curtis
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Charente Maritime
Posts: 474 
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Post by curtis on Jul 20, 2021 12:02:42 GMT 1
Thanks. Some good ideas to follow up. I don't think I'd mind cold winters as long as I had a warm house. I love winter walks. But constant grey skies might get me down. The wooded area of central Brittany appeals as I will really miss walking in the woods every day. Food for thought. Please keep 'em coming!  Oh, but sadly no to renting and having an adventure. I wish! I'm no longer adventure material! that will be like trying to heat a tomb with a short candle. Aardvark, I am a great fan of your doom and gloom posts The above quote must rate as your finest ! |
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Post by jardiniere on Jul 27, 2021 7:57:53 GMT 1
Have seen 2 strong possibilities. Any views on living near
1) Josselin in the Morbihan, Brittany, please? Is it really mostly grey skies, lots of rain? Some positives?
2) Châteaubriant/Pouancé In Maine et Loire
Thanks to anyone who can shine a light on these areas.
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Post by jardiniere on Jul 27, 2021 9:24:33 GMT 1
Oh well, strong contender near Josselin is no longer. Supposed to be "on the doorstep of Josselin" but is 8 kms away and also supposed to be on mains drainage but in fact needs a new fosse. Mmm, estate agents are so bad for my blood pressure. Sorry mysty and AtS. I know there are decent ones, just haven't come across them yet. But still, there may be other houses in the area so if anyone has views on Josselin, please say.
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Post by Olave H on Jul 27, 2021 13:12:16 GMT 1
Our area of Finistere is about 20 min from the sea & two major cities & has 2 good towns within 8km which include at least 6 large supermarkets. We're in very rural countryside yet 10 minutes from the voie express so access is good. Maison medicals in the towns provides good healthcare & hospitals not too far away. The town in our commune has seen a great resurgeance of new businesses so confidence must be high. Swimming & sports complexes exist & indeed a new sports hall is being built.
Properties rarely remain unsold for long but still remain reasonably priced & plenty of choice 'in town'. Winter can be a bit 'dull' but nowhere near that described by our more disinchanted member. The last time snow laid was about 15 years ago as the climate is very temperate due to the proximity of the Gulf Stream. Yeah it rains a bit but that's why it's green. Checking out the charts shows surprisingly less than commonly thought.
As someone who can't stand 'the heat' I'm very happy we settled on this area & other than maybe finding somewhere smaller than the house, outbuildings & 3 Ha of ground they sit on I can't see me moving far from here in my dotage.
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FFS
Member
As usual, in front of my laptop when I'm here
Posts: 2,797
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Post by FFS on Jul 27, 2021 16:46:46 GMT 1
Have seen 2 strong possibilities. Any views on living near
1) Josselin in the Morbihan, Brittany, please? Is it really mostly grey skies, lots of rain? Some positives?
2) Châteaubriant/Pouancé In Maine et Loire
Thanks to anyone who can shine a light on these areas.
Morbihan is reputed to have a micro-climate, with temperatures sometimes a couple of degrees above the regional average, suein56 lives in Morbihan, she may be along to give her views now I've tagged her. |
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suein56
Member
Southern Morbihan 56 Brittany
Posts: 7,467
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Post by suein56 on Jul 27, 2021 17:31:09 GMT 1
I replied on page 1 re Morbihan .. but don't mind adding what little I know about Josselin. It's a small town with some very old and pretty parts and some rundown parts. Lots of UK expats in and around as it was a bit of a Brit enclave some years ago, don't know about now. Usually lots of tourists during the warmer months. The problem with small towns is that tiny town houses don't usually come with a reasonable-sized garden. In the past the garden/veg plot would be close by but separate to the house and be designated as non-constructible. These plots have often had their designations changed so have now been sold as building plots. Example of small, affordable (but seems a bit over-priced to me) 2 bedroom house with potential, close to Josselin, but still needs work in some parts. Smallish outside area. No idea about the drainage. www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/109390907#/?channel=OVERSEAS
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 27, 2021 20:25:13 GMT 1
I know the grass is sometimes greener elsewhere but your present area seems to meet your requirements wrt weather.
Are appropriate houses available in that area?
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Post by jardiniere on Jul 29, 2021 10:51:59 GMT 1
Thanks, suein56, for your detailed reply. Local information is so useful. I have several researches set up on leboncoin which I check each day. I also look at the other notaires' site: www.immobilier.notaires.fr/fr/annonces-immobilieres-liste?typeTransaction=VENTE,VNI,VAE but it's a pain to navigate. Quite right about town houses having tiny courtyard gardens or none at all, or one down the road! I have a dog so need to be able to just open the door and let her out. I've realised I can't narrow down my search to mains drainage only as I'll never find anywhere. Most people don't have endless problems with their fosse so I'll just have to hope for the best. At least that keeps the taxe fonciere down. Grumpyish, yes, my current area does offer mostly bright days but I do find high summer too hot, so I thought with all the hassle of moving, 20kms or 200kms doesn't make much difference so I'll widen my search to include cooler climes. But as days pass, I do think again. The unbearably hot days are not that many out of 365 and becoming fewer. I think I'd rather put up with occasional excessive heat and the flies that come with it  than have grey skies which affect morale day to day. But I am finding this whole process much more difficult than I thought and I could end up anywhere if the right small house comes along! |
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Post by annabellespapa on Jul 29, 2021 11:31:34 GMT 1
I know I suggested Morbihan at the beginning but I am with Grumpyish now, stay were you are, downsize and get air conditioning or friends of our who are elderly just moved their bedroom downstairs and put a door at the bottom to close of the upstairs. No moving, the other benefit their new bedroom is cooler and they have fitted in an ensuite which they love, total cost €10k and still among the community they love and now with a more saleable house with 5 bedrooms two bathrooms and two ensuites.
