La Rentrée est Enfin ... Arrivée

It’s the end of summer and time for the August bank holiday weekend (UK), usually wet and often spent preparing to return to work and school.

In France, we call it ‘la rentrée’, and French media tend to focus on the costs of returning to school, grown-ups on what autumn fashion may look like this year and getting the right shoes (or school shirts) in time.

La Rentrée des Classes

Needless to say, this ‘rentrée 2020’ is going to be different, with the announcement that kids aged 11 and up will wear face masks in class and during break times due to the pandemic.

September is also ‘la rentrée des classes’ for politicians who will be working flat out on Brexit with only a few months to go until the December deadline. We’d like to think a deal will be struck at the 11th hour, more by necessity than by will, but this remains to be seen in what has already been the strangest year for decades.

Winter is Coming

Many of our international clients are planning to come this autumn (Europeans) and winter, when the pandemic situation has hopefully improved.

If the bad weather is keeping you inside or you fancy a read with your coffee, here’s a selection of articles from our Blog that may be useful as fall is upon us.

Better Weather Please

Starting with the number one priority for most buyers, particularly Brits, the climate and what are the best areas to buy, while we share why September is our favourite month of the year. But we know that most won’t be able to travel until winter, some even not before next year, we understand.

A Word on International Schools

For most kids moving to France, there’s no need to consider international schools when the children are at a young age. However, you may want to research higher education and international schools for later on and for teenagers.

French Mortgages & Financing Chateaux

If you need to borrow to finance the purchase of your dream house, we cannot stress enough the importance of researching mortgages. Are you likely to be approved? What is the down payment? The different repayment options?

Failing to do this may result in costly trips, months of frustrating correspondence, and, often, missing out on the property. French banks prefer lending for residential projects, rather than for income properties, and they are not hot on financing chateau projects.

House Hunting

It’s really important to make the most of this time to learn about France, it’s regions, the buying process so that you are ready when you come, and don’t miss out on that perfect house, we hear this all the time.