Barefoot BloggeR

Inspiring Life & Travel in France

Barefoot BloggeR

Inspiring Life & Travel in France

Search
Close this search box.
moving to France

Moving to France: Please-a-Visa

If my rush to move to France wasn’t self-imposed, I could complain about having so much to do. Instead, I just grin and bear it. Then grin some more.

Over the last two weekends, an estate sale and clothing sale were just the tip of the iceberg. In between, there’s been 1) packing the ten 18″x18″x16″ boxes to ship to Marseilles, 2) contracts to negotiate with the rental agency for the apartment, 3) a bank account in France to open and…4) the paperwork for a long- stay visa. A few lessons were learned from each of the above when moving to France.

moving to FranceMoving to France Step 1

Estate sale
First of all, recruit all the help you can!  My incredible son from Birmingham donated two weeks of his time to help me sort out my treasures to sell ( aka “stuff” and “junk”) while trying to keep up remotely with his job. Also, two of the best friends a gal could ever ask for pitched in to organize, price, and sell everything before and during the sales.

Second, call your sale an “estate” sale, not a “moving” or “house sale”…and certainly not a “garage sale”. It brings in a totally different type of buyer and allows you to sell items at a slightly higher price point. “Perceived” value.

Advertise! It will cost to place ads, but it’s worth it. Estate sales are hard work. Don’t skimp on letting people know about them. Ads on Craig’s List, estatesales.com, bookoo.com, and your local newspaper(s) are good places to start. Well-placed yard signs are important too.

Clothing sales are more lucrative if you sell jewelry, handbags, scarves, and other accessories. Buyers will scoff up $1 and $5 costume jewelry; those sales add up!

Provide a separate place for ladies to try on clothing. Have mirrors everywhere. If women are in the “dressing” room with other ladies, they often encourage the others to buy!

If a potential buyer wants an item but, for some reason, they can’t carry it with them, offer to ship items to them (for a price.) For example, a couple who were visiting from out of town came to my estate sale. They purchased some large ticket items and also wanted a canister set. They couldn’t carry it back home. I missed the sale because I didn’t think fast enough to ask if I could ship it to them.

Allow buyers to return during off-hours. Some of the biggest sales were made the day after the public sales. I was home packing boxes anyway, so when people came by, I let them see what was left. They always bought something, probably because they appreciated the special attention.

Mark items BOGO (buy one get one free) during the last hours of the sale. When traffic slows down, change your outdoor signs to read BOGO. It’ll bring on new customers. After an hour, sales go back to full price.

Accept credit and debit cards. This is probably the most important lesson learned. A friend loaned me a “square” that allowed customers to use credit to buy the items. There’s a charge to use the service, but it’s worth the almost 50% increase in sales.

Provide shopping bags at the door. Customers will fill them up with items they want to buy. It’s much more convenient and efficient for you and the shopper than carrying stuff around or leaving it at checkout.

Moving to France Step 2

Shipping items to France
Sending household and personal items in boxes through a shipping company will save you from hauling extra bags on the airplane. The important thing to remember is whether the stuff in the boxes is worth the shipping fees.

When I get to France and unload the boxes, I’ll let you know if I brought the right things. Right now, I’m prioritizing replacement costs in France. My cost of shipping 10 boxes is estimated at $1000. The contents of each box must save me $100 in replacement costs, or it’s not worth the hassle. Filling a box with personalized stationary, books, and office supplies doesn’t make sense. My plan is to pack coats, my favorite outfits, some kitchen utensils, and the most used cooking pans. I’m also throwing in new linens and towels. The quality is better than I found around Uzes, and the pieces can be used to pack around breakables instead of using paper or bubble wrap.

When the boxes are full, wrap each with packing tape… 3 rows of tape around each side. Then, cover the box with “shrink wrap” plastic. I didn’t know it existed, but you can buy rolls of plastic wide enough to cover a box. It comes in a package like Saran Wrap, which you can purchase at Home Depot or Lowes DIY store. The shipping agent says preparing the boxes as described above improves the security of your shipment by up to 80%.

Moving to France Step 3

French bank account
Opening a bank account in France is a requirement for renting an apartment. The agent and apartment owner would like to have monthly payments set up through a draw on the account. In order to open the account, you must show proof that your IRS taxes are paid in the US. I gave them the cover page from my tax forms. You must also show proof of residence in France. Don’t ask me how crooks get away with foreign bank accounts! Guess they know all the angles.

Moving to France Step 4

Rental contract

Find someone you know who can understand French legal documents. In my case, I lucked out that my son, who was helping with the move, has experience reviewing similar paperwork. He served in the Peace Corps in Cameroon and worked with banks to make loans using some of the same legalize. If that fails, use the Google Translate app. Assuming the French documents you want to translate come to you in a PDF format, you need to install an Adobe application that can convert PDFs to Word (or MAC). Then, copy and paste the content into Google Translate, which you can access online. The translation may not be the best, but it can help you with the highlights. Then, ask your rental agent to go over it with you.

Be especially mindful of the charges from the rental agency. I was surprised with the cost of a “honorarium” that was owed to them by both the owner of the apartment and by me — more than the cost of a month’s rent! When I complained about the cost, the agent stated it is the customary way to work with rental agencies in France. To pacify me, he moved my closing date to reduce the overall price.

Moving to France Step 5

moving to France
Atlanta’s French Consulate

Long stay visa To stay in France longer than 90 days at a time, you must have a “long stay” visa. Look on the Internet for the French consulate that serves your area. The southeast consulate in Atlanta serves South Carolina. You must have an appointment at the consulate to apply in person for the visa. Appointments are made through an online tool. When I first checked, there were no appointments available for the next 3 months! So I called the consulate (which they advised me NOT to do), and I was lucky enough that someone answered the phone. The lady who answered graciously took my name and promised she would call me when there was a cancellation. I got a call for an appointment on August 8.

There are a number of forms on the French consulate website that must be filled in to accompany your application. They are pretty self-explanatory. The one that stumped me was the proof of medical insurance. I had information on all my coverage but not a statement about services outside the US. I told the interviewer I talked with the insurance company and that my supplemental insurer would become the primary provider outside the US. She wanted to see it in writing from the insurance company. Getting the letter about the insurance meant I had to stay another day in Atlanta. Lesson learned: don’t be vague about anything. They want proof. That includes a rental agreement, bank account, and airline ticket to France.

All of this is behind me now. For the next few weeks, I’m focusing on cleaning the house and taking stuff that didn’t sell to charity or consignment shops. Hopefully, I’ll have a few days to enjoy some Low Country activities and visit with friends. Then, I’m heading to Atlanta and Birmingham, Alabama, to visit family before leaving for Paris on September 9.

Moving to France Step 6

Make lemonade
By the way… just so you don’t think all has been smooth sailing… I was in an auto accident on Saturday. A neighbor drove out of her driveway and destroyed the right wheel, fender, and bumper of my car. I spent half the day dealing with insurance companies, and I have no car to use right now. The car’s probably totaled since it’s a late-model Acura. Never mind, now I don’t have to worry about selling it.

When life hands you lemons, make lemonade!

 

Day trip from Uzes to the Cevennes

Stay Updated

Get the latest scoop delivered straight to your email!

Recent Posts

Popular Destinations

French Footsteps

A series of posts dedicated to helping Americans seeking to expat in France

Destination: Abroad

Destination: Abroad When I mention that I call France my home, people always have questions.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More Adventures