Last month, the highest number of searches in internet history were made in Britain for the term “move abroad” on Google. Searches rose by 1000% in April, according to data from emigration specialist Reiss Edwards.
More than 400,000 British residents emigrate each year and it looks like this number is only going to increase thanks to inflation and rising costs driving down standards of living in the UK, pushing some Brits to look for an alternative way of life and a more affordable country in which to settle for a better lifestyle.
Britain has been faced with a gradual rise in the cost of living that began with Brexit followed by the pandemic, and which has been amplified enormously in the last couple of months with inflation, supply problems and mortgage interest rate rises. This means that many people who thought they had a decent job and income are suddenly finding themselves struggling to cope with the rising costs and the fast-paced, consumer pressures that come with living in the UK. Combine this with a seemingly endless cycle of bad news and a change of priorities thanks to living through the uncertainties of Covid and and it is not surprising that so many people are starting to think that there must be a better way to live and that it is perhaps time for a new start.
Of course, there are also inflationary pressures in France and prices here are also rising, albeit at a slower rate from a lower baseline but it is not having the same impact on people’s quality of life. The property market in France is more stable and not so affected by the vagaries of the wider economy thanks to less pressure on housing and the fact that most people take out a 15- or 20-year fixed rate mortgage. This means that property is still affordable, mortgage rates low as are property taxes and energy prices are also capped plus things like childcare are much cheaper in France, as is university and schooling. On a day-to-day basis, local produce is good value, home cooking still the norm and the pace of life slower whilst quality of life remains a priority. And of course, in this part of France, the better climate means that it is more practical to walk and cycle rather than drive and to use the countryside as a free leisure park which also makes for a lower cost of living.
Ultimately moving somewhere with lower house prices, lower mortgage rates and a lower cost of living can mean a better quality of life. Equally this comes with a sense of uplift in difficult times and a feeling of opportunity and freedom; that of choosing how we want to live our lives rather than feeling we can never get off the hamster wheel of working simply to pay our ever increasing costs.
If you would like information or advice about moving to France and finding the right property for you, please get in touch: nadia@foothillsoffrance.com
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