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clueless!

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Everything posted by clueless!

  1. A leaflet has fallen out of today's Times offering reduced fares on Brittany Ferries from Portsmouth and Poole, including peak dates! 29/05-04/07 £70 up to 5 days, £115 over 5 days; 05/07-26/08 £89 and £145 respectively - car and two adults. Conditions apply and subject to to availability of course... brittanyferries.com/summerfares for anyone who is interested
  2. Thanks to all for your replies - I might try ringing the bank first ('cos it's CA Britline) to ask if we can endorse the cheque on the back as used to be possible in the UK - if not, I'll go back down the notaire route, albeit probably more ponderous!
  3. Current rules in UK mean that a cheque made out in joint names cannot be paid into the account of one or other of the parties (or so I understand). We have received a rebate (yippee!) from the notaire on the purchase of our house in France (which is in joint names) but the French bank account is in my name only. Is there any way round paying this in to the existing French account (i.e. does the same rule apply Europe-wide)? Otherwise, looks as if it will have to be paid in to our UK account with consequent fee for the privilege! Only other possibility seems to be to change the French account to joint names by providing all the necessary dreary paperwork.
  4. Thanks roseysan for the info on Afford - too far away unfortunately but the price guideline is very helpful.
  5. After some follow-up research on your earlier post, Will, mentioning your first yellow van, you may be amused to know that I've found a company with various branches (two in Portsmouth) that quotes £121 from Wednesday evening to first thing Sunday morning for a Luton-type van - so far so good - price sounds excellent. Their name? Yellohire!! Um...
  6. Sorry - that should have been 'Finding/Owning French Property', and the subject is 'Move it or buy a new lot', with 42 posts.
  7. Thanks again Will - we used to live very near Ewhurst and are only about 45 minutes further away now so that could prove very useful. This thread links well to a current item on the 'Buying a property' forum about buying new or taking things over from the UK. Naturally, opinions differ...!
  8. Thanks Will - as usual, very sound advice! I'd be grateful to know which the companies are that will hire a van with no objection about it going to France and back, as they'd almost certainly not be too far from us. I may yet be scouring the 'For Sale' section in the West Sussex Gazette too... I'm sure the van and driver set-up is good for those making a full move but I'm not sure it's economic for small fry!
  9. Did some follow-up on my last post: thought the results might be useful to others. I asked One-Way-Hire for a quote from a short way out of Portsmouth to an hour's journey into Normandy, for the smallest group size van (prices from £165-185 as the starting point). Total cost would be approx £800 to include ferry and petrol. Quote arrived efficiently within a few hours of request. As I don't have too much stuff I shall probably take it over gradually myself but the info may help others with their calculations.
  10. This may seem a daft question but I've just checked out the One-Way-Hire site, which looks very interesting. However, there is no indication of quite what their price includes. Obviously the 'from' price differs depending on where you are going but does anyone know whether they then factor in the ferry costs for a final quote, or does the hirer have to arrange this on top of the van hire? If anyone knows, that would be great; if not I'll contact them and ask my daft question direct!
  11. J.R. - you're a star! Thanks a bunch for taking the time to post all that useful info - I shall look in some trepidation when I go over to France in a couple of weeks but maybe my mind will be put at rest right away, which would be great. So glad to hear you passed your consuel inspection - well done - I bet you're feeling pretty pleased with yourself today. I'd love to have seen the inspector's face when you showed him the electrics in your temporary accommodation - I bet he was relieved when he moved on to the flat!! I'll post again when I return from France and hope to confirm a happy ending to this tale. Meanwhile, I'm sure the info you've given me will help other forum members too.
  12. Thanks, J.R., for your very useful posts. I guess my worries arise from the fact that the previous owner had assured both me and the estate agent that he would bring proof of conformity to the signing of the acte authentique, and he then arrived without it. Admittedly he appears to have left it all till the last minute but whether this was by accident or on purpose I shall never know! Hence he aroused my suspicions. If you could, as you offered, post a few obvious things to check to see if the electrician may have done things contrary to regulations to save money, that would be great. The info you asked for is as follows: the house was rewired this year, the habitable surface area is between 35 and 100 square metres, and currently there is no electric heating. Many thanks to you and the others who have taken the time to post replies to my query - it's great to know there are folks out there who are willing to help.
