gjp23

Thanks 5 - great pictures on the link - and definitely the spider in our garden!!

Thanks Dog, much appreciated, especially without a photo.  I did try and upload a photo, but it looks like there's a bar on uploading stuff, probably to manage space. As always, once you see one for the first time, another few pop up - we've now identified four webs with this spider in!!

Absolutely priceless[:D]

Sorry, I'm a bit late to this thread but can recognise many of the comments made.  BUT . . . . the French tax regime is so very different to that of the UK that you MUST get professional advice, some of which you should get before you move over as you can put some things in place to your advantage before you come over (e.g. setting up an Assurance Vie before coming to France can mitigate certain tax liability).  You can try the usual suspects like Blevins Franks or Siddalls, although I've found a smaller company called Spectrum to be very helpful (they are registered in both France and UK). Bonne chance..

Agree completely with comments about IKEA prices.  When we looked at a particular bed, it was nearly £200 dearer in Bordeaux than in the UK. The best thing about IKEA Bordeaux price-wise is the restaurant, which I can thoroughly recommend [:D] Gordon

Hi folks, No photo, cos' I didn't think to get one, but I'll have a look again tomorrow, but . . . . .  there's a bright yellow and green spider about 5cm from front to back (i.e. including legs) in a web across my blackberry bush.  It's legs are what I would call 'chunky' as opposed to the usual spindly spider legs.  It's the first time I've seen one like this but, in the absence of a photo, does anyone have any idea what it might be?  The underlying question is, of course, might it be poisonous? Thanks in anticipation. Gordon (northern part of 47, Lot-et-Garonne)

Hello green fingered folks, I am particularly taken with a hawthorn that I have only seen in the UK, but which I understand originates from France.  Does anyone know where I could get CRATAEGUS PERSIMILIS PRUNIFOLIA?  This is a lovely tree, with intrest for much of the year and, importantly, offers good shade too. Any thoughts? Thanks in anticipation. Gordon

Hi folks, We're in the northern Lot-et-Garonne (47) near to the Gironde (33) and the Dordogne (24) and we fear we may have some structural problems with our ~300 year old farmhouse, which we are oh so slowly renovating/converting before we are able to move across from England on a permanent basis. Structural problems - as in the gable end wall is bowing and the roof timbers are not as well supported as they used to be!  There is an 'iron cross' and cable but there has been further movement since that was put in (don't know when that was, but it predates out 6 years ownership by quite a few years!). Is anyone able to recommend a structural engineer who we could approach for a survey?   What would the French do?? Thanks in anticipation.

Surprising though it might seem, I have found my bank, First Direct, to offer the best service, in terms of exchange rate and cost to me, for occasional transfers (always in excess of £5,000).  However, they cannot compete at all for regular transfers (say, monthly or quarterly).  Whilst I have been using Moneycorp in recent months, the service is good, but I am really not happy about the rate and cost.  They are, they say, charging me commercial rate, but when I check up, it seems to be a lot closer to the tourist rate, which is, frankly, not very attractive! I'm just about to try Currencies Direct, who, according to their current blurb, offer commerical rates and no transfer fee.  We shall see . . . . .

Hi Pat, We have a Credit Agricole account, since 2001, but have not received any such correspondence.  Apart from regular statements, sent to our UK address, the only other thing of note lately is a survey, in English, for English speaking customers seeking feedback on what (English language) services we would be interested in.  We're happy that this was genuine and have responded accordingly.  But, no request to provide documentation . . . . Gordon

More French reading for me!  But it really does look as if there are some valid alternatives out there.  I had not heard of this one before. Thanks chesspou, it's much appreciated.

Thanks again TB.  With the occasional use of a dictionary, I can manage these quite nicely, although I need a bit more time to follow up some of the links.  At that stage, the French language skills may start to creak a little!! G>  

Thanks TB.  I'll go do some reading [:)]

    I'm getting close to my chosen retirement date, and a move across to France, where we already have a mortgage free home.  If I was to remain in the UK, I would expect to draw tax free income from my ISA, which would keep me going until my company and state pensions kick in.  Given that the tax free status of ISAs are not recognised in France, are there French options I should be considering?  I believe that an Assurance Vie is some kind of tax efficient wrapper but I'm struggling to find detailed information. Regrettably, enquiries to certain 'professionals' in this area, who regularly advertise in Living France and France magazines, have not solicited any response. All help, pointers etc. gratefully received.  Thanks.

