Moving to Montpellier

Property Maintenance & Management

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Johnson) — Fri, 03 Apr 2020 09:19:00 +0000

Owning a second home / investment property in France should mean you enjoy and relax when you visit and not feel like you have to keep up with maintenance of the house during your time here. Operational and renting issues should be the last thing on your mind.

Having gained our clients' trust over the years, ‘Moving to Montpellier’ can provide a key holding service which will take these worries away. We can check the property as and when you need.

We can organise the day to day running of the rental of your property, ensuring the garden is looking pretty, the house is regularly cleaned and, of course, we can provide a check in and check out service. We also offer a comprehensive concierge service for your guests.

At Moving to Montpellier we can provide a variety of property management services:

Monthly property checks, accompanied by a written or phone report.
Maintain swimming pools and gardens or outsource to a reputable company as and when appropriate.
Regular cleaning services.
Preparing your property for you or your guest’s arrival and also assistanting with your departures.
Efficiently organise any building projects or repairs to be carried out, however big or small.
Ordering and receiving deliveries, postal forwarding service.
Set up and monitor alarm systems.
Changing utility providers, checking meters and verifying utility bills.
Attend property related meetings on your behalf.

Relocation

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Johnson) — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 11:01:00 +0000

Property Search

Moving to a foreign country can pose many challenges for those unfamiliar with their adopted city and it's local culture. This may apply especially to those preoccupied with a new job or project.

It will be vital to find the right place to live that offers all the benefits that you and your family will need for the duration. One thinks of lifestyle, schools, commuting distance perhaps.

Whether you are looking for a family house, a temporary base or city pied-à-terre, Lulu can help you find the perfect property to rent, then guide you through the entire process. Her knowledge of the rental market and the legal obligations associated with tenancy agreements will be invaluable.

She will accompany you on all property visits and be able to advise on local amenities, transport links and schools applicable to the area of interest, whether it be in the city centre, suburb or a village.

Once a property has been chosen she can negotiate rental terms and costs (if applicable) on your behalf. She will explain the conditions of the lease and will accompany you to the signing of the contract and handover.

The assistance you are offered however does not end there. For example, Lulu and Francis can work together to help you find domestic staff, or tradesmen for home maintenance. Or if you wished to sign up to local clubs for recreational activities such as sport, hobbies or culture, they can help with that too.

Their mission is to ensure you and your family acclimatise to your new life in France as quickly and happily as possible.

Helping You With School Searches

As parents ourselves, we understand one of the most important things to consider for you is choosing the the right school for your children.

This can be the key factor in deciding on the location of your new home.

For the children of families moving to Montpellier, it is not unusual that they speak little or no French. Understandably, parents and children are worried about how they will cope on a day to day basis - will they make friends and feel that they’re integrating into daily life? And will they be able to maintain their grades?

Having been through the exact same process, we understand and sympathise with these worries. Lulu can give you first hand information on schooling in the city whether it’s in bi-lingual, French private or state school facilities.

Lulu can also help verify availability within the relevant type of school you prefer and can accompany you to school interviews and assist with the enrolment procedure.

Once a place has been guaranteed for your child/children, we can be there to help you understand the daily French school routine by setting up accounts with the school (perhaps with the canteen or after-school clubs) and help you ensure your children have the correct equipment.

Administration Assistance

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Johnson) — Wed, 01 Apr 2020 15:16:00 +0000

Having assisted people set up their lives in France for the past ten years, Lulu can help you navigate you through the French administrative systems; explain in English how it really works and what is required of you, saving you hours of your precious time.

We can assist you with the following:

Setting up all house utility accounts for your property.
Helping you find the appropriate house and car insurance policies.
Guide and advise with French residency and nationality applications as well as sourcing doctors, healthcare specialists and domestic staff.

We pride ourselves on our methodical and calm approach to helping our clients. No job is too big or too small - if we can’t deal with a problem ourselves, we will point you in the right direction of someone who can help.

When the time comes to leave Montpellier, we can help you tie up any loose ends so that your departure goes as smoothly as your arrival.

If you rent in Montpellier, we can help you with all aspects of your rental, including:

Giving notice to your landlord / rental agency.
Accompany you to the inspection meetings required when you move in and out of the property.
Organise necessary repairs and cleaning / garden maintenance.
Assist with the return of your security deposit.
Offer a postal forwarding service.
Cancel utility accounts and monthly subscriptions (for example gym, pet insurance).

Photo by Helloquence on Unsplash

About Us

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Johnson) — Wed, 01 Apr 2020 12:51:00 +0000

Lulu (English and newly French!)

Born and bred in England, Lulu moved to Australia at the age of 22 to work as a private chef. During her time there she set up and ran a highly successful café in Sydney.
It was here in 2002 that she met Francis, an expat Frenchman working in the catering industry. They decided to move to France and took a combined posting to run a luxury property in Cannes.

During the four years contract they gathered much expertise not only in the management and maintenance of the property but also in catering for the owners whilst in residence.
They eventually decided to settle in Montpellier to raise a family. Lulu rapidly assimilated herself into French life, learning the language and raising their three children as half French, half English. Since 2010 she has established a successful relocation business with Wendy, the founder of “Moving to Montpellier”.
Lulu's prime skill is in administration, combined with the challenge of helping others who wish to live in France. She enjoys sharing her knowledge and experience of the French systems and culture.

Francis (French)

Francis spent some 25 years working in the hospitality and catering industry, first in France then in Australia. His subsequent life, first as a property manager in Cannes, since then the running and management of all kinds of property lets in Montpellier during the various owners' absences, has given him a wealth of practical expertise.

