Les Terrasses Immobilier

réseau immo CAPS Immobilier / Transaxia

Tag: europe

  • Setting up in France : Finding your 1st apartment

    Okay, so you’ve got your new French bank account and you’ve successfully transferred some of your dollars to euros. Time to celebrate—grab a drink, you deserve it!

    Are you ready to find an apartment? The easiest way to find one in France, a country where the people tend to veer towards the low-tech side of things, is through word of mouth, ads at a bakery, etc.. Seriously, you should try it. Don’t be shy. People in the South are often more than willing to help you. I’d put them up against your run-of-the-mill real estate agency any day. That said, most random people will just point you towards the nearest immobilier agency/realtor but who knows you might just find a landlord within arm’s reach.

    NETWORKING

    Make a connection then you don’t need to worry. This would be an atout if you pull this off. If you are more internet savvy I recommend using PAP.fr as a starting place. PAP (or particulier à particulier) is the English equivalent of for sale by owner, but here in France it is used for rentals as well as sales. You’ll have direct access to hungry landlords who are searching for tenants for their apartments. I believe this is the quickest surest solution to what can be a David & Goliath battle. Plus, it would serve as an auspicious start for your new chapter abroad. 

    Going about it on your own

    While you’re in this pre-search/search mode of your journey – it’s tempting to use this as a way to voyage through listings. Sorry to burst your bubble but you have no idea if these same listings are available to you. The elephant in the room is the infamous French landlord. Before determining viability or vibe-ability, will the owner even consider renting to a non-French person? The answer is likely not the one you want, Why? It’s fairly simple – the laws. I find France like New York in the sense that housing is regulated and most laws are slanted to help tenants.

    Always remember too that you’re competing with the French renters/buyers, and to save you some time, try not be too picky when you start your search. If you can, up your budget a bit, settle for funky over new and sleek, next thing you know, voilà! a first flat with an interested landlord.

    The dossier standard for them includes : a contrat de travail (salaried worker contract, seasonal work, etc.), 3 recent pay stubs, last year’s taxes, and ID. The work contract is an essentiel layer of protection and it’s non-negotiable for lots of landlords. If you don’t have one of these 4 documents, it’s going to be a struggle competing with the field of prospective tenants.

    I’ve learned working in sales at the end of the day everything is a numbers game. Think of the landlords as buyers and you are a stock. They would like the most information possible before investing in you. What speaks to them are the documents they are familiar with. I thought the number in my BoA account would hold more value. I was mistaken. It helped, but with my landlord, he wanted something that said I was here to work, simple as that.

    Feel free to contact me, if you are unsure what to submit, and I’ll look it over with you. I specialize in selling but I’ve also been in your situation and am willing to do what I can.

    I know what you’re thinking – isn’t there a shortcut to finding landlords who rent to expats/immigrants (a sort of green book for foreigners would be useful, huh?)

    It is an idea that is worth pursuing. But for now, if you’re still looking for answers then I’m here to help as I have experienced the struggle of finding a place as a foreigner. It’s one of the reasons I changed careers from commercial to residential real estate – to help others in need.

    Follow my blog to receive more info from an American licensed to sell/rent/manage French real estate. Our business ushers an international clientele to the door to their next Home Sweet Home in the south of France. Also, I’m constantly uncovering properties.

    If you don’t see a listing that interests you, please let me know where you would like to be and I’d love to help you personally or by connecting you with a specialist in the area.

    Warmest regards,

    Chandler Bell

    chandler@lesterrassesimmobilier.fr

    (423) 488-1063

  • How to open a bank account in France in 3 easy steps.

    The 3 steps
    1. Passport/Visa
    2. EDF1 with your name
      • And if you don’t have one you’ll need an Attestation d’Hebergement2.
    3. Choose bank

    Justificatif de domicile in other words is a utility bill. Unlike in the states where it’s possible to use a variety of bills as proof of address, here in France this justificatif de domicile is really asking for your EDF (national energy provider) account with your name on it.

    The French love their paperwork and if you’re in the position to change your mailing address for your US bank to your French adresse do it! It’s definitely not mandatory but will help make your case when you go to submit your paperwork.

