For fifteen years, we lived in France and England. Not a holiday home situation, we had a proper house and garden in both countries, spent five months without a pause in France, seven in England.
Why not six and six? Because the French taxation system for residents( which kicks in at 179 days in a year , or did when we were there) would have been punitive. The various benefits, which are enjoyed by what the British would think of as middle class people, not just unemployed or low paid people, have to be paid for from taxation. We paid our local taxes, but not the residents’ (and we didn’t get any of the benefits, naturally).
I loved it in France, we made a big effort to speak fluent French, we adopted French manners. The highlights were of course food and wine, the space and lack of over crowding but I respected the French pride and love for their patrimony and their nationality. I still find the relentless self hatred of the English bourgeoisie baffling and annoying.
On the other hand, the extraordinary bureaucracy, the gross inefficiency and inflexibility of many institutions and offices, and the creeping control of the EU over many of the French laws and practices, which were resented by most of our neighbours,,were quite difficult to live with. The situation in the banlieues and the quite real danger of extremism against ordinary citizens is seen as a growing problem.
when we felt we had to choose one place, because we were finding the travel and administration too tiring, we chose England. Perhaps it was just because at heart we are British.