When I moved to France four years ago I spoke no French, knew little about the country and had no guarantee of an income. Looking back on it, I must have been deranged. Any number of things could have gone horribly wrong. Would I do it differently if I did it again? You bet. Here are 10 top tips for a successful move:

1. Accessibility

Unless you are cutting all ties, think about how you are going to get back to Britain easily and quickly, as well as how your tenants are going to get to your house if you’re thinking of letting it. Beware of buying close to a small airport where only one discount airline operates. What if it goes bust? Try to find somewhere with several options. The ideal is a mixture of a small airport, the TGV and an international airport not more than an hour’s drive away.

2. Visit the mairie

Before you buy, go to the local mayor’s office and ask about the property and surrounding area. You do not want to arrive three months later to find a wind farm in your garden. There will be plans of the house and countryside that will show if the land has planning permission for buildings; the office will also be aware of any big projects in the pipeline. It is not, however, under any legal obligation to tell you, so you may want to ask around as well. In the countryside, wind farms and rubbish dumps are the main worries, along with large roads and airports.

3. Paperwork

Photocopy every bit of official-looking paper you have at least 10 times. Get copies of a double-size birth certificate that lists your parents and their occupations (I am not joking). Get marriage certificates, national health cards and birth certificates for you and your children translated by an officially approved translator (you can get a list from the French consulate). In my struggle to get onto the French system, shoving bits of stamped and official-looking paper under people ‘s noses worked better than anything else.

4. Education

Decide before you move whether you want your children to go into the French or the international system. The French system is very academic and can be extremely tough for children who do not speak the language. Teachers tell me it takes about three terms for a child of about eight with no French to acclimatise. The upside is that the educational levels are high, discipline is generally excellent and it is free.

If you are going for the state system, check out the school in your area before you decide to buy. According to a French teacher friend of mine, you should avoid those in the ZEPs (zone d’éducation prioritaire). They are usually in suburbs and have a lot of problem children. The French private sector is also an option. French private schools are state-subsidised and tend to be religious. There are also about 30 international schools in France, some of which offer an English curriculum. These are expensive — usually about £7,000 in fees and £4,000 on top of that if you want your children to board or live with host families.

5. Location

By this I don’t just mean where in France, I mean the position of the house. If you love the evening sun and go to sleep imagining you and your friends enjoying a glass of wine on the terrace bathed in balmy evening sunlight, then make sure the terrace gets the evening sun. Does the pool (or proposed pool) get the sun all day long?

6. What will you do?

Do not assume that because you have a successful career back home, you will be able to replicate it in France. In most instances your British qualifications will not be valid, even if you speak fluent French and have a job, such as teaching, that is transferable. If you want to set up a business, you have French bureaucracy to deal with. Remember that growth will be limited due to the punishing social charges here.

If you employ anybody you will pay half their salary again in social-security contributions and tax. If you have come out to semi-retire and live off the income of a gîte then you need to be sure you have a good business plan. If as a couple you were both used to working full-time, you might find it a shock seeing so much of each other. “I am so fed up with him hanging around the house, I am trying to encourage him to build a garden shed,” writes a reader who has moved to Limousin with her husband, a former London cabbie.

7. Culture and lifestyle

If you are moving from Islington to deepest Mayenne, be realistic. How will you cope with having to drive 40 minutes to the supermarket? Eating out will also be followed by a long drive home. Are you happy to watch George Clooney in French? In the provinces they dub everything. Maybe you should consider living close to a reasonably cosmopolitan city? People dream of living in splendid isolation, but don’t realise how lonely it can be.

8. Legal advice

When we bought our house here we used the same lawyer as the vendors. This is common practice but is not very sensible. If you have a problem with the purchase you will need independent legal advice. You should also beware of agents offering legal advice packages — they are costly and I have had countless letters of complaint about them.

“There are reported cases of lawyers deliberately ignoring or failing to investigate matters which could adversely affect the best interests of the buyer,” says Stephen Smith of Stephen Smith (France). “Hence the need to instruct independent bilingual lawyers who do not rely on estate agents for their living.”

9. Integration

Learning French is an obvious tip. But it is amazing how many people don’t bother. There is an increased animosity towards Brits who just point and shout, so get your phrase books out and make an effort.

10. Tax

There is nothing quite as complicated as the French tax system, so you need to find out what applies for your specific circumstances. There are several tax specialists and lawyers that can help you, such as Russell-Cooke, Blevins Franks and Stephen Smith (France).

For example, if you buy a house in France and then sell it, you may be liable for UK capital-gains tax if the Inland Revenue deems that you spend enough time in this country to be classed as a UK resident.

Stephen Smith, 01473 437 186, www.stephensmithfranceltd.com; Russell-Cooke, 020 8789 9111, www.russell-cooke.co.uk; Blevins Franks, 020 7336 1000, www.blevinsfranks.com; More France Please, We’re British by Helena Frith Powell, Gibson Square, £9.99