Clé France

Before we first moved to France we would talk about moving to Paris, but then thought about getting a new job or a move to a city like Bordeaux, if you are going to buy a property in France why not buy one in a wine region?

In France, les vignerons (vintners, or winemakers) sell directly to stores and restaurants in France, as well as for exportation. In The UK and non-major wine production countries, there is a more complicated three-tier system where foreign wine is bought by importers, then distributed, and then sold for retail.

In France, wine is sold not only in wine stores (called les cavistes, which literally means 'cellermen'), but also in grocery stores like Monoprix, Franprix, and Carrefour. In larger grocery stores, there may even be an expert in wine who you can consult about what wines to purchase. However, if you really want specialised advice about wine, your best bet is to go to the caviste.

In Paris, the most well-known chain of wine stores is Nicholas. You’ll see this store in most neighbourhoods. There are also other, individually-owned wine stores that have excellent selections and fair prices.

But, if you are selecting wine on your own, keep the following tips in mind:

1. You won’t find much foreign wine in France, but you will find wine from many French regions you’ve never heard of before. Explore French wine by focusing on a particular region,like Languedoc-Roussillion or Burgundy and then trying different wines from that region to discover which you like the best. When looking at wine labels, keep in mind that 'grand cru' is the highest-quality of vineyard or area in a particular region, followed by 'premier cru' and 'grand vin' is the label each winemaker gives to its best wine.

2. Wine in France is much cheaper than in the UK because it does not go through the three-tier distribution system described above and because it is not as heavily taxed. You can find a decent bottle of wine for under 5 euros and a very good bottle of wine for 10 euros and under. Price does matter, however; if you want to get an enjoyable wine, spring for an 7 or 8 euro bottle of wine rather than one that costs 2 euros or less. Your palate will thank you.

3. If you are in a winemaking region, choose a bottle of wine made in that region. Normally, the wine stores and grocery stores stock more product from their own region and, thus, you will have a larger (and often times better) selection than if you choose wine from a different region.

À votre sante! and drink responsibily!

Blog submitted by: Alex at The French Property Network - Cle France.

This blog was originally posted on The French Language Blog pages. 

For those of you who follow tennis, the French Open (known in French as Roland-Garros), just concluded with a pretty major upset in the men’s final: the Swiss Stan Wawrinka beat out No.1 player Novak Djokovic. In the women’s finals, the amazing Serena Williams won for her 20th Grand Slam singles title.

Roland-Garros is often called one of the hardest tennis tournaments in the world, particularly because of the difficulty of playing on its clay surface.

The tournament is held at the Stade Roland-Garros, which is nestled just south of Paris’ famous Bois de Boulogne. Also located on the 21-acre complex is the Tenniseum, a fun and interactive museum about the history of tennis.

The stadium and the tournament are named after Roland Garros, a French pilot who was killed in battle in 1918. But before becoming known as a combat aviator, Garros was known for being the first to cross the Mediterranean Sea with a monoplane in 1913. The current stadium was opened in 1928 and the French Open has been held there every year since.

Do you want to start following the French Open? Or perhaps your future trip to France will include playing at the famed stadium? Here is some vocabulary you’ll need to get started:

Le tennis — tennis

le jouer de tennis — tennis player

le serveur — the server

le service — the serve

le filet — the net

le court de terre battue — clay court

la raquette — the racket

un juge de ligne — a line judge

le ramasseur des balles — the “ball boy”

la balle  — the ball

l’égalité — tie/deuce

la faute - fault

l’as — ace

And for scoring:

*Love (o) = zéro (“Love” in English, meaning zero points in tennis, actually comes from the French word for “egg,” l’oeuf)

15 = quinze

15 all = quinze-à

30 = trente

30 all = trente-à

40 = quarante

deuce (40 all)= égalité

ad-in = avantage serveur

ad-out = avantage dehors

game, set, and match = jeu, set, et match

Happy playing! Bon jeu!

We like to keep you up to date with little stories and events like this one especially if you are thinking of moveing to France full time.

You will find a wide range of French properties currently available for sale on this website. However, if you do not see anything to your liking, you may be interested in our FREE Property Finder Service.

We hope you enjoy browsing through these pages. Please feel free to contact us to discuss your search, or indeed for any further information you may require.

