alnmike

We bought  our house in 2004. We pay fonciere, and have completed an impot return, but still not taxe d'hab for us either! I have emailed and written to them, both last year and this!! Once we receive a bill I set up a 'direct debit' equivalent and all is fine.

hi!  What does the forum think is a reasonable return on investment - ie cost of advertisement - to entice them to renew?  For example having done my stats for the year, only got 1 new booking from FC, but in total I got 28 days rental from them. Which was nice. I had a selection of advertisers this year, but most of their enquiries were for August, and I was already booked. Your thoughts please!! Thanks

Lidl emails - indeed, very green!! I've never actually ridden a Lidl bike . . .  I've still got my old Raleigh, still remember with a chuckle the expression on the 'Douane Francais' when they saw it in the boot of the car . . . . probably thought it was an antique!!!

Cassis - true, we'd never have got our bargain bikes from LIDLs without the flyer!!!! We did have a telemarketing call once - that was funny as moh answered and his french, bless, is not good. Very meanly I picked up our other phone for a giggle - never did find our what they were trying to sell!![;-)]

jpe - that's very interesting. Now I've just done a search of the forum, and I think I'm confused. Our french home is our only home in France, but we live in the UK. I have declared our French income, which is some rental, and is very little. So will I recieve only a small taxe d'hab bill? As we've owned our house for 2 years, and not recieved a bill, will I not get one? I can see a visit coming on - I can't understand much French over the phone!!!

moh gets to talk to all our callers who feel obligated to show us the error of our ways - and funnily enough the longest lasted 2 minutes. His secret - he is, and tells them he is  . . . catholic. (I am not and we have lots of respectful heated debate about various things) So I have often wondered what must be said in their training plans about the various sorts of 'victim' they will meet. Hey ho. Another good way of reducing junk mail shots ( in the UK) apart from that postman's suggestion of registering with the Junk Mail avoidance service, is to live in the sticks  . . . whilst we get stuff from our postie, no-one else can be bothered.[:)] no stamina!!

oh yes - I do irony, every sunday night . . . . as you say, you had to be there!!![:D]

now I never do ironing in the UK, but do in France. No - I'm not ashamed to be seen crumpled in the home of haute couture . . . . .  it's just that a vat of Kir helps the ironing go down . . . .[6]

Told hubby, but he's being boring and wants to ski in Europe, and travel by coach not fighter plane . . .  thanks for the suggestions, keep them coming!!

Gosh - thanks all! I've even more to look forward to!![:P]

Hi. I am thrilled to have received a credit card application in our post box!!! [;-)] It got me thinking - does the ubiquitous (sp) Readers Digest - you are a winner - draw, occur in France? [8-)]

Britline serve our purposes as second home owners well. We opened the account well before we had purchased and use the on-line service all the time. You could try Barclays but when we wanted an account, they made it very difficult and we are Barclays UK customers!! [:D]

I need to change mine too, there is an email address - do they take any notice of this? Or will it have to be registered post? thanks too

Dear all With your local knowledge is there anywhere moh and I could combine his desire for skiing with mine for warmth and no snow, and we could go on holiday together? I don't know if there's a regular bus to the slopes? thanks as ever!![:D]

It is indeed the potential size - we haven't had one yet!!! [:D]

ah gawd - still not received ours in  Manche . . . . .

Cassis - thanks for that . . .  another joke I'll only ever remember part of . . . . . and I think it shows others our age!!! [;-)][:$] I think this must be like an office I once worked in, when it was noticed no mirrors in the Loos, I observed that they were not needed as accountants have no reflection   . . . . . . . . . . .

I thought it was microphone [:$] and I don't exist  . . .  'I think therefore I am' or 'doubie, doubie doo' (A punchline for a joke I can no longer remember)

Redmike, Where are you? We are in Manche, 50, and haven't received ours yet. Ho hum - hope it hasn't gone to the cottage instead of our UK address [8-)]

This is very interesting - CA charged me €2.75 (I think) to received a Euro payment with full IBAN from the Netherlands this summer. When I complained they said it was for the letter of notification. I said I didn't want a letter as I could check online, but basically got told 'tough'. So I shouldn't have been charged?

It is a shame, but hopefully a quieter Percy will encourage other businesses. I love the town - had many a lovely chocolat and bought some lovely bowls there.  It is difficult when a by-pass is built, but I do believe that eventually it is a benefit. But I know, not always!!

You 'PM'd' me instead of post, no problems!! [:D]

We have what were described as 'electric to radiators', to me they are electric wall heaters. ( not fan heaters) We had guests who used them for a week in February and the bill was for one month more than the rest of the year. They are very expensive!! When we are there we have them on 'frost' setting, and use a wood burning stove, which is very efficient! In the UK my Mum has underfloor electric heating. It is very efficient - quite good value on the Economy 7 tariff, but it is not very controlable as it takes a little while to warm up, and if you have a not day, you can't really turn it down. But as background with another source it is great. I would rule out looking at a property, we wanted central heating, but we manage fine - it's just a change of style! Edit - doh, I meant I wouldn't rule out - sorry

You are spot on Dick and Llwyncelyn, I feel like you that it is very much 'half full' and learning from the things that don't go quite as we want. (And being a Cornish girl there will never be any where as great as that!!!)[;-)]

We saw many rural cottages that I wanted to buy. But moh had a list and one of the items on it was walking distance to church and bars. And I am so very pleased he didn't let me buy the first place we had seen!! We ended up buying on the edge of a small town, we are the last house so are surrounded by fields, but 2 mins down the road is the High Street. Many of the bar owners and shopkeepers know us, watch out for the cottage, and are very helpful - we are so very lucky. We think it is perfect - and less than an hour to Cherbourg. In fact the road trip, door to door, is less than an hour!!  [:D]