Making the final move to up sticks and move on a permanent basis to France is a serious and daunting decision for a lot of people.

There are those who have holidayed over the years in France, whose language skills are pretty good, and who may not have young children and their educational needs to consider-they probably already know that France is where they will settle at the end of their working lives.

But for those wavering, there is a risk free and sensible option to consider:

Any time less than this will not give you enough of a taste of the various seasons, and the differences in pace and activities from the busy spring, summer and early autumn months compared with the winter ones.

This block of time will prove to you if you really can live in France long term. You can then really have time to explore and discover areas that were unknown to you before on short trips, it will allow you to build up some friendships ,take some French classes in situ, and be on hand if a property that suits you perfectly comes on the market.

Property prices have stabilized and fallen a little in the French market, and homes for sale from people returning to the UK are very realistically priced , some offering significant reductions as the sellers will benefit greatly from the exchange rate now.

Life here in France still is much less expensive than a comparable life in the UK, and with proper consideration, and with the support of an agent who will look after your best interests, France is still a wonderful place to live.

There are several properties that we can suggest for long term rental, which are available from the Autumn of 2008.

If you do rent long term, do make sure the property has adequate heating-as the winters can be really cold.