    The best way forward however is to have a native-French speaker accompany you on meeting your potential banker. The royal flush that will most definitely secure you an account. Not in the cards? Try striking a balance when communicating that you are serious, assertive yet not pushy.

    EDF provides the justificatif de domicile to customers on-demand and can be accessed easily via their website.

    Attestation d’Hebergement

    But, let’s take a step back and say you aren’t an EDF customer yet. As a non-resident there’s the option of providing an attestation d’hebergement to serve as your justificatif de domicile. This will however involve another person – think of your current landlord or sublandlord that has already provided you accommodation. And if that’s not an option and you’re in Nîmes, contact me! This person will need to draft a letter saying you are staying with them and they will need to give you a copy of their passport/ID and utilities bill (EDF).

    What’s a securité civile assurance?

    Ok, so now you’re on your way to have your account finalized. Don’t be shocked if you are advised by your new banking rep to include their securité civile assurance as it’s illegal to not have one. You can account for ~EUR 50/year. Just so you know, it’s to protect you from the so-called hazards of life. Some classic examples, if your dog bites someone you’re covered for the victim’s medical expenses, or if you’re riding your bike and you hit someone, it’s covered.

    Choosing a Bank – brick and mortar or mobile?

    No matter which you choose in France they will charge you a fee to hold an account with them. It shouldn’t be more than EUR 5/month for debit, for credit ~ EUR 10/month.

    Try the largest banks first – Crédit Agricole, Société Générale, BNP Paribas, Banque Populaire, Caisse d’Epargne, etc. Good Luck! There’s a likelihood the first bank might be reluctant to open one for you depending on your banker, keep at it and you will succeed.

    For mobile banking, I recently helped an American/Indian couple open an account at Bunq. It took about a week to setup and all of the paperwork was done online.

    If you want to discuss in more detail your new chapter in France or banking and real estate needs, feel free to give me a call, or email.

    chandler@lesterrassesimmobilier.fr

    +1 (423) 488 1063

    +33 (0)7 89 05 64 06

    1. EDF – the main provider of electricity in France, another large one is ENGIE. ↩︎
    2. Attestation d’Hebergement – here is a template that I used to write mine. (link) ↩︎

  • Why Americans love Nîmes over Montpellier

    Today, I’m sitting at the Museum of Roman Culture café, which has a perfect view of the world’s most well-preserved arena! There’s no feria1 on the docket for today so I started this week’s blog post. In it, we’ll discuss another battleground: how to choose your ideal landing spot among the many small cities in France, and eventually why I chose Nîmes.

    The obvious choice for someone who doesn’t speak French is to head to the nation’s capital – Paris. Coming from New York, I decided that changing metropolis for metropolis wasn’t why I moved. My main goal was to learn the language quickly and cheaply. And surviving in a lesser known city as a first time immigrant was in hindsight the best way to do it. That brings me to the next point – affordability. Using ChatGPT or a Google search will uncover the top 10 cheapest places to live in France by price per square meter. A large difference between the US and France outside of cost of living is – France has countless small cities that are all unique.

    Seeing other Americans is it good, bad, or both? It depends on you. Nîmes is very French, so you won’t have many run-ins with us. It’s difficult to put my finger on why it has not absorbed its fair share. Speaking from experience I’d take a typical exchange with les nimois over les parisians.

    On the other hand, the diversity is uncanny in Nîmes and in general in cities spread across the south.

    Moroccans, Algerians, and Brazilians to name a few nationalities that I’m meeting constantly in Nîmes, the expat community is ramped. It also consists of family members of foreign legionnaires (1,300 officers and legionnaires based in Nîmes). These families can come from anywhere, but I noticed lots of South Americans from my 4 years here. Next you have retirees from all over Europe and US/Canadians. Finally Ukrainians, Iranians and don’t forget West Africans, islanders from Mauritius, Madagascar, Tahiti, Martinique. The amount of implants made me freak for such a small city ,~ 150,000. Very refreshing as an American from a mid-sized city in the southeast.

    Visit first! Before booking a short-term Airbnb/Booking/VRBO in your dream city.

