Pool Girl

There is also an IKEA in Tours now too......unfortunately for us it's about the same distance to Tours and Bordeaux...neither are close!

Well I got answers via email, the phone line I was given to ring in Le Havre seemed to be on answerphone permananetly.  I think the "restrictions" are only on full sailings, so as long as we book before the boat is full we can use them on peak dates.  So for us definitely using 6-8 tickets at peak times this year, it more than pays for itself, but the extras for extra passengers do stack up.  Living in the west country, hauling over to Dover and back down to Charente Maritime is a pain, it seems relatively easy via Portsmouth with a good karrimat and sleeping bag...... and the diesal saved pays the increased cost over the tunnel/Sea France.  The great thing is that spare tickets can be passed onto friends and family, when I looked at the tunnel scheme, whoever buys the tickets has to travel, not good for us as there may be times I go without DH!! Unfortunately, it looks like another trip this year will have to be squeezed in

Thanks for that, I wil hold off to early in the week at leastAre there any restrictions/supplements applicable for peak crossings (like SF and the tunnel)? A lot of our crossings are peak as we're tied to schol holidays.  we have already done 1 retrn trip for £70 this year, but the next one is £240 return. Is it a strict end of Dec use year, we would need the 10th one on 3rd Jan!!? I emailed last night, will have to wait patiently for a reply on Monday I suppose!

I have seen the frequent traveler scheme on LD lines website and just sent an email enquiring about that), but there is also refernce to a bulk ticket sceme, but no details at all.  (Not totally true, there is reference to it in a blog but no prices/T&Cs etc) Does anyone know anything more as I need to book at least two return trips very soon!  I don't want to risk prices going up!

We're at exactly the same point, the CdeV has been sent by recorded delivery and we would have sent it back except we have decided on a very quick visit to triple check we can cope/afford the work that needs doing, so DH will hand the CdV to the agent tomorrow (as long as the house is as we last saw it with no leaky roof etc!), I've stayed at home and have done my initialing and signing as indicated.  The trip will cost £200 but worth it as we have only seen the house for an hour on a two day trip where we viewed 10! We had been wondering about the timing of the deposit, so thanks for that information!

[:P] perhaps I should have put shutters lower down the list..... I am even prepared to look at varnished, red or even green shutters, the blue ones are "icing on the cake".   We have looked at houses without shutters too! I know I am asking a lot, but if you don't ask you might not find!! Thanks for the suggestions so far, either not right or too expensive fior us......but thanks all the same. I will leave the character assesments of those from different depts to themselves, not qualified to judge!  As for mole hills, prefer not to have them but no moles is no guarentees in life...a bit like like asking for a country house with no mice!!

We have just lost what we thought was ideal (inc blue shutters!!), and so are looking again for: - 2-3 cottages/gites (not apartments) with inground pool or space for one. One needs to be 3 or 4 bed the others can be smaller - Renovated (although one unenovated barn for a games room would be good) Some decorating only may consider!! - Not too much land. - Not too diffiult to maintain as we would be non resident (electrics, boilers, fosses and roof in good cndition/up to required standards) - Kerb appeal (very important), view if possible. - Within 5 hours of Caen, preferably Poitou Charentes/Vendee -- Within 1 hour of decent beach (that's an ideal, we will consider further inland as long as attractive for holdays.) - Within 1 hour preferably from 2 low cost airports. - Maximum E300 000 including all notaires and any agency fees if applicable, private sale would be better! - we can complete to suit vendors, within reason! Of course wish lists can go on and on so I'll shut up now...... I have been helped by this forum a lot, but now the search is for real I feel justified in joining in!! Please email only if you have a specific property that is close to our wish list! Thanks

Yes, that list is pretty much our list!!  We also want to be within a day's drive of channel port as realistically we will drive most of the time with three children of sec school age.  Airports within an hour for flying maintenace visits and for lower season guests/grandparents etc VIEW, VIEW, VIEW!!!  Not a large garden, but one big enough for a secluded pool (which must be at least 10x5m, not a diddy one!!)  and a great view that we don't have to take care of!! 3-5 bedrooms, or a 5 bed house that is easily split in two so we can rent one half out and stuill go in peak season ourselves, or use the whole house together.  Now that's just in an ideal world. Walking/cycling distance of a boulangerie and preferably good value family friendly french restaurants. "Kerb Appeal" in a photo so that we can rent it out and sell on if we ever have to/want to!!   Oh, and the small quaestion of price, E150-250 000!!  

Thanks for that, we are still at the "looking for a gite/s" stage, and I thought there were more stringent rules for 3+ gites than one or two.....must have been reading too much!

...or when is 3 gites three gites?  If a complex was an owners house and 2 gites (but the owner is only there for holidays) does that mean the more stringent rules apply?  What if the owners house was let out sometimes? (ie all three houses let simultaneously.)  If two gites are let and the owners are there, can they use the pool?  would the less stringent rules apply if only ever two of the three gites were let at any one time. Any clarification would be greatfully received!

I had a feeling that cost would be the major major hurdle!!  I'm also guilty in the fact that we're looking at houses, and don't actually own the pool in question. I saw the bungee tied to a tree tip, love it!! Thank you both for all the advice, esp the basic lowdown on "cost to run a small pool" and a very comprehensive "tip list" from pool guy.  I only picked pool girl as my sign on as I wanted to ask a Q re pools

Is it feasible to extend an existing pool, by which I mean cost effective over starting agin. I suspect I know the answer to this by intuition!! Pool in question is 7.5 x 3.5 m oval, it would be nice to go to 11-15 m purely for length swimming purposes, the surrounding area is flat. Alternatively, can the endless swimming devices be fitted retrospectively?  How much do they cost? Thanks for your help!