Clé France

Hi Sharon.  

Having just completed the purchase of my house in Brittany through Cle France, I can only say excellent things about the whole process and your dealings in the matter to ensure a smooth transaction throughout from my initial visit to the property on 5th April until completion on 13 July 2016. 

I would also like to say a huge thank you to the associated services given to me by Ceri at Allianz Insurance Services and also to your currency trader for the money transfers, I would not hesitate to recommend these companies and people for a worry free purchase of property in France.

Cle France have a one stop shop with all the necessary partners to make your dream house purchase in France an easy reality.  

I only wish I had this service available to me 16 years ago when I made my first house purchase in France.

Once again a HUGE thank you to all involved with my purchase.  

THANK YOU, Colin.

Colin bought a house in Brittany with ease, so why not let Cle France guide YOU through the French Property Buying Process!

And as several of our clients say "Follow your heart and make the move"! 

My favourite French recipe, the one I use every week, if not every day, is deceptively simple. But once you begin using it, you’ll never be able to go back. There aren’t any precise measurements, but that’s what makes it special: add a little bit of this, a pinch of that, to adjust the recipe to your preferences.

I never knew how to make a delicious vinaigrette à la moutarde until my mother-in-law showed me. Now I never buy the store bought stuff, because it just isn’t as tasty.

All you need is: quelques gousses d’ail (several garlic cloves), du vinaigre balsamique (balsamic vinegar), du vinaigre de cidre (apple cider vinegar), de l’huile végétale (vegetable oil; olive oil is often too dense/heavy), des échalotes (shallots), de la moutarde de Dijon (Dijon mustard), du miel (honey), du sel (salt), et du poivre (pepper).

Mettez quelques gousses d’ail (entières ou coupées) et des échalotes coupées dans un shaker ou un bocal hermétique. Mélangez le sel, le miel, et la moutarde dans les deux vinaigres dans le shaker. Ajoutez doucement l’huile et le poivre. Mélangez.

Put several garlic cloves (whole or chopped) in a salad shaker or a closed container. Mix the salt, honey, and mustard in the two vinegars in the container. Slowly add the oil and the pepper. Shake.

As I said, the exact measures can be determined by your own preferences (taste as you go). Typically, you want double the amount of oil to the amount of vinegar (divided equally between balsamic and apple cider). If you want your dressing a little spicier, add more mustard (if you can find the French brand Maille, use this!).

If, however, you like it a bit sweeter, add a little more honey. Make sure you make the dressing in a large enough container where you can store it for the week. As you keep the dressing with the garlic and shallots, the flavour will mature over time.

Bon appétit!

Blog submitted by: Alex at The French Property Network - Cle France.

This blog was originally posted on The French Language Blog pages.

Question:  If a concern of mine is to keep overheads ie. taxes etc as low as possible, what should I be seeking - are there any guides as to how high taxes are etc? Merci Chris.

Answer: There are two basic local property taxes in France which are, sort of, the equivalent to the UK council tax; only much cheaper of course, they are called Taxe foncière and Taxe d’Habitation. So when looking for a property to buy in France you can look at certain properties that will have low taxes compared to others that will have higher taxes.

Cle France can always confirm the taxes in advance of you committing to buy a property as of course these are 2 ‘overheads’ that cannot really be avoided and need to be paid on time to avoid fines and headaches.

Both taxes are subject to size and location so to keep these taxes down to a minimum keep the house habitable space small and the garden small as the larger the house and larger the plot size will only increase each tax. Land is more expensive in a city than in a town or a village and cheapest in the countryside so a rural location will have the lowest taxes. However some “Village Fleurie” will have high taxes if only to pay for all the flowers they display, floral villages look nice but can have high taxes for the residents and some regions are less expensive than others, keep to rural areas and avoid the South of France to keep these taxes in check.

Tax Habitation is based, in part, on the size of the property so the more ‘habitable space’ a house has the higher the Habitaion tax as it is calculated “per / m2” so one thing to consider is if you are planning to extend or renovate a property then as you increase the habitable space then you will of course increase the habitation tax.

The other and more influential aspect of this tax is it is actually linked to your income, if you live full time at the property. If you are not living full time at the property i.e. It is a holiday home then you still pay a Tax Habitation but it is basic and not linked to your earnings.

Only if the property is derelict or a complete renovation project will it be exempt from this tax and the local Mairie will be on the lookout for developments on the property especially if you have submitted and planning application so he can apply the tax to the “m2 SHON” of your finished project.

Tax Fonciere is based on the size of the plot and where the plot is of course i.e. The value of the land per / m2. So the more land you have the higher the tax and if you have a very small garden the the tax will be lower, it includes the land the house is built on so even if you have no outside space you will still be liable to a small Tax Fonciere bill.

Some time ago we published a good article that goes into more detail and explains the 2 main taxes involved with owning a property in France, Taxe Habitation and Tax Fonciere, click here or the image below to read this article in full.