Francis is the man to have around you!
He is a first rate craftsman, an excellent cook, bilingual in English but never above calling out professional contractors, for example for electrical or plumbing work.

Wendy (English and newly French!)

Wendy moved to France in 1998. Her expertise is firmly in the travel industry.
From working in a city centre travel agency in Leicester booking holidays. She then moved to London to work in the City in a travel business travel role then onto West End and into group and conference travel.
Her clients ranged from journalists attending political conferences through to travelling with Disney staff attending film premieres.

She can help you set up and advertise your French home as a holiday rental, ensuring all the regulations are adhered to and sourcing a team to run it for you.

46 Rue Lino Ventura, 34070 Montpellier, France.

Pricing

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Johnson) — Wed, 01 Apr 2020 08:28:00 +0000

We offer a variety of fixed rate packages that cover our services.
We can also work on an hourly rate should you require a more flexible and tailored service.

For more detailed information and an individual quotation, please contact us.

Here is a breakdown of the packages we offer:

Familiarisation with the region ( 1/2 day).
Rental property search.
Temporary property search (1 year rentals).
Accompaniment with Inventory/inspection report meetings.
Utility accounts.
Opening a local bank account.
Schooling / creche placements for your children.
Purchasing a vehicle, car registration Public transport subscriptions.
Carte de Sejour applications /renewal & French nationality applications.
Applying for a Carte Vitale, purchasing top up private healthcare or finding healthcare specialists.

All additional services will be charged @ 40€ an hour, a pro rata amount will be charged for anything that takes less than an hour (20 minutes) minimum.

This listing is not exhaustive, please contact us at Lulu@Moving-to-Montpellier.com for a customised quote.

Photo by Katie Harp on Unsplash

Reviews

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Johnson) — Wed, 01 Apr 2020 07:39:00 +0000

We highly recommend using Lulu @ Moving to Montpellier. She gave invaluable advice to help us settle into French life including; schooling, healthcare and changing number plates of our British car.

She has also managed our investment property and represented us at meetings we’ve been unable to attend from the UK.
Caroline

Meeting Lulu LaPorte and having her help my wife and I find a place in Montpelier was absolutely the most important thing we did as we were moving to France.

Lulu took the time to get to understand what kind of rental we were looking for, and then delivered the dreamiest, most amazing place - for a great price. She went above and beyond each and every step of the way, from helping us secure the place to managing the unit while we lived in it.

As a foreigner who doesn't know the language, moving to France is not an easy task. If you are planning a move to the Montpellier area, I 100% recommend you get in touch with Lulu...we are so glad we did!
Nate

Moving to Montpellier - THANK YOU!
I never could have moved to France without Lulu and Fran! From my first email Lulu responded with a plan and all the information I would never have known I needed but that was absolutely essential to my successful and easy transition. They helped me buy a car, set up banking, utilities, meet friends ... and they became good friends! And when a challenge arose - because they always do when situating in a new life - they were right there to help me resolve it. I am eternally grateful to them, and highly recommend if you are thinking about moving to the region - or have moved and still haven't gotten the kinks worked out - contact them. They are a treasure!
Bonnie

Lulu, is a star. Supported me with the move to France and navigating around French administration and finding a lovely appartement in Montpellier.
Sharifa

Testimonial for Relocation Services
In 2010, Lulu was recommended to help us relocate from Australia to France. It was reassuring having a reliable contact while we were so far from France to begin our search in finding somewhere to live and schools for the children. The search was made more complicated by the fact that both my husband and I were freelance, independent workers without a French employer or salary, but Lulu's practical help, language skills and knowledge of the system and checks in operation in France were invaluable in finding a satisfactory outcome for us. Once established in France, Lulu's help has been vital in obtaining our cartes vitales and cartes de sejour, as well as liaising with essential local organisations such as CAF, URSSAF and tax authorities. I cannot recommend Lulu highly enough in taking the stress away if moving to Montpellier. She is highly efficient and her fees are very reasonable.
Paula

Testimonial for Consultancy Services for Nationality Dossiers
As long-term French residents of British origin, my family and I were very keen to acquire French (joint) nationality following the UK's Brexit decision. The naturalisation process, however, is a daunting one and fulfilling the demands of the French authorities and compiling an effective naturalisation dossier is a huge challenge. I can honestly say that I wouldn't have done it without Lulu: the complications would have dissuaded me. But Lulu's calm application, tenacity, and knowledge of what the authorities require helped keep me going throughout the process, and we have now submitted our dossier and are waiting for a response. (I showed our dossier to a lawyer before sending it off and she was complimentary about its quality.)
Andrew

What a world of difference Lulu and Francis have made to my long stay in Montpellier. As someone with a major illness, my needs go beyond the usual relocation challenges. Lulu and Francis have not only helped me locate such things as housing and shopping resources, but also with finding healthcare and helping me move my flotilla of luggage around. Their knowledge of Montpellier and relocations needs, combined with their quick response time, has saved me so much work and stress. Several years ago when I began living part-time in Paris, I faced all of these challenges alone. How I wish that I could have had such capable assistance there. I consider hiring Moving to Montpellier to be money well spent.

"We have been incredibly impressed by Moving to Montpellier and Montpellier holiday home services since we started using their services since 2010 to let out our apartment. The team are consistently professional, friendly and helpful. Frankly, I am not sure what we would have done without them."
Bernie and Charlie

"I'm a French expat in England and I couldn't do without Francis, Lulu & Wendy help. They looked after my flat in Montpellier from A to Z, including marketing for rental, dealing with the tenants and all the issues related to renting a furnished flat on short / medium periods. Leaving me with complete peace of mind. »
Benoit

Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash