Helen888

I just wondered, I've some of that reflective insultation for my loft conversion but want to layer it with some normal  fibre glass insulation that i might as well use up. I've been told that the silver stuff needs to go in first (closest to roof) with fibre glass next before plasterboard - is this correct?

brilliant - thanks for all your help. I just wondered, I've some of that reflective insultation but want to layer it with some normal  fibre glass insulation that i might as well use up. I've been told that the silver stuff needs to go in first (closest to roof) with fibre glass next before plasterboard - is this correct?

We've a lot of walnuts,which I  love, but I've have no idea how to dry them (in their green husks or out) and don't know how to tell when they're ripe (maybe when they fall from tree). Very grateful for any tips.

We are converting loft space into a bedroom. The  dwarf walls are only about a foot high so the sloping ceilings come almost to the floor. Just wondering how on earth to attach plasterboard to the inside of the roof - does studwork on a sloping roof have to be wood - I'v'e seen metal rail type things  for  building studwork but not sure if they are just for dividing walls etc. or whether it would be strong enough. Grateful for any advice at all on plasterboarding sloping ceilings!

need to move a vsp / miniture car  (not much bigger than a ride on mower!) from Burnley UK to dordogne area - does anyone have space in their lorry we could buy? pls email if you can help. Thanks

I would like to have scented plants in the windowbox outside my bedroom through the autumn and winter - would be really grateful if anyone has idea ideas about what to plant.

Would be very grateful if anyone could recommend a particular product that just needs water or sand adding as its only a small wall and I dont want to mess around with too many loose powders  mixing lime etc from scratch.

I would be grateful if anyone knows the going rate for secondhand roof tiles, a chap has asked a friend of mine if she is interested in selling the tiles  on her barn roof (it needs a new roof as half has fallen in but  as its massive there are enough intact tiles to cover a house roof i think. The tiles are those red, terracotta coloured , flat square ones about 8'' by 8''. Would be really grateful for any pointers.

This is an old post i know but can anyone give me an idea of a brand name or two for the stuff on rolls available in France as mentined above. Thanks.

I know it's not possible to convert a building to a dwelling that's too close to an agricultural building, but does this rule just apply to being to close to a building that's currently used for agriculture? We've had our 'house' for ages..it's a ruin. The plan is to convert a more sturdy barn on our plot to a little place to live while we wait until we have sufficient funds to rebuild the main house. The litttle barn is probably only a couple of metres from another barn which ajoins the main house. All the buildings, both barns and house have CU's. I'm worried now that when we submit the permis de construire we'll be told the barn is too close to the other one. The barn ajoining the house will eventually be used as a car garage...but as our project is in very long drawn out   stages I'm a bit concerned. I know groups of small buildings are commen so i just wondered if anyone had experience of converting a stable or barn that was close to other buildings they owned. Maybe the CU means its ok?  

 I read about a year ago ,of a renovation / improvement / building loan available to tax payers and the rate was 1percent. There were clauses such as not having had the property concerned for over a certain amount  of time (or was it the reverse!) as you can tell I can't recall the details very well but i think it was a government scheme.

Hi Mimi I just wondered, does the barn have a CU? Does anyone know if the flood plain factor would crop up at CU stage or only once a permit de construire was filed for?         

I can't find the old thread but months ago some kind person gave me the address of a French website (i think it was an official one) from where you could download application forms for CU, permit de construire etc. but unfortunatly I've lost the address, does anyone know the website I mean? Thanks for any help! 

just wondered if anyone had moer info on this. I am currently trying to discover if an old chap near us can get help to have a fosse installed, he is French and in receipt of chommag (unemployment benefit). Thanks

A older gentleman who lives near us has no fosse septic. His house is very basic and has no proper sanitation system.  I think he would like to get a fosse septic installed (he's in the middle of nowhere so no mains drainage) buti he can't afford one. At the moment he's unemployed and gets 'chommage' not sure of the spelling, but the French version of dole payments. I would be really grateful if anyone has an idea whether financial assistance is available for this sort of thing we had another neighbour once in the same situation but i was unable to find out any info...what we would really like is some central number to call or i website i could look at for him. He doesn't want to ask at the Mairie and i don't really blame him.... Thanks in advance     

Been in France a good while but trying to renew a lapsed CU and still finding it difficult. The planning guy wants to know 'preciser la surface hors-oeuvre qui sera crèèe après la transformation deux batiments existants en habitation' Im unsure whether he means the footprint or quite what. The CU refers to two barns...one which is attached to our ruined house (which has a separate CU ) and which wont ever be used for anything other than storage unless I win the lottery and the other, a smaller barn, for which conversion is intended.  

