More for your money overseas

Work is cited by about half as the ground for their move, but good weather and a apparently better quality of life are also considerations for Brits devising the determination to retire abroad. But is it truly better, or just different?

The reply to that on an emotional level would vary from individual to individual, but financially at least, if you go to French Republic, the reply is more clear cut.

The euro has surely strengthened against the pound - it was worth about €1.26 as I wrote this - and this has put some people off moving abroad, to retire or work. But even although the cost of life may now be somewhat higher as a consequence, the financial benefits still mean you should consider it as an option.

For Commonwealth of Australia, Spain and French Republic, you are look at film editing your family expenditure by about two thirds compared to the UK - no, that is not a error - and if you are retired and on a fixed income, your money would go a lot further.

In French Republic, for illustration, if you wanted to retire there, you can still buy a home which would cost you, on norm, half the price of an equivalent in the UK.

You can also get entree to the health care system (if you are of functionary retirement age) and, reverse to popular belief, most people would face lower taxes in French Republic than they do in the UK.

Don't take my word for it. Specializer expat advisor Siddalls has done the figure crunching, and its advisers know a thing or two about finances overseas.

Utility bills and local government taxes for a couple living in a village 50kms south east of Toulouse will come to €147.92 per month, or €1,775.04 per annum. The equivalent household in the UK would pay £379.87, which is €474.84 per month or €5,698.08 per annum.

Here is what you are paying for in France: taxe d'habitation is €25.66 per month, which includes the TV licence, water costs are €16.26, electricity in a house which has no gas is €71 per month, taxe foncière is €31 per month, and €4 a month is all it costs you to have your bins collected every week.

Compare that to a similar house in a similar location in the UK: the community charge would be £221 per month, water is £7.50 a month, having your waste water taken away adds another £18.75, electricity would be £121 a month, and your TV licence works out at £11.62 a month. The overall difference on home charges alone, in euros, is €326.92 per month, which is €3,923.04 over a year.

Of course, you should ensure that you understand what you are doing before such a monumental decision.

You never know what the situation will be in a couple of years. But, as it stands, there is more for your money overseas.

So, in the words of the famous headline, would the last person to leave Britain please turn out the lights?