your car's manufacturer. Then
change your headlights and
pass the Contrôle Technique
- the French version of the
MOT. After this, ask for the tax
certificate, or Quitas Fiscal, from
your local Centre des Impôts.
You can then apply for your
French log book - the Carte
Grise - from your local Prefecture or
Sous-Prefecture. Take all
your paperwork with you, plus
your French chequebook. They
will give you an exportation
slip, which you must send to
the DVLA immediately.
Your new Carte Grise will arrive
by registered post within a
fortnight. You can then change
your English car registration
plates to French ones.
YOUR INCOME
If you are on a fixed income or
pension from the UK, remember
that conversion rates fluctuate.
It is useful to establish a relationship with a good
currency
exchange company. Don't make
the mistake of calculating your
income when the euro is high.
A FINAL WORD
Regulations may differ by
département, so it's always
worth seeking expert advice,
especially for financial questions. If you
need a helping
hand to find that expert, just
ask us.
Buying a house here was always a dream.
When Denise Vincent, the Leggett agent
for the area, brought us here, we knew we
had found 'the one'. We still have business
interests in the UK so we can only be here
for 4-5 months of the year but hopefully it
won't be too long before we're here full time.
We did a lot of research and explored many
regions before deciding to move to this area.
France is a huge country and the climate and
culture vary greatly. It's lovely to settle into
a new community. We've spent some fun
evenings at the local Salle des Fêtes, and even
joined the village petanque team! The fresh
food at the local markets is wonderful and we
entertain a lot. We also bring spices from the
UK so we can cook Indian and Asian food for
our neighbours. We adore strolling around
brocantes and picking up furniture to restore.
Decorating, gardening, painting - we've never
had time for these before. The climate is a big
attraction too - we split our time between
Charras and Cardiff and there's a noticeable
difference. We've sunbathed in March and
November, yet it never seems to get overly
dry or stifling hot. And the shorter winters suit
us better.
Christopher and
Jane David bought
their house in the
village of Charras,
Charente, three
years ago
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LEGGETT IMMOBILIER - LOCAL KNOWLEDGE YOU CAN TRUST