really link. looking at it i dont think we qualify as although salary is low we have owned the house we need to renovate for one year ; it looks like loans for renovation for houses owned for over 2 years are only possible if the owners are registered with a disability which requires ammendments to house: our house has no roof so we have to rent somewhere closer to work, we dont live in the house in question. if i've got it wrong and there is hope pls let me know!

seemed only yesterday we bought our house now time has flown and I've let the CU lapse, my own fault! Its probably lapsed by only about a month. Has anyone else had this situation and were you able to extend the CU by the usual year or did you have to start from scratch (is what i'll be doing to my head no doubt!)..does anyone have any idea what the latter situation would involve when we bought each of our houses the immobilier applied for the CU so i dont know how it works?

thankyou!

i read a while back (and unfortunately i can't remember where) that interest free loans for renovation or property purchase where available if you are employed in France, paying French social security etc...rates available varied according to salary. Does anyone have any further info on this?  

if anyone has an E101 i would be really really grateful if you could let me know what to do about healthcare. Newcastle say no need to register with CPAM; Dr here in France says otherwise. Posting here as E101 is granted to those working temporarily in France...its not a massively common form so if it is necessary to register with CPAM i expect it will be complicated / CMU people to claim not to know what to do.

My friend is in France until October and has been granted E101 from Newcastle until then(this was previously known as E128). Apparently they were told by Newcastle when the status was first applied for, that should they need to visit the Dr. to simply use their E111 (which, if you have an E101 is supposed to grant you same healthcare rights as French National for period of stay in France). They've recently visited the Dr and need non emergency but none the less urgent medical treatment as a day case in hospital. The Dr said they should, using their E101 , register into CPAM. A Call to Newcastle and was told again, this is not necessary but that sometimes the French authorities were 'funny'. they dont mind registering with CPAM, and E101 excuses you from needing to make contributions into health system, but as E101 is not that common i think trying to embark on the process at this time, if its not required, would cause extra worry. Has anyone had an E101 and know the correct procedure re healthcare? Thanks  

We submitted a permis de construire to turn a  small barn on our property into a habitable dwelling - the only exterior changes 2 velux and inside addition of a bathroom and separation of loft area into one bedroom and bathroom (the barn had been 'lived in ' for many years before we bought it and we 'lived' downstairs in it for a good new months too ). It has a cu. We've had to leave our property due to finding work elsewhere in France but still intend to go ahead with the work thats required there. Unfortunately we had to depart at short notice just after we got a letter to say 'dossier incomplet' - nothing too scary is in the list but i need someone to translate to make sure we do it properly this time then to send the additional with a covering letter , follow up with a phone call and general chase and stay on top of the process. Someone registered as a translator would be good so we could pay you on this basis but it would  help if it were someone with an interest in renovation. I need someone asap as we're going back to the property on a flying visit weekend after next and i would like to ensure before we go, that while we are there we obtain the right info (take the right additional photos etc.). I would guess the whole thing would be about 4 hours work only but it could lead to more. Pls email me if you can help

We submitted a permis de construire to turn a  small barn on our property into a habitable dwelling - the only exterior changes 2 velux and inside addition of a bathroom and separation of loft area into one bedroom and bathroom (the barn had been 'lived in ' for many years before we bought it and we 'lived' downstairs in it for a good new months too ). It has a cu. We've had to leave our property due to finding work elsewhere in France but still intend to go ahead with the work thats required there. Unfortunately we had to depart at short notice just after we got a letter to say 'dossier incomplet' - nothing too scary is in the list but i need someone to translate to make sure we do it properly this time then to send the additional with a covering letter , follow up with a phone call and general chase and stay on top of the process. Someone registered as a translator would be good so we could pay you on this basis but it would  help if it were someone with an interest in renovation. I need someone asap as we're going back to the property on a flying visit weekend after next and i would like to ensure before we go, that while we are there we obtain the right info (take the right additional photos etc.). I would guess the whole thing would be about 4 hours work only but it could lead to more. Pls email me if you can help

Is anyone interested in helping me to improve my spoken French via telephone? It would really help if you could use skype as this would mean no additional phone charges (www.skype.com). I guess if you're in France you'll need to be registered as a freelance French teacher in order for me to pay you (if you're UK based I don't think it matters but I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong). A couple of hours a week to start with...please email me hourly rate. I will expect rate to be a little less than usual rate for home visit, due to lessons being conducted via phone. Thanks in adavce