Hi Mick and Sue
We’ve just bought our french house and are waiting till my husband turns 55 in December for our pension pot. We’ll then (hopefully) sell our house in the spring and go over.
However it has taken us 3 years to get to this point. We have taken about 6 trips, some in the depths of winter and some in the summer, we nearly bought a complete wreck for an absolute bargain of a price but found out if would have cost 100k at least to put right. Take care because there are a lot of unfinished refurbishments out there. Also got sucked in by the Normandy DDay hype and nearly bought a house that on reflection was in the middle of nowhere and not we wanted in the end.
What I’m trying to say is that you go over with an idea and you will change your mind but you need to do the visits to work out what you want. Also the 3 years looking were great fun. We’d get home on a Friday evening, get the wine out and trawl through another batch of houses. Then we’d take long weekends viewing houses. We also made some great contacts, both French and English who have helped us sooooo much.
My advice - take your time, visit and look. We’ll being living in Normandy by the way.
Regards
Sue and Kev
Sounds like us to a T , we’ve got three years to do our homework , things might not work , we know that , no one can predict what’s going to happen ie brexit , and a million and one etc’s. , but we will see .
We are going to the French property show in London in September , and early next year start the ball rolling , if things don’t work out then at least I might get my split camper and road trip round France 
On a serious note , we are literally just dipping our toes in the water at the moment , the advice on here has been amazing , we are under no illusions about things and we don’t wear rose tinted glasses but if there’s a will there’s a way
The camper sounds ideal for testing various parts of France… it really is so varied…
Rose-tinted glassess… 
not necessarily a bad thing to have…
I’ve been accused of wearing those, more than once on this Forum… simply because I have a very positive outlook on life and my glass is always half-full 
and not everyone is of the same mind-set…
One of the most important thing to remember is never to trust an agent, no matter how honest and truthful they come across.
You must have had some neg’ exp’ Mark, any I’ve dealt with have been, just helpful. 
There are good and not-so-good… in all professions and activities…
Not tried this with Estate Agents, but…it might be worth a try…
I often ask someone to promise, cross-their-heart etc … that whatever they say is the absolute truth. My, smiling disbelief and insistence on this… has all of us collapsing into laughter… and then, they go even further in their confirmation that “whatever” really will arrive/happen etc … 
I wear rose tinted glasses for special occasions and I am very positive but not to the extent that logic is not allowed a viewing.
Yes Tim it is easy to over spend and we do…but mainly on the cats!
Hi Michael.
Anything is doable, you just have to cut your cloth.
We came to France for a holiday, returned 3 months latter and brought a house for £34000.
Over the last 3 years spent about £16000, to various tradesman to rewire, sort out oil heating, decorate.repair.was gonna just be a holiday home.
We toyed with the idea of retiring here in the next 4 years,I’m 58, but to be honest Brexit, might put paid to that idea.
For us we shall try and live 6 months in each country, keep our uk house for healthcare issues and stay as long as we can in France enjoying the Dream.
I think that I can do all this on about £20k pension.
Time will prove me wrong!
Good luck!
Barbara Deane Change your insurance provided we don’t pay that for 3 cars.
I assume Barbara Deane is including house insurance too.
You have to be a canny shopper and read the PUB. 3 bottles of Persil 120 washes for 13.50 euros. 72 loo rolls for 12.95. You just need storage space and if you are not working you have the time to find the bargains
.
I only ever buy household products when on special offer. Especially, toilet roll, kitchen roll, Ariel, softener, bin bags, dishwasher tablets. Same with toiletries like shower gel, toothpaste, hand soap, deodorant, shampoo etc. I will sometimes visit 3 or 4 different supermarkets per week to stock up.
Also, Casino is good for meat offers. If you go early evening or Saturday afternoon they often have meat marked down by 30% if it has a short date. Last week they had Label Rouge chickens, originally priced at 4.95€ per kilo marked down by 30%. Had the following day’s date but we jointed and froze them the same day. Often find steak hachee and sausages as well.
Same for us Mandy, a big freezer was a priority for us, before dishwasher and tumble dryer !
Sadly, no space for a big freezer just a normal fridge/freezer. We use our small freezer mostly for vegetables and meat and the occasional pizza or box of poisson pane. Would love a big freezer. I would have bought all eight chickens instead I just bought 2!
NOZ is often well worth a visit, we buy all our poultry, eggs and plants at the Priory at Billiers 56, super produce and prices. Lamb, pork, when on offer at supermarket, good beef, sausage etc from our local butcher, who is as cheap as Super U!
I’ve found NOZ really disappointing recently. Not bought anything there for weeks now.
Last bargain at NOZ was chestnut tins, more a Christmas thing, but as they are good for another 2 years !
Oh yes, chestnuts are delicious with so many different things… I’ve nearly always got a tin or packet tucked away somewhere.
Lovely around a roast chicken