    My arrival in Nîmes wasn’t my first time visiting. I had vacationed here several years ago and saw its vibrant, touristy charm. Comparably, I was living in Tennessee and I found its size perfect. My hometown had twice the population and didn’t hold a flame to the amount of interesting features like film/music festivals, roman days week, and the previously mentioned Feria.

    The city really left a lasting impression on me and so several years later when I started to search around the region for a base camp while searching for my forever home, it was an easy decision. Even more so as I had experienced NYC (Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Jersey). Where I learned more about myself in 6 years than I had the previous 20+ years on this earth – I prefer to not be on a first name basis with everyone and run into acquaintances everywhere you go. It goes without saying its size was my main concern. Subsequently the cost of living was too affordable to turn down.

    Also, the location made it a no brainer. Near the sea, mountains, and TGV stations make it a two-stop train to Paris Gare de Lyon. My wife loves being near the sea, and what that entails – eating fresh fish and seafood on-demand. Just take a 5-minute stroll to the best wet market in the south of France- Les Halles de Nîmes (photo taken recently picking up some fish with my family visiting from Tennessee).

    You could argue bigger cities like Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse, Bordeau, Nice, etc. had more to offer on the culinary front but for what I saw in the market of Nîmes flabbergasted me and was ultimately what won me over.

    The earth rotates differently today, everything does, but me I stay the same.

    That said, why I chose Nîmes doesn’t have much to do with why I am here 4 years later. That comes with living here and meeting the people, watching it improve year after year yet still maintaining its boutique charm. The value compared to other southern cities remains very unrivaled.

    Why not Montpellier?

    My wife’s parents were still living there at the time of our move. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the region. Nîmes is not far from Montpellier about a 45-minute drive, close enough to visit every once and awhile. The two cities have a colored past time fighting at every turn for relevance in changing times. Today it seems Montpellier, given its population explosion either won, or lost sight of the goal. I’d argue Nîmes was able to maintain its charm while Montpellier wasn’t. Sorry in advance, as you can see I’m starting to have a little biasness come out while writing this.

    Back to it – the main highlight for me wasn’t the life Montpellier had to offer, but its proximity to the sandy beach cities that are not overrun with tourists – Palavas-les-Flots and La Grande Motte to name a few.

    As far as an expat community goes, it’s there but not overflowing if you get what I mean. Since the university takes up a chunk of the population you won’t have any problem finding language exchanges. Which for me was a struggle in Nîmes. I love the climate. Hotter the better. Mild winters that rarely, if ever, see snow.

    People seem fairly open minded. Voting more left. As someone who is married to a Montpellieraine, I might be biased. But there are barriers when meeting new people, like most bigger cities. As it is an area that receives lots of tourism, people come and go, but I think once you’ve established that you’re there and staying, people seem more endearing, warm.

    Some more fun facts about Montpellier.

    The TGV station connects you to bigger cities like Paris, Lyon, and Marseille.

    Microsoft and Ubisoft have offices there.

    No subway, but a tramway that can make life a hell of a lot easier.

    In the beginning I seeked to immerse myself in the culture in every way. I wanted to blend in.  So when I came across Americans I initially tried to keep my distance and focus on my strict diet of being French. Of course I learned that this was short-sighted and seeing other Americans should have been warranted the opposite reaction.

    This makes me think of a story. I saw an American lady at this very café that I’m writing this. She was checking out the arena, holding her phone in one hand and a glass of white wine in the other and speaking English. But the photo she was taking was actually pretty interesting. Here’s a recreation that she inspired me to do.

    The moral of the story is that no matter where you land in France, you’ll find something to spark your interest and hopefully get your creative spirits flowing. Whether you like it or not, there will always be people, like this American lady who venture for what seems like trivial photo ops, and instead of gawking let’s spread positivity and who knows you might find a new cool perspective like I did. Plus, it’s another excuse to have a glass of Picpoul de Pinet, like you didn’t already need one.

    1. Feria – an activity that occurs twice yearly (more if you’re a diehard) where the main boulevards/arteries of Nîmes become pedestrian filled with sangria and their stands, paella and gardianne de taureau (bull meat) (a plate that is similar to a boeuf bourguignon, served with rice). It’s a block party that lasts 4/5 days and nights with live music, bullfights, running with the bulls and lots of dancing to Gypsy Kings.
      ↩︎