NO HIDDEN FEES: The price you pay is the same as anyone walking through the door of the agency, same as the price paid by the French buyer.

All quoted prices are INCLUSIVE OF AGENCY FEES (FAI): with Notaire’s fees (around 7/8%) to be added.

OUR AGENTS: are all registered and insured in France, or they are holders of the 'carte professionnelle' as required by French law.

So when you buy through Clé France: you have the benefit of a bi-lingual support team & can be confident that you are paying no more than the standard commission rates you would pay anyway.

CONTACT US: to discuss your search for property in France, or indeed for any further information you may require on French property sales.

Blog submitted by: Alex at The French Property Network - Cle France.

This blog was originally posted on The French Language Blog pages.

Sharon,

Many thanks for the excellent service. I look forward to working with you in finding my long term property requirements.

Regards, Neil Coker.

Neil bought one of our 'bargain' properties to use as a base whilst looking for a house for sale in Mayenne of more substance, a good idea Neil to keep hotel and travel costs down. We will work closely together to find Neil a good selection of houses for sale in France to view and choose the best house from.

All of our French estate agents speak English, some better than others, but you will have no trouble being understood when on a viewing trip with us in France and if you do struggle with the detail we are always a phone call or emil away for full bi-lingual support.

We thought a few goo French phrases to use on the phone may be a good idea to blog about and you may even benefit from these once you have bought your house in France with Cle France the French Property Network.

Many years ago one of my biggest fears when living in France was speaking on the phone. I was worried about getting phone calls at the office where I worked, scared to call my landlord if anything wasn’t working properly, and even petrified of receiving a call from someone who had dialed the wrong number.

For some reason, speaking in a foreign language over the phone just seems so much trickier; the person on the other end of the line can be difficult to hear and you can’t rely on facial expressions or hand gestures to interpret. It feels like speaking in a total vacuum.

I’ll never forget one of the most embarrassing conversations I’ve had: While at work, someone called and asked to speak to my boss. Looking at my phone, I could see that she was already speaking on a different line. I told the caller: “Madame D. est en ligne, mais elle vous rappellera” (Madame D. is on the other line, but she will call you back). But the caller couldn’t understand my English accent. “Quoi?” he responded. “Madame D. est à Nîmes?” No, I tried to explain.

But, no matter how hard I tried to explain, the caller couldn’t understand me and both of us hung up frustrated. The next day, my boss came by my office. “J’ai parlé avec X,” she said. “Pourquoi avez-vous dit que j’étais à Nîmes?” (I spoke with X. Why did you tell say that I was in Nîmes?)

Most people who have spent time abroad and tried to speak a different language have had experiences like this. And, while it seemed like the worst thing that could have happened to me at the time, I now tell the story for levity.

At the time, I wished that I had a standard phrase that I could have used to alleviate the misunderstanding. I could have tried to say, for example, “Madame D. est dans son bureau, mais elle est occupée en ce moment. Elle vous rappellera.” (Madame D. is in her office, but she is busy right now. She will call you back.) But, as I panicked, I couldn’t think of anything else to say but the phrase that had gotten me in trouble in the first place.

Here are some useful phrases to make your experience talking in French on the phone easier. I suggest memorizing them and practicing saying them aloud so that, when the phone rings, you’ll be prepared to speak like a pro.

Je dois passer un coup de fil. I have to call someone.

Je fais le numéro. I’m dialing the number.

Est-ce que je peux parler à Madame/Monsieur X, s’il vous plaît? Could I speak to Madame/Monsieur X, please?

J’essaie de joindre Madame/Monsieur X. I’m trying to reach Madame/Monsieur X.

C’est Elizabeth à l’appareil. Est-ce que Madame/Monsieur X est là, s’il vous plaît? This is Elizabeth. Is Madame/Monsieur X there, please?

Merci, je rappellerai plus tard. Thank you, I’ll call back later.

Est-ce que je pourrais laisser un message? Could I leave a message?

Âllo oui? J’écoute. Hello? I’m listening.

C’est de la part de qui? Who is speaking?

Je vous la/le passe. I’ll put you through to her/him.

Un moment, s’il vous plaît. Ne quittez pas. One moment, please. Don’t hang up.

