How to buy a used boring estate car and moving to France and buying a replacement ...

[Riklet]

I won't even be in France unless I have a long-stay visa - for which a rental agreement is a pre-requisite.
Bloody annoying I can't call in a favour from one or other of my ex-colleagues who have retired back to France .. one or two of them actually in Brittany ...
But I was rather lowly in my role so we didn't socialise...

You can easily go for 90 days and maybe apply for a 90 day extension for just France not shengen. This is possible in Portugal and friends have done it. You would probs be best not mentioning moving there or buying property and just say youre enjoying it and you'd like to spend more money (implied) yada yada. Once you have the ball rolling with any kind of visa they will be more lenient I would hope.

You will need to get some non resident paperwork sorted in the meantime. Tax number and health insurance almost certainly and maybe open a French bank account. And get a French phone number first thing if youre serious.

This is where the car will be useful cos you can go and explore all of this before you commit financially too much. You might decide you just want to spend 180 days a year in France in 2 trips and this could still be an option. And you can tell me which ferry routes are best

 

[gentlegreen]

You might decide you just want to spend 180 days a year in France in 2 trips and this could still be an option. And you can tell me which ferry routes are best

have to get out of this wreck of a house and buy somewhere to live and Swansea is a very poor plan B compared to what I'm being offered in my preferred part of France...
I'm already signed up to local FB groups ... I even know where the local boules matches happen and plan to learn before I go !

 

[A380]

1 - Pay a removals/shipping company to get all your stuff to France

2 - Buy a car once you’re there if you need one

This ^^^ I spent 14 months doing a slow move between two houses I owned at the. same time and were a 2.5 hour van drive apart in England. I ended up on first name terms with the man who owned the van hire place (Patrice, great guy, he was French).

This worked for us but somewhat different to you. (No ferries and a distance that, when I needed to, I could do there and back in a day). Tips at both ends that took vans (one just turn up and one you had to get a permit). Having done this I wouldn't dream of doing it with the sea in the way.

Get the place in France (rental I think you said?)

Buy a bed chair and table from local charity shop there to tide you over.

Sort your stuff out here.

Pay someone to move it over for you.

Buy a vehicle in France if you need one.

 

[klang]

@DownwardDog Those car recommendations look a bit ɐᴉlɐɹʇsn∀-specific ?

ffy

 

[dessiato]

Yeah, mate of mine done it in Andalucia, but gg is only wanting to move to northern France, so flogging it back in Blighty will be easier…

I did mine in Sevilla. It was a pain to get it organised, and the car is worth very little compared to a LHD. I'd not do it again, and, if I move to France I'd definitely buy something there rather than go through all the fuss.

 

[dessiato]

1 - Pay a removals/shipping company to get all your stuff to France

2 - Buy a car once you’re there if you need one

I'm doing this with our stuff from Spain. We did it ourselves when we went to Portugal but the total cost is higher than getting someone to do it for you.

Now the UK is no longer in the EU there is a lot of paperwork involved in moving there. It is worth having someone who knows what they're doing handle all this side of things.

 

[Riklet]

have to get out of this wreck of a house and buy somewhere to live and Swansea is a very poor plan B compared to what I'm being offered in my preferred part of France...
I'm already signed up to local FB groups ... I even know where the local boules matches happen and plan to learn before I go !

You might find this link helpful but it sounds like youve researched a lot.

It looks like you need a long stay visa before you go then you would apply for residency once there. VLTS visa also looks a good option for you with permanent residency after 5 years.

For sure just buy a car in Bristol (hop over to bangers chat thread maybe?) and go visit before summer. Why not! You could sign up for a language course with accomm included if you would link sthing arranged for you or just see what happens when there. The car will be super liberating in France and you'll see a lot more than just going to main towns. Realistically this is going to take a few trips.

I would buy a ULEZ compliant car btw cos of the Bristol air zone and the very strict air zones in French towns. Euro 4 petrol or better probably best.

