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Topic: change of career

steve mx

11/10/2015 at 9:55am
Location: glos
Outfit: elddis typhoon

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have been a builder now for 30 years and has taken its toll, also just does not excite me atall anymore, i love france and like driving so i wondered about starting a business inviolving both, maybe buying a big sprinter type van and helping people move or import export furniture etc do you think there would be enough call to make a living out of or does this service already exist ?

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Opensauce

11/10/2015 at 10:21am
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Not a great deal of money in owner driver transport & long hours, ie 70+hrs/wk if you want to make a living. Plenty are doing it already, nowadays east Europeans undercutting everybody. I did continental truck driving for many yrs & it's not a holiday, you don't get a second to stop & admire the view.

Not unusual to arrive at Dover or tunnel after a 15hr day, long queue, take 5-6hrs to get across & then still you have it all to do the next day. France in the rain in winter is as grotty as anywhere else, but having said that, I did it because it beat working in a factory or on a building site.

jjgderbyshire

12/10/2015 at 12:24am
Location: Nottingham
Outfit: Lunar Solaris 524

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Steve, I volunteered to help someone out a few years ago and took a van load of furniture to Northern Spain, sharing the driving with the other guy. It was certainly no picnic and I wouldn't do it again. I met a bloke on the ferry going back and he did it for a living, doing removals to France and Spain in his own van. He said it paid, but you have to be competitive with your prices or the punters will just hire a van and do it themselves, like the bloke I helped out. He also said that he frequently got turned over by customs on the way back because of the number of people doing booze and baccy runs. He said he was tempted to get involved in that, but there was a real danger of getting his van impounded. Now I suppose there are more van searches because of the illegals trying any means of getting into the country. I have met Brits in France who have moved there and don't speak any French. If I had building skills, I would be looking at getting work over there for Brits doing up properties. Just a matter of familiarising yourself with the building regs over there and advertising on the various forums to get work. Good luck anyway.

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jjg

mwooly10

12/10/2015 at 12:53am
Location: Manchester
Outfit: Nothing at the moment

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I sort of looked into this, but as said you really do need to be competitive. To give you some idea of prices you should look at "Shipley"

There are so many people driving here there and every where, they just bid to take stuff as it helps with the fuel costs and not for the profit so to speak

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Milky coffee with 2 sugars please..

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Val A

12/10/2015 at 8:10am
Location: West - North Yorkshire
Outfit: Swift Speedbird 490 Mondeo Estate

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Steve - whilst it seems like a great idea, there are (as others have said) loads of people doing it already. On AngloInfo (website for Brits in France) you'll see any number of adverts for people offering everything from a removal service, to part loads in their car/van.

You could probably make a better living doing building work for ex-pats - there is a lack of builders down here in our part of France and getting someone to do work can be a nightmare!

Importing/exporting furniture may be an option. Le Bon Coin has loads of stuff for sale in this area - a wooden dresser that at home would cost several hundred pounds can sell here for as little as 30 euros - or even be given away (we've just been given one!!!) Have a look and see what you think.

Friends of ours in Ripon make a good living buying a van load of furniture and painting it in a 'shabbychic'style. But she is VERY artistic and it has to be done well to sell well.

oxter

12/10/2015 at 8:31am
Location: NE Scotland
Outfit: Bailey Phoenix + CRV

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I know of a Brit owned small caravan site with storage in and outdoors for sale near Saumur.

Has outbuildings suitable for development and loads of land. Plenty potential.

Ask here.

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playing at tinkies

franbee

12/10/2015 at 9:02am
Location: Lancashire
Outfit: Leisuredrive VW T6 campervan

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We were camped next to a Brit at a Cote d'Azur site, he was working as a carpenter fitting out expensive villas for well off ex pats. He did a couple then went back to UK for a break. He said he could have stayed in the villas, but ended up being at their beck and call, so stayed at a campsite. Had a fancy car......

Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!

Opensauce

12/10/2015 at 9:38am
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Plenty of work on the black for Brit builders in France. Same as a bloke with a van moving furniture for cash in hand undercutting those doing the job properly with insurance & so on. All fine until it all goes wrong.

steve mx

12/10/2015 at 2:43pm
Location: glos
Outfit: elddis typhoon

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food for thought sounds like the mini haulage is a no go,er wasnt really thinking of moving to france as still have kids at school and college so maybe in a few years ? dont know a thing about french working laws etc is there a website with any details ? might be a possible change of venue if not career, helped do my fathers house in brittany about 15/20 years ago which was fun but more of a working holiday so no building regs councils wages etc to deal with

lizex

12/10/2015 at 10:44pm
Location: None Entered
Outfit: n+1 tents

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When my cosy office job gets just too dull, one of my favourite pipe dreams is to get a van, take stuff (jam, childrens clothes...) to France and do the little local markets. Then I'd fill the van with French stuff (food of course, mostly) and go round the markets in the UK.

As I don't have an ounce of entrepreneurship, you can have this idea for free :)

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