Voulez-vous laisser un message? Would you like to leave a message?

And, in the case of error, which I dreaded while living in France, you might find the following phrases useful:

Vous avez trompé de numéro. You have the wrong number.

J’ai dû faire un mauvais numéro. I must have dialed the wrong number.

La ligne est mauvaise. The line/connection is bad.

Blog submitted by: Alex at The French Property Network - Cle France.

This blog was originally posted on The French Language Blog pages.

A comparative overview of capital gains tax for non-residents in France and UK

Since reforms taken by the French government in 2012, France has been seen by international property investors as being not tax friendly in comparison with the UK.

In addition to a capital gains tax (CGT) of 19%, non-residents had to pay in addition social charges (15.5%) making the tax bill an overall 34.5% of the net gains. Until recently, non-UK residents did not have to pay CGT on the disposal of their UK property, making the UK a primal choice for international investors.

The above tax overview has since changed.

Fortunately for French property investors, the European Court of Justice has sanctioned the French tax regime entailing a cumulative application of social security legislation of two Member States. The court ruled on the 26th February 2015 that this tax accumulation is contrary to European law, and therefore prohibited between Member States (European Regulation no 1408/71 whose purpose is to ensure the freedom of workers within EU).

Following this court ruling, we are expecting soon the French government to remove the taxation of social charges on non-residents.

Since the 1st January 2015, France has also fixed its CGT rate at 19% for all property owners, whether they are residing in EU or outside EU. Until the 31st December 2014, property owners, residing outside EU, Lichtenstein, Island or Norway had to pay a special CGT rate of 33.33%. This tax reduction only applies for individual owners. The rate remains at 33.33% for companies.

In UK, since 6 April 2015, non-UK resident persons (including individuals, trustees, personal representatives and certain closely-held companies), are subject to CGT on disposals of UK residential property. Non-resident individuals are now subject to CGT at the same rates as UK-resident individuals.

The following CGT rates apply in UK on non-residents:

18% or 28% (depending on the level of incomes) for individuals on gains above the annual exempt amount (the annual exemption for 2015/16 is £11,100)

28% for trustees or for personal representatives of someone who has died who is non-resident

20% for companies

Unlike the UK, France offers tapered reliefs to individual depending on the length of time the property was owned. Individual are exempt from CGT after 22 years. Tapered reliefs start from the 6th year of ownership, as follows:

No allowance for the first 5 years of ownership.

Between 6 and 21 years of ownership: 6% allowance per year.

For the final 22nd year of ownership: 4% allowance.

In conclusion, after the recent EU court ruling sanctioning the taxation of social charges on non-residents and the extension of CGT to non-residents in UK, the French tax regime for non- residents has become more competitive within the overseas property market and therefore attractive for international investors.

The golden rule for property investments will always remain “location, location, location!” but non-residents willing to invest in property in UK or France should take legal and tax advice  after taking consideration of their personal situation, the country of their residence (UK and France have indeed special rules to establish in which country an individual is a tax resident) and existing double taxation treaties.

Francophile legal Consulting can assist you with international property matters. For more information on this topic, please do not hesitate to contact Loic Raboteau, managing director by completing the form below.

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A little more about FRANCOphile Legal Consulting Ltd.

The company was created in response to the need of legal experts for international private clients and businesses. People are no longer confined within their own country boundaries to work, create a business or purchase assets. National, international laws and new technology have enabled people and businesses to move and expand internationally, creating a demand to resolve cross-border issues.

We are a London-based legal consultancy company dedicated to addressing our clients’ international needs. Whether you are a private individual moving or investing in a foreign country, an entrepreneur, or a business willing to expand internationally, FRANCOphile Legal Consulting Ltd will cater your specific requirements and will look after your interests in the short and long term.

Benefiting from an extensive network of international lawyers, solicitors, accountants and financial advisors based in London and in several jurisdictions, FRANCOphile Legal Consulting Ltd is able to handle your interests in different countries around the world.

Our approach and solutions are tailored to our clients’ needs. We believe that our clients are unique and warrant distinctive service.

Our international coverage includes France, London, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt and Mauritius. If you would like to know more about us then fill out the contact form above and we will be right back to you.