Best of luck !

 

[Pilote87]

We spent about six months looking around our chosen (rather wide) area, then bought the third house we looked at.

I would suggest that, if you want to bring your present motorhome with you then you start the ball rolling with the documentation you will need - a Certificate of Conformity. It was that which dragged on very slowly. You will also need a "Facture" (Bill of Sale) to take to your local tax office in the Dordogne.

As I said in my PM, if you think I can help, just ask.

J

 

[Hollyberry]

The Dordogne is a hugely varied department. I lived there for about 7 years.
Sarlat area--- say a radius of 15-20 kms is very touristy, but also very beautiful.
Bergerac is a very compact city, lots of surrounding villages and you'll find south of Bergerac, going into the Lot, different to north of Bergerac.

Some villages are deserted during the day. I used to drive through one regularLy, never saw a soul. A larger village with a market seems to give a bit of life to the area.
It can be VERY quiet in the winter.
Living costs--- property is cheaper of course and you're more likely to get land with your property. Council tax ( fonciere and habitation) more than UK ( but I had a huge 11 room + 5 bathrooms house ) Food is far better quality, especially from local growers who sell in the markets and a similar price to UK. I don't drink so can't comment on alcohol prices but I think probably lower than UK.

The Dordogne can be wet ( it is part of Aquitaine after all ) and winter can be very cold. Minus 16 one winter, pipes inside my house froze.

But the summers are hot, roads uncrowned, less litter, teenagers are polite and can speak to adults, not just grunt. Family comes first with rural French and they care about their environment.

Take time in each area before you decide but go for it. Life is too short for regrets.

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[Philiphall]

We have been in the Haute Vienne (Limousine) for a year now, we bought a house the year before. Its the best thing we ever did, it's not for everyone but we live in a village of about 1000 & there is only 1 english couple living here full time, so we have started to make French friends. We are slowly learning french mainly by visiting the local bar every Friday night & shopping for the house etc. You need a basic of french to survive in this area unless you want to just have ex-pats as friends. You get the normal problems of missing the grand kids etc but they have already started visiting. The best thing about doing it as a MH owner is you have somewhere to live if like in our case you buy a wreck. Its also great for nipping off for a few days to those free aires. Its easy to re-register a uk motor here just get a pair of French headlights fitted & the rest is fairly easy (but there is no rush to register the vehicle here) I have had a Renault work van here for a year & still havnt got round to changing it to French no one seems to bother too much about stuff like that round here. Just be careful how much land you buy with your house I know a few brits that spend there whole summer cutting the grass!