 

[dessiato]

If you want a recommendation the company we're using is good. They're charging about £1500 complete, pick up, drop off, packing and paperwork. There's no white goods and little furniture.

Compared to £800 van hire, plus return ferry, plus fuel it's not expensive.

European Removal Services: International Moving Company in UK

European Removal Services moving people houses from and to the UK, along with moving people goods within Europe to and from other countries. Call 0207 127 0641

www.europeanremovalservices.co.uk

 

[gentlegreen]

If you want a recommendation the company we're using is good. They're charging about £1500 complete, pick up, drop off, packing and paperwork. There's no white goods and little furniture.

Compared to £800 van hire, plus return ferry, plus fuel it's not expensive.

European Removal Services: International Moving Company in UK

European Removal Services moving people houses from and to the UK, along with moving people goods within Europe to and from other countries. Call 0207 127 0641

www.europeanremovalservices.co.uk

Thanks
My plans are to whittle my stuff down stage by stage - hopefully ending up with a measured volume in the corner of my downstairs front room - both to minimise the cost of 6 months or more of storage while I move from rental to house and then transportation to France.
I imagine I will try to optimise the value of the cost of the service in terms of what I take and what I give away or sell.

 

[dessiato]

Thanks
My plans are to whittle my stuff down stage by stage - hopefully ending up with a measured volume in the corner of my downstairs front room - both to minimise the cost of 6 months or more of storage while I move from rental to house and then transportation to France.
I imagine I will try to optimise the value of the cost of the service in terms of what I take and what I give away or sell.

When we moved to Portugal everything fitted easily into a SWB Transit. We could do the same coming back but the paperwork can be a major problem because of the issues around what does and doesn't attract import duties.

Fucking Brexit has made a good life much more difficult to achieve.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

can you convert a car BACK to UK registration ?

yes - it's possible even if the vehicle left the UK long ago enough not to be in DVLA's computer (i've known it be done with classic vehicles) but simpler if car left UK in more recent years and the export was properly notified to DVLA. (I happen to have my V5C near the surface, and it says you are only 'exporting' a vehicle if it's going to be out of the UK for 12 months or more - although I can't say what the rules are in France about a UK registered vehicle there temporarily.)

This (about driving licences) and this (about vehicles) are govermnent website pages.

although there's still a fair bit of paper to deal with to re-import a vehicle, and you would need to convert back to MPH and headlights aligned to driving on the correct side of the road and so on. At one point, they would (at least in some cases) want to check that the vehicle really was the vehicle you said it was (to avoid people laundering stolen cars) - i'm not sure what the process for this is now that the local DVLA offices have been shut down.

i still can't help thinking it would be easier either to hire in the short term, or have a UK registered vehicle registered to a UK address and / or a France registered vehicle registered to a French address in the short term if you can manage this (even if UK address is a friend or relative's place) without lousing up proving that you're resident wherever.

 

[dessiato]

although I can't say what the rules are in France about a UK registered vehicle there temporarily.)

I assuming it's the same for France as Spain and Portugal where you cannot have a UK registered car after 6 months. It must be reregistered.

You must change your licence at 6 months too. Again you cannot drive with a UK licence for more than this time.

Spain has only just decided to recognise uk licences so it's a simple swap, before this, and after Brexit, you had to take the test because, of course, the UK is now a third country. Check this with France.

On top of this you will need to register on the appropriate council records to be a legal immigrant. I'm no longer sure how this works in France.

 

[gentlegreen]

I assuming it's the same for France as Spain and Portugal where you cannot have a UK registered car after 6 months. It must be reregistered.

You must change your licence at 6 months too. Again you cannot drive with a UK licence for more than this time.

Spain has only just decided to recognise uk licences so it's a simple swap, before this, and after Brexit, you had to take the test because, of course, the UK is now a third country. Check this with France.

On top of this you will need to register on the appropriate council records to be a legal immigrant. I'm no longer sure how this works in France.