I seem to have joined this thread at an appropriate moment and would be grateful for your advice.  I have a house in the northern Lot-et-Garonne and want to set myself up with broadband so I can go over from the UK more often and work from France.  Traditionally, there was always a need to get the line from France Telecom, with the possibility to get an ISP/broadband overlay for data and voice connections.  I've read about full and partial degrouping and it seems to me that full degrouping means that another provider can use FT exchanges to house their own kit and then rent you the line, instead of having to go to FT (this is happening in the UK and called Local Loop Unbundling, or LLU). Given that the house I have was empty before we bought it, and we have had it now for 3 1/2 years, how do I find out what its number was (do I need to know it?) and how can I check if I live in a fully degrouped area?  Partial degrouping or no degrouping at all means, as far as I can tell, that I need an FT line, when I can then take my pick from a number of broadband/telephony packages to stick on top. Any advice gratefully received.  Many thanks.

Now I'm not a particular gardening expert (far from it!) but I am very taken with the crataegus persimilis 'Prunifolia', which is a spectatular type of hawthorn tree.  I discovered it in England and checked with my local jardiniere, who is normally very knowledgeable about these things, but he knew nothing of this tree.  So, I have two questions: 1) is this tree able to grow in France (I am in the northern Lot et Garonne)? 2) if so, can anyone suggest a possible source to get one? Fingers crossed there is a gardening genius out there who can help. Happy New Year to all.

I was recently advised that, as part of my roofing work, the chimney mounted aerial would need to be relocated as current regulations no longer allowed chimney mounting.  Don't know which regs were being referred to but given the other issue around chimney damage, this seems to point towards moving your existing aerial (as i shall mine!). Happy viewing! gjp23

I am having a problem with my French architect now that I have said that we do not want to progress to obtaining quotations from artisans,as we do not have the money to proceed at the moment.  This situation was flagged before the contract was signed but I was told we could stop at any time.  The conversion plans (Farmhouse and barns to house) have been approved and I have the permis de construire and I will make some simple changes so that the work can be seen to be started.  The architect has now chosen to 'remind' me that I cannot use the plans without his authority. Whilst I will labour through the contract and see what it says about this (if anything), I find it astonishing that ownership of the plans that have been drawn up on my behalf and paid for cannot, apparently, be used by me unless I continue to employ the architect.  This would certainly not be the case in the UK but French law, who knows?  Can anyone offer any guidance please? Thanks in anticipation. gjp23

This is probably a silly question but what is a VMC?  I notice that someone has offered a VMC as an alternative to an extractor fan also. Thanks in anticipation.   gjp23

Thanks for the tip Boghound, although I'll limit my search in the first instance to English language web sites!!  

All the usual suspects appear here!  BUT, we met with our architect last week and raised 'alternative' fuels.  Solar was dismissed very quickly (despite residing in the comparatively sunny Lot et Garonne) due to very high installation costs, but geo-thermal seems to be a definitie runner.  I await some comparative estimates with interest. Does anyone have any info on geo thermal to start me off? Thanks.

I'm not sure about the availability of subsidies here but I can say that, under the new regulations (came in sometime last year I believe), there are a limited number of accredited installers, who can only install against an installation specification produced by an accredited soil engineer (can you see the bureaucracy here.....).   A soil test must be done in order to determine the type of installation required and the soil engineer's report and installation recommendations must be approved before an installer gets involved. In the South West (Lote et Garonne), the accredited engineer I used was a company called SOLEN, whose total charges amounted to something around 530 €.  The only other money I paid out was to the installer.  The installer is also responsible for arranging for inspection visits (already paid for in the 530 €) at appropriate times in the installation (ratehr like building control visits in the UK when doing building work). Expect to pay, typically, between 3000 and 6000 € depending on ground type (e.g. clay is more expensive than sand) and size of installation. Good luck.

We've just paid (although against a devis provided 12 months ago) 23.20 € per sq metre plus 5.5 % TVA (northern Lot et Garonne). One additional relevant factor will be the amount of effort required to make the sub surface ready for tiling, i.e. if you have a nice clean concrete base on which to work, it will be much cheaper than if your contractor has to make good the sub floor first. Hope this helps.   

I've had a CA (non Britline) account for about 15 months now.  Yes, they charge for band cards, which is sort of acceptable but what really gets me is that they charge for receiving transfers from my UK bank, despite all necessary RIB and IBAN details which are supposed to make the transaction fully automatic. The service generally is good, although you need at least basic French as branch staff will often be French only speakers. On a slightly different note, has anyone used the CA Internet service and, if so, what did you think of it?