As the sun sets on another day in the middle of France we think about our future.
The SMS from the Préfecture inviting us to go and collect our cartes de séjour has still not arrived after almost six weeks.
We think it's unlikely that they are not ready, that they have not actually been manufactured yet. Our 2024 cards were ready within two weeks but the message to collect them was sent to the wrong number. We finally collected them after they had been sitting at the Préfecture for eleven months. Our 2025 cards were ready within two weeks and we collected them promptly. We think it's likely that this year's cards are ready but the text has not been sent to the right number, if at all, or the text has gone missing into the ether, as they sometimes do.
An SMS seems a very insecure and unreliable method to use for such an important thing as residence cards, even more so that there is no procedure to follow up uncollected cards. With text messages there is no indication whether a message has been read. So, we have sent an email to the Préfecture asking, very tactfully, in "would your dog like my breakfast" tones, if they are ready and if an SMS could be resent. We are advised that when contacting the Préfecture it's important to imply that any fault is ours, not theirs! Email is the only avenue of contact and you can't get into the Préfecture without showing the SMS on your phone to the security guard on the door. We expect to get some kind of reply in a couple of weeks but are not hopeful that it will be helpful.
Lately, we have been thinking about our future in France. The house we have here would be difficult to manage if there was just one of us, or if one of us needs help and care. We have come to the conclusion that, like many of our friends, we will have to either downsize to something more manageable in our old age, or return to the UK, where we already have a small house perfect for an old couple or, importantly, an old person on their own.
Lately, several of our friends have put their French homes up for sale to return to the UK. Mostly it's the need to be near to family as they get older. For one it's the hassle of managing an old property by themselves as a widow.
For us there is another dimension, a direct result of Brexit, that we do not have the right to live here and have to go through this palaver (and expense) of re-applying for residence cards every year. After we have had five one-year residence cards we should get a ten-year card. That would be in 2028. Which means that by the time we would have to renew that we would be well into our eighties and that could easily be one thing too much to cope with.
The health service in France is excellent, better than in the UK, but living out in the sticks if there was just one of us would be very hard. Not to mention that sooner or later we would almost certainly not be able to drive.
The thought of giving up our place in France and returning full time to the UK has filled me with dread but we would have to do it while we are still physically and mentally capable of doing it. We don't want to find ourselves in the position of being forced to do it at a time when we are unable to cope. So, we have come up with an alternative plan. We are going to sell this house and look for a small holiday home. We would become UK residents again but having a small house in France, somewhere in the same general area, that we could use for holidays or a month or so at a time. Back to where we started. Once we felt unable to make the journey we could sell that, or leave it to family, or just walk away from it.
We love this place, love this house and the life here and don't want to give it up, but have to have a plan for the future while we still have options and can cope with a move. We are conscious that we shouldn’t leave it until it’s too late.
Brexit has made things much more complicated. I won't comment on other countries politics. The time to plan for the future is before you need to make changes. When I bought this place, I was thinking "can I live here the rest of my life" and I can. There is transit nearby, minimal maintenance, even a restaurant that delivers. The building has elevators (lifts.) We are all on one floor.
ReplyDeleteBrexit has benefitted nobody except the already very rich.
DeleteIt sounds like you have planned well for your old age.
You are very wise to contemplate the future and make plans while you are still in control of everything. So many people don't and just hide their heads in the sand about the realities of aging.
ReplyDeleteThe "head in sand" is a common thing. My father was the same, in denial until he had to do something, and improving his life then became very complicated.
DeleteIt is important to be realistic about the future. Health and mobility are both affected by ageing, and the loss of independence when you can no longer manage a car. When we started buying this place 17 years ago, I don't think either of us realised how glad we would be now to be in a bungalow. No stairs! And we have had time to 'future-proof' it whilst we are still [relatively ] fit and able. A permanent home in the UK and a smaller holiday property seems a good option for you two. May you have wisdom, grace [and patience] as you wrestle with these decisions.
ReplyDeleteI think we have made our decision, putting it into practice will take a lot of organising.
DeleteWe're in the process of future-proofing our house here; downstairs accessible shower room, new easy to use kitchen, level access into the garden and the possibility of moving the bedroom downstairs. I have a vague idea of my future health pathway and all this seems sensible. You are right to be looking into the possibilities now; if you could find a lovely place in France near eurostar, and with shops etc close by, that could be a wonderful home for now and holiday home later...
ReplyDeleteWe really want to stay in this area, where we have so many friends and are familiar with everything. Starting afresh in a different part of France would be hard although being nearer to the coast/Eurotunnel would be a godsend. Although....the drive on the French side is the easy bit. It's a long way and tedious but very easy. The aggravation and stress are all on the UK side which is less of a distance but takes much longer and is always much more fraught.
DeleteWe live in a village, 30 minutes from the nearest hospital, with 4 stories to the house. While we have all the shops necessary for everyday life here, it's an hour's drive from my church. I want to move to an apartment/ house in Clermont Ferrand, near church, but Mr FD's friends from his work would then be an hour's drive for him! At 66, we need to consider when - if ever - we move. one thing for sure, we won't be going back to the UK if we can help it! We had 10 year CdSejour from the beginning, because we already had European CdSejour before Brexit.
ReplyDeleteIt's all very tricky but important to do it while you are still fit and able.
DeleteI believe that once you have a ten year CDS renewals are more seamless but I've heard that our Préfecture has the worst reputation for performance.
When did everyone become so practical/sensible? Must be an age thing. Even in our Yorkshire village and others in the locality, so many friends are having the same conversations.
ReplyDeleteI think we can't take it for granted that family or the state will look after us in our old age. In actual fact we don't really have anyone who would do for us what we did, for example, for my dad. It's down to us to plan for it.
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