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Harriman House
3A Penns Road
Petersfield
Hampshire
GU32 2EW
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Harriman House
3A Penns Road
Petersfield
Hampshire
GU32 2EW
UK

Tel: +44 (0)1730 233874
Fax: +44 (0)1730 233880
specialsales@harriman-house.com

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For full details, including overseas sales and distribution, please see our Trade section.

Press releases

Press Release

Wednesday 19 March 2008

Living in France

Harriman House

Make your French dream a reality

Thousands of Britons move abroad from the UK every year, and many of them choose France as their new home. It may only be a short trip across the Channel, but it's a country full of delights. The food, the culture, the beautiful towns and villages, the wine...

But how do you make that move, and how does it all work once you get there? A new book published this month by Harriman House lends a hand. Patricia Mansfield-Devine has lived in France for over ten years and brings her wealth of personal experience to Living in France; a hands-on, practical guide for Britons who have bought a house in France, either for holiday use or as a permanent new home.

From the practicalities of the move, to considerations such as tax, work, marriage, children and the healthcare system, through to the simple savoir-faire of local life and tips for ensuring a happy relationship with the locals (including the rules on how many times you should kiss your new neighbours on the cheek!) Patricia is your expert guide to all of this and more.

There are thought to be about 500,000 homes belonging to British people in France and about 150,000 Britons live there full-time. When Patricia found herself wanting to relocate abroad, she didn't know where to start: "My book tells the reader what I wish I'd known when I decided to move to France," she says.

Living in France is packed with useful information, plus anecdotes from the author and case studies from other Britons who have already made the move. This book will help you to avoid the pitfalls and enjoy the many wonderful benefits that living in France has to offer.

Patricia's top tips for moving to France

1. Do your research

2. Learn the language

3. Have a good idea about what you'll do for an income

4. Be prepared to change track if your first plan doesn't work out

5. Know the area you're going to move to and - if possible - rent for a year before you buy

6. Don't buy too big a house just because you can; take running costs into account

7. Get to know your neighbours and community

8. Be flexible; understand that the French do things differently from the British

9. Be prepared to be homesick and work through it

10. Arrive solvent; buy your house outright if you can and have six months' savings in the bank

Ends

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Patricia Mansfield-Devine is a professional writer and journalist. She and her husband, writer and photographer Steve Mansfield-Devine, bought a property in France in 1996 and moved there permanently in 1999, where they now live with a menagerie of animals.

When not writing, they can be found restoring their medieval property and trying to create a garden out of a hectare of neglected orchard.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

More details can be found online at: www.harriman-house.com/livinginfrance

For further information on this book or its author, please contact Helen McCusker in the PR department at Harriman House:

Tel: +44 (0)1730 233885
Email: pr@harriman-house.com

Harriman House Ltd, 3A Penns Road, Petersfield, Hampshire, GU32 2EW

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