For everything you need to know about French property visit www.clefrance.co.uk

Hi Sharon,

I am in the manic final stages of packing and clearing my house in the UK in preparation for the move at the weekend.

I found the experience of working with CLE FRANCE to be simple, pleasurable, professional and most importantly stress reducing.

CLE FRANCE staff were very professional, helpful and the information on the website / newsletters etc.

Invaluable!

Best wishes, Mary.

Mary is almost ready to move in to her new home and seems very happy with everything, we are pleased to that Mary was so nice to deal with and this makes it all the more pleasurable to wish her all the best for the future in her new lifestyle in the Mayenne department of Pays de la Loire region.

Contact us if you want to make the move to France and as several of our clients say "Follow your heart and make the move"

Question: I have several questions around 'Brexit' and it seems that the vast majority of people are saying nothing has chengd yet and very little will change, call me 'old-fashioned' but I would like to talk to someone face-to-face about my thoughts and plans as when I move to France I want to start a business, any thoughts? Richard W.

Answer: We will call you to answer your questions but it may be that others feel the way you do Richard and we have a suggestion to appease your face-to-face desire for information.

A Place in the Sun Live exhibition is coming later this year at the NEC Birmingham 23rd - 25th September and the SECC Glasgow 29th - 30th October. As usual these will attract a serious audience of motivated buyers, potentially even more motivated given the UK remains a fully paid-up member of the EU for a good two years to come.

A Place in the Sun Live are planning specialist 'Brexit' sessions at both events.

Cle France are one of A Place in the Sun's biggest partners and here we have some very good comment from them below...

The Facts About Brexit for EU Property

The referendum made last week quite an historic week. Since then nothing has changed but understandably people who own property in the EU or are planning to buy have questions about the possible impact of the result on their lifestyle.

This is what we know so far.

Nothing changes for two years from when the UK informs the EU we plan to leave for which there is currently no fixed date, nor can the EU force the British government to trigger this notice. During this period we remain a fully paid-up member of the EU with all our rights and privileges intact.

If you are currently resident in another EU country or plan to become so in the next two years, when the UK does leave it is highly likely you will retain the rights you have acquired to reside in that country. While the host country is under no obligation to provide services such as healthcare, it is again likely the UK will reach an agreement with other EU countries for a reciprocal arrangement as it would be in the interests of the EU to look after their citizens given the 3 million EU nationals in the UK and only 1.3 million Brits living across Europe.

British buyers make up a significant portion of the property market in many countries – in Spain they account for one in five of all overseas buyers – and several countries are desperate to attract Brits to buy property and help boost local economies. Many towns in regional France are reliant upon British owners bringing their pensions to spend in local businesses.

Currency Rate Fluctuations

If you are currently planning to buy a holiday home in the EU then you are likely to be keeping a close eye on the exchange rate. Currently at 1.2 Euros to the pound, Sterling has not collapsed and still makes overseas property in most areas very good value. If your view is this rate may worsen then you can speak to a specialist currency broker and forward fix the rate you get.  

What this means is you agree a rate now for a transaction further down the line, protecting you from any drop in the value of Sterling (this mechanism also means you don’t benefit if Sterling improves).  

So if you need to buy or sell sterling and would like to be kept up to date with all the latest data releases and exchange rate movements then feel free to contact myself Ben Amrany. If you are buying or selling a house in France we will make sure your monies are in the right place at the right time, we work hand in hand with you and Cle France.

For more information on the currency service I can provide please feel free to contact myself...

Ben Amrany from FC Exchange follow this link or phone and ask for myself and quote "Cle France" on 020 7989 0000.

You may contact me directly using this form (click here) with your requirement and I will explain the options that are available to you in getting the best exchange rate.

Living in France Post-Brexit

Planning to live in the EU on a UK pension post-Brexit will mean regular payments from the UK are open to currency fluctuations if you do not choose to forward fix the rate at which you buy. A British pension would not attract any inflation-increase as it would if we had remained in the EU, representing a marginal loss.

Post Brexit it would be possible for a country to impose additional or higher taxes on British owners, for example on a house sale, because the basic right for a Brit on the Algarve to enjoy the same tax treatment as a Portuguese national will have been lost (though in the case of Portugal anyone spending half the year there can join the non-habitual residency scheme and enjoysignificant tax breaks). What is unlikely is that an EU country would impose anything overly-draconian that would deter British buyers.

Brits ability to own property in the EU and around the world remains unchanged

We believe the appetite for Brits to own property in the EU and around the world remains unchanged, it could get more expensive and slightly more complicated than had we stayed in the EU but there are no restrictions on non-EU nationals Brad and Angelina buying in Mallorca and there will be no restrictions on you.

A Place in the Sun Live autumn exhibitions at the NEC Birmingham 23rd -25th September and the SECC Glasgow 29th – 30th October will include specialist sessions on Brexit and property with experts on hand to address your individual questions.

For everything you need to know about French property visit www.clefrance.co.uk