Expatriate, Practical tips
A new job in another country, a lease in Paris. How long are you still going to pay rent? And when will you see your deposit again? Two questions, and two deadlines that people often mix up. Here is how it works for a main-residence lease under the 1989 law. Your...
Expatriate, Practical tips
The listing says “furnished”. The light is lovely, the sofa looks nice, the balcony is charming. You visit, you sign. Did you look for the oven? And the curtains in the bedroom? Good news: in France, “furnished” is not just a marketing word....
Expatriate, Practical tips
You are abroad. A neighbour or the syndic calls: there is water coming through the ceiling of the flat below yours. Nobody is in your flat. You cannot go and look, and everything is written in French. This is the situation I handle for owners who live abroad, and the...
Expatriate, Practical tips
Some searches teach you more than others. A client asked me to help find a studio to rent in Paris for her mother. On paper, the mission looked simple: a very precise geographic area, but a matching budget and no crazy requirements. In practice, it was a rather...
Expatriate, Practical tips
You have signed your lease, you get the keys, and you arrive in a flat with no electricity. It is easy to avoid. Setting up your energy contract is one of the first practical tasks of a move to Paris, and it is faster than most newcomers expect. Here is how it works,...
Expatriate, Practical tips
Many newcomers to Paris assume they will rent a furnished flat, because it is simple. Others prefer or need an unfurnished one: a longer stay, a family, more space for the same budget, or the wish to settle for good. In French this is a location vide, an...