  13. Thanks, Val, for the reassurance that the inspector won't rip the place apart! The answer to Nick's question is that, as I understand it, because the place was rewired by a Brit rather than a French artisan, I need to be sure that the work complies as I don't have any certification at all, and I gather that if I can't produce some proof that it is up to standard my house insurance will be invalidated if there is ever any need to make a clairm - which I hope won't occur, obviously! Maybe it would be enough for an electrician to test the system - but presumably I still wouldn't receive any paperwork for future reference (hence my point about the house insurance)?
  14. J.R. - or whoever else - have had a quick check on the Internet to investigate equipotential bonding ... so how's the Inspector going to check on this without ripping out the newly plasterboarded and plastered walls? I hope I'm missing something here!!
  15. Thanks, J.R., that's tremendously helpful. My main concern is of course safety but I also want to know that the house insurance would not be invalidated in case of any claim (heaven forbid!). I don't know either, Poppy, what equipotential bonding is - but I have a feeling I'm about to find out!!
  16. Electrics on the house I have just acquired were replaced by the Brit builder who did house renovations. Surveyor I employed confirmed that what he could see appeared OK but unfortunately confirmation of conformity was not forthcoming (as had been promised) at the signing of the acte authentique. Has anyone out there had electrics checked out by EDF or an electrician on a house they have already bought and if so, can I ask for the system to be tested and a certificate supplied (for a fee, doubtless)? Any helpful info would be very gratefully received!
  17. Thanks for that - I'll try asking the estate agent if a power of attorney could be arranged, as this would be speediest I think.
  18. Can anyone help? Have had a call from the agent immobilier to say ourActe de Vente is ready for signature. I was told originally that only one of us need attend for the final signing next week (logistics and a health problem make it extremely difficult for my husband to accompany me at present) but the notaire is insisting we are both there. Is this correct or is there any way round it? Would be grateful for any info.
  19. Will - Just to set the record straight and to appease LF and its partners, I found my house through a property agent's ad in LF - phew, that should redress the balance! In fact, I went to see one house and bought another that had landed on the agent's desk only the day before ('twas ever thus ...). Now champing at the bit while the notaire dots the 'i's and crosses the 't's but hope only to have another two weeks to go.
  20. One small point to raise on this subject: did anyone else, like me, wonder for a moment why the Telegraph had chosen to publish this article at the end of the summer, when buyers' interest might have begun to wane for a while? The answer seems pretty clear - in the right-hand column on the same page it proffers, for those interested in a longer term investment in French property, details of the upcoming French Property Exhibition, for which guess who - the Telegraph - is one of the sponsors! As I'm hoping to sign the Acte de Vente for my tiny stone cottage in the Suisse Normande in a couple of weeks' time, after a long property search, I allowed myself a wry smile...
  21. Hi Will Thanks a bunch - I've just printed off the info from the web link you posted and will digest it along with supper this evening but even on a cursory look it's really helpful! You possibly won't be surprised to hear that the conflicting advice came from two different - and current - housebuying in France publications... I do check whether agency details say FAI - as you say, most do include their fees - haven't so far gone down the notaire route but have noted your comments about extras to pay in such a case.
  22. Quick query, probably often asked before but the search facility won't play ball at present. I've read two differing pieces of advice regarding housebuying costs: one says the notaire's fees include all fees and taxes; the other says allow for notaire's fees plus stamp duty, plus Land Registry fees. Can anyone enlighten me as to which is correct, please? If the latter, are stamp duty and LR fees on a sliding scale, or...?
  23. clueless!

    Ticks

    Have just checked various websites, and in the US, where Lyme disease was first found (hence the name, from the town concerned) it is suggested that you smother yourself in DEET insect repellent before gardening or walking. Worth a thought, though not sure what these products smell like, so you may repel more than just ticks!!
  24. clueless!

    Ticks

    Don't wish to add to any scares (see previous post by Deimos) but our labrador here in the UK had a pretty major fit shortly after we used Advantix, and several minor ones after that but fortunately none for six months - fingers crossed. Our vet says he can only state that no adverse reaction of this kind has been reported in the literature - but there's always a first case, of course. Needless to say, we have not repeated this treatment!
  25. Thanks so much, Val, for all the sound advice, which somewhat confirms my worst fears! I certainly wouldn't buy without viewing but you've given me useful pointers as to what to check/look out for - whatever the nationality of the sellers... I guess all property buying is a minefield in which to tread warily to a greater or lesser degree, but the bodgers certainly don't help matters!
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