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Post by jardiniere on Jul 29, 2021 13:37:17 GMT 1
Thanks for your input. Area may stay, but house has to go! Much too big house and garden for me on my own. But you're right, air conditioning makes life more comfortable on those hot days. I have my bearings here and it has the advantage that I can go and view houses several times without a long journey and overnight stay. Now I've widened the search to include properties with fosse or microstation I'm sure I can find what I need. Plus the agent who's selling my house has just been in touch to say she will soon have the keys to a small house I might like!
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Post by sw31girl on Jul 29, 2021 15:21:33 GMT 1
Can I be a bit radical and recommend Aurignac, in SW France. We don’t usually get the really extreme heat in summer. We also have less risk of water restrictions as we have proximity to the Pyrenees. We have good medical access and a superb selection of hospitals and private clinics, if needed, around toulouse. Good rail, motorway and airport access in less than 50 minutes. Property prices are low in the surrounding towns and villages. Downsides, it can be cold at night in winter.
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Post by leclairon on Jul 30, 2021 15:49:07 GMT 1
Hi SW That area of France is one I am not familiar with. I have found it on the map and am interested in how you fell upon that area. The proximity to everything necessary sounds interesting.
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Post by sw31girl on Jul 31, 2021 7:38:47 GMT 1
Hi SW That area of France is one I am not familiar with. I have found it on the map and am interested in how you fell upon that area. The proximity to everything necessary sounds interesting.
We’ve always loved SW region but hadn’t planned on moving this far south. However, once we were reassured that it didn’t get snowed up during winter we went for it. We’ve eaten our Christmas lunch outside - south facing only I might add. We did use a property finder which saved us money and have no reservations about recommending the process. The proximity is excellent. I normally either fly to the U.K. from Toulouse or from Tarbes with both being under an hour. Most of the motorway from Toulouse to Martres Tolosonne is free. We live just outside of a small village called Alan. We have a go getting Mayor and now have a bakery and a weekly evening market plus a well established restaurant in the village. Easy access to facilities and shopping in Aurignac, Martres and Saint Gaudens. Saint Gaudens also has a hospital and large Leclerc complex. Property prices have been increasing but are still very reasonable. |
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Post by leclairon on Jul 31, 2021 8:59:45 GMT 1
Thanks for that SW. Getting snowed in was the one thing I had thought about after posting. Maybe that area will be one for us to look at. We are gradually plodding our way into different areas to get a 'feel' and, to be fair, we do like lots of areas of France but haven't yet been convinced that we would move permanently to any of them. However, going on hols to different areas is fun and gives us a reason for looking at different areas.
OH is a bit concerned about giving up our present network of doctors, hospitals but we are agreed that we will have to downsize in a couple of years.
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Aardvark
Non-gamer
Living in soggy 22 and still wondering what's going on.
Posts: 2,172
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Post by Aardvark on Jul 31, 2021 9:33:46 GMT 1
Thanks for that SW. Getting snowed in was the one thing I had thought about after posting. Maybe that area will be one for us to look at. We are gradually plodding our way into different areas to get a 'feel' and, to be fair, we do like lots of areas of France but haven't yet been convinced that we would move permanently to any of them. However, going on hols to different areas is fun and gives us a reason for looking at different areas.
OH is a bit concerned about giving up our present network of doctors, hospitals but we are agreed that we will have to downsize in a couple of years.
That was my main concern the last time I moved. I was forced to sell up due to a relationship breakdown. I wanted to stay close to my doctor (who has been brilliant) but couldn't afford to buy in the area close by. Too close to the desireable coastal area so I had to look further inland nearer the expat enclaves. I had to compromise. The plus side: I got a decent amount of land with no nearby neighbours at a price I could afford. The negative side: No electrics, no plumbing, no fosse, leaking roof, rotten staircase, windows needed replacing, and it is on a main(ish) road. Now I have a 40 minute drive to my doctor but pretty much everything else is 5, 10, or 25 minutes away. Having longer to look would have been useful as I know there are so many wonderful areas to search in France but I was living in a place (house sitting) that was up for sale and when it sold I had to step up my search quickly. Finding somewhere with better weather would have been nice but it would be time-consuming to find the ideal spot on my tight budget. |
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than have grey skies which affect morale day to day. But I am finding this whole process much more difficult than I thought and I could end up anywhere if the right small house comes along!