Thinking about moving to France, retiring in France, or already living here? France Made Simple is the practical podcast for English speakers navigating life in France.
Host Catharine Higginson has spent more than 20 years living and working in France. Each week she shares honest advice, real experiences and practical guidance on buying property, renovating French homes, visas, healthcare, taxation, bureaucracy, learning the language, culture, and the everyday realities of French life.
Whether you’re planning your move, buying your dream home, starting a business, or simply trying to understand how life really works in France, France Made Simple helps you avoid costly mistakes and make confident decisions.
That gorgeous French house might tick every box. But will you actually enjoy living there?
In this episode of France Made Simple, I’m joined by Ben, who helps people moving to France find long-term rentals. We discuss why renting before buying can give you valuable breathing space, why securing a rental can be surprisingly difficult for newcomers, and how to look beyond the holiday dream to find somewhere that suits your everyday life.
From choosing between rural tranquillity and town convenience to understanding your lease and making a personal connection with potential landlords, we explore what helps a move work. I also share some of my own less-than-brilliant property decisions. Yes, there have been a few!
If you’re planning a move to France, this is a practical, honest conversation about finding your feet before putting down roots.
Ben’s contact details are here :
+44 203 376 5117 (UK)
+33 7 56 28 09 20 (France)
bensmall@ibanista.com
With thanks to our sponsors, Fab French Insurance.
30 Sept 2026
French Home Insurance: The Myths That Could Cost You Thousands
French home insurance is not quite as straightforward as you might expect, especially if you’re coming from the UK or another country with a different insurance system.
In this episode of France Made Simple, Cat is joined by Fabien from Fab French Insurance to debunk some of the biggest myths surrounding French home and contents insurance.
We look at what is legally required depending on whether you’re a tenant, homeowner, second-home owner or landlord, and why French insurance doesn’t work in quite the same way as UK buildings and contents insurance.
We also cover some of the areas that regularly catch people out, including:
• Why buildings-only and contents-only policies aren’t generally how French home insurance works
• What happens if you have a swimming pool, garage, shed or other outbuilding
• Why your valuable possessions in a shed may not be covered simply because you’ve declared the shed
• How the “new for old” principle actually works; and why it doesn’t necessarily mean getting back what you originally paid
• Why photographing your possessions and keeping receipts, valuations and certificates of authenticity can make a huge difference when making a claim
• Chimney sweeping, maintenance and what insurers may expect
• How “catastrophe naturelle” claims work in France
• Why natural-disaster cover is different from ordinary claims
• The surprising issue of underground water pipes and where responsibility for leaks begins and ends
• And perhaps the biggest culture shock of all: accidental damage to your own possessions is generally NOT included in a standard French home insurance policy.
As always, the aim isn’t to scare you into buying more insurance, it’s to understand what you actually have, what you don’t have, and where the potential gaps might be.
Because when it comes to French insurance, as Fabien puts it: you don’t know what you don’t know until you find out you don’t know it!
25 Sept 2026
Moving to France? 5 Mistakes I Made So You Don’t Have To!
Moving to France can be an exciting new chapter but there are a few mistakes that can make the transition considerably harder than it needs to be.
In this episode of France Made Simple, I run through five of the most common mistakes people make when they move to France and, as usual, I’ve made plenty of them myself so you don’t have to!
We look at why you really do need to learn French (and why “I’ll pick it up when I get there” probably isn’t going to work), why you should start thinking about your garden much earlier than you might expect, and why it’s surprisingly easy for a move, renovation and French admin to take over your entire life and even your relationship.
I also talk about the culture shock of moving to France, including the little social rules that can catch newcomers out, from saying bonjour and doing la bise to understanding why French people interrupt, wag their fingers and don’t necessarily mean to be rude.
And finally, we get to one of the biggest lessons of all: patience. French opening hours, August holidays, bank-holiday weekends, builders, paperwork and the general French approach to work-life balance can test even the most laid-back newcomer.
The good news? Most of these things can be anticipated, planned for and, eventually, laughed about.
If you’re planning a move to France or you’ve already made the move and are wondering why nobody warned you about some of this, this episode is for you.
And thank you, as always, to our long-term sponsors Fab French Insurance for supporting France Made Simple.
And as promised - here’s the link to my fabulous hairdresser!
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61580217764838
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
231,327,566
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
4.6 / 5
10 ratings
Spotify
3.1 / 5
32 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 73 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
85
Social presence
0
YouTube
93
Engagement
60
Contact France Made Simple
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Host of France Made Simple?
Claim your podcast to manage its listing and keep your show details accurate.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