Things have settled down now reciprocal healthcare post-66, a simple exchange of driving licences... registering on arrival, application for carte de séjour after 3 months if you haven't made a nuisance of yourself...also healthcare registration at 3 months in exchange for paying social charges - private insurance until then....

 

[Riklet]

Honestly youll want to just buy a car in France.

Get a car now to get you set up and then get rid of it. A French car will be more useful in the medium long term and probs safer too. You might want a smaller car than an estate for example because French parking etc.

 

[what]

1 - Pay a removals/shipping company to get all your stuff to France

2 - Buy a car once you’re there if you need one

I did this when I moved to France about 20 years ago.
At the time there were plenty of UK firms who did multiple drop offs right across Europe.
If you do go for this you probably need a hire car for a while whilst you buy a car register and tac it etc.

 

[gentlegreen]

I spotted some electric hire cars around near me - just sign up with an app apparently !

 

[A380]

I spotted some electric hire cars around near me - just sign up with an app apparently !

A car club almost certainly won’t let you take it to France! But could be good for local tip runs.

 

[gentlegreen]

A car club almost certainly won’t let you take it to France! But could be good for local tip runs.

Only with very great care !
You also have to log the registration on the council website - though presumably that sort of car would not change very often ...

 

[A380]

Only with very great care !
You also have to log the registration on the council website - though presumably that sort of car would not change very often ...

Do you need to log car registrations where you are? In most places that’s just for vans.

 

[gentlegreen]

Do you need to log car registrations where you are? In most places that’s just for vans.

They don't muck about in Bristol.
Bloody hell they charge for plasterboard now...
It's frowned upon in skips too.
I suspect I will end up secreting it under the stairs like a previous resident did ...

Book a visit to the Reuse and Recycling Centre | Bristol City Council

 

[gentlegreen]

One plan of mine is to combine it with exercise and cycle to the tip with smallish quantities of electrical waste...

At some point I'm going to need to ask my family to help...

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

One plan of mine is to combine it with exercise and cycle to the tip with smallish quantities of electrical waste...

At some point I'm going to need to ask my family to help...

Dunno what Bristol is like but the tips round here won’t let you in on a bike.

 

[gentlegreen]

Dunno what Bristol is like but the tips round here won’t let you in on a bike.

The website is confusing, but I made enquiries.
I reckon they would be in deep shit if they banned bikes from a recycling centre next to Sustrans's very first cycle path

 

[Spymaster]

1 - Pay a removals/shipping company to get all your stuff to France

2 - Buy a car once you’re there if you need one

This is the only sensible suggestion on the thread so far.

Why on earth would you fuck about with taking an English car to France for any length of time?

 

[gentlegreen]

This is the only sensible suggestion on the thread so far.

Why on earth would you fuck about with taking an English car to France for any length of time?

It depends how much stuff you need to get started.
It's difficult to have perspective when you've lived somewhere for nearly 40 years.
I've also never really paid any money for a car and drove them to a scrapper when they broke.

 

[Magnus McGinty]

A boring vehicle earlier.

 

[Elpenor]

I imagine there’ll be no bikes in a tip due to h&s.

You’ve had some good advice on the thread, the next step is of course to ignore it and do your own thing

 

[gentlegreen]

It's helping me firm up my plan of action to escape this house and this life
Assuming things work out, Urban will have a base in Brittany - though with every guest now needing to be registered with the Mairie, it would be interesting to see if there's some sort of limit .,.
(I was shown a place with 2 hectares the other day only a mile from a festival site)

 

[klang]

Assuming things work out, Urban will have a base in Brittany - though with every guest now needing to be registered with the Mairie, it would be interesting to see if there's some sort of limit .,.

last time I checked it was 50 posts / day which seemed sufficient. A corrupt official might be able to stretch it to 100....

 

[gentlegreen]

Bloody hell 30 EU per guest !
I suppose they have to cover their costs, but it's effectively tourism - though dodging paying for accomodation ...

EDIT:- there is conflicting advice ....