Moving to South France - Advice Needed.

[Togalosh]

Living in France is great quality of life. Lucky you. Have fun.
South of France is a long coastline - if you are near major expat areas, you may well get a lot of work if you want it.
If you don't speak French start learning right now - makes life a lot easier.
Toolshops are rare, Axi type place even rarer.
If I was shifting a lot of workshop gear I would hire a tail lift and pump truck and do it myself. Quick, easy, cheap, low risk of damage.
Key tools that I depend on - I would get a back up (not necessarily same quality).
Some timber supplies are ever so cheap if you can buy in quantity.
Insurance can be a minefield. Get local help with that.

At the risk of sounding old, my digestive system really approves of the French way of life, on holiday at least. As for fun.. well, not much happens in Valreas, so I am hoping the quiet life will do me good. I will really miss seeing live bands up the road here. I am not aware of any expat communes other than Bordeaux on the west coast. My work is cut out for me on the farm but I may need a top up of income or just to keep some independence so I'll look about.

My French is poor but improving greatly as no one speaks English there other than my partner. I am enjoying learning the lingo except for their ridiculous numbers over 60. Hopefully when I fully understand my in-laws we'll still get on as well as we do now.

The trouble with a luton van (apart from costs) is that it will need to be returned.. 850 miles, but I'd much prefer doing it myself for the reasons you mention.

 

[sunnybob]

As Sunnybob said, Axi deliver to France as does Screwfix – free delivery in 2-3 days if the order is over 70€.

I was impressed by Leroy Merlin until I saw their selection of woodwork tools & machines. I think a shopping spree is called for.. & rightly justified too.

I can only speak for the Cyprus leroy merlin, but they stock de walt, bosch, makita and worx, as well as their own "dexter" and erbaur cheap end stuff

 

[Jonathan S]

Another +1 for buying tools from uk.
I'm in southern Spain and most of my hand /power tools I buy from Axi, there prices are way better than in Europe and the Axi service is excelent, my fein saw stopped working, a phone call to Axi and it was collected the next day shipped back to uk for repair and returned to me at there cost......
As for the likes of Festool last time I checked it was cheaper in uk than Germany and one uk company told me they where doing good trade selling festool to Germans.

Regards shipping house contents there is many companies doing the uk-france-spain run, if you are find one that had a depot close by you in the uk that normally cuts costs.
Another way is buy a big van and you do the move, then sell the van on the local Facebook selling site to someone that is moving back to uk.




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[alexalexander]

I've lived in France now for a few years and I can echo what people have already said. There aren't any Axi type stores, nor the more specialist type of stores such as Toolpost. I've bought and had shipped over a lathe and regularly buy and get posted/couriered tools and workshop equipment from UK suppliers - usually just a couple of days for delivery. Never had any problems with order/delivery and the prices are often much better in the UK.

There are a couple of EU tool suppliers - Dictum and Fine tools, neither based in France - but their prices are typically more than the UK and the shipping cost is often more expensive also.

 

[user22161]

Bear in mind that cost situation may change drastically when/if we Brexit. Goods purchased in the UK for personal transportation, as opposed to being exported by the supplier, will be VAT paid. Then, unless we remain in the customs union, on entry to the EU they will be an import and VAT due again, unless the UK VAT has been repaid after personally presenting them to customs and filling the forms in when you leave.

There may be different regulations for people immigrating to EU and taking used possessions with them so worth checking up.

 

[Inspector]

So, you purchased your own container ?.. I hadn't considered that as I thought they'd be really expensive. The quote I have is for a container but they pack it while still on the truck & unpack it again. I'd much prefer your way.

No I rented a pair, which turned out to be worse. Buying one here can run from a grand for a beater to four or five grand for a good one used once. A converted one with side door and window or roll up side door eight grand or so. Renting and storage for a year and a half before the house was ready cost almost eleven grand and had nothing after. To clarify I’m talking about Canadian dollars. Had I bought a couple they would have been useful for seasonal storage along with wood.

Pete