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just john

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Everything posted by just john

  1. Hi Steve Having just found your website I found it really interesting too, and read it cover to cover so to speak. We bought equ-distant to Aubeterre but due east from you. We are still going through the renovation plans with the architect, so have not submitted anything yet; what is the name of the panels you used? that is exactly what we have been trying to explain to our architect! John & Sue
  2. Thanks a lot for this insurance contact, We will find out what he can offer us, hopefully positive! John & Sue
  3. I wonder if SAGA write unambiguous policies which cover holiday homes no matter what the occupation?. It looks like AXA and their agents can write a variety of different things for what might be assumed to be full cover, and I don't feel we've got good enough cover. I'm sure there must be lots of peeps out there who have got this sorted, and it must be less confusing dealing through an english speaking agent. Any recommendations?
  4. We insured through an agent in the town recommended by the notaire and the insurance came through Vous n'avez pas de garanties pour Degats des eaus, Bris de glaces, Vol et vandalisme. I can't see any reason stated by AXA, but having had a meeting with the agent at the house (his english was non existent and my french is poor) I believe it is because although it is secure, we only visit every five or six months and do not occupy the property while it is under renovation.  
  5. Thanks Brian for your reference on IP cameras, it gives us somewhere to start. We certainly intend to make the property a lot more secure than we had first intended, and now include something to record all vehicles approaching the property. When we have done this we will need to find reliable insurance cover for a property which is not always going to be occupied. We don't feel as though our property will have any great valuables but the damage done and the intrusion by someone looking to 'have something away' means we will build more security into the 'resto' so that there is a chance of not just getting mad but getting even.  
  6. Hi all Good news is that since the last time our place was made secure there appear to have no more break-ins, our builder suggests putting up a fence and giving the property a fresh coat of paint which can't do any harm I suppose. However we haven't received any info from anyone on insuring holiday properties or info on a surveillance camera to record vehicles entering the drive, I hope someone is able to offer some helpful info on this, forgive us for asking one last time. John & Sue Keep wearing the sunscreen  
  7. [quote]G'day digga looks like you doin it tha tough way. This kinda work is not easy for us here on site. If you want get everything stated from Oz then you'll get a few in the long series of shocks that ...[/quote] Hi Hendo Yes please us too!, could you let us have any links for pellet & chip heaters, especially those which include water or central heating. Incidentally has anyone seen http://www.pinnaclestove.com/nectre.html, do you know if these are available in France? John & Sue
  8. [quote]G'day digga looks like you doin it tha tough way. This kinda work is not easy for us here on site. If you want get everything stated from Oz then you'll get a few in the long series of shocks that ...[/quote] Hi Hendo Yes please us too!, could you let us have any links for pellet & chip heaters, especially those which include water or central heating. Incidentally has anyone seen http://www.pinnaclestove.com/nectre.html, do you know if these are available in France? John & Sue
  9. Hi Paul thanks for your reply, that's interesting about your camera system, I'd love to know what specification you have, is it it good enough to show registration plates?. Since I have to rehearse my french before asking questions etc, who do you inform about holding mail while you are not there, the Poste or the Mairie? do you then collect on your arrival? John & Sue
  10. Jacks, I'm sorry to hear about your break-in, not least because it sounds more determined than our opportunist break-ins. We can't instantly surround our property with fencing, not just because we will not be there for at least a month, but because we are still mid acquiring some land adjoining. We are just south of Angouleme where we have known people for some time, they all consider the area low crime with adequate precautions.  I think ours must be opportunist local rogues who have been awoken by the building works. Whatever, we want to make sure we do what we can to make them go elsewhere.
  11. Thanks your responses, certainly looks like we will have to do the physical stuff like barred windows and doors, does anyone know which manufacturers make ready made bars padlocked into position to fit doors and windows, which could be removed when we are in residence? I'd be glad of any recommendations for insurance companies or agents who cover all risks on holiday homes. e-mail us direct if you prefer. Thanks in anticipation. I think I'd be more comfortable if we could install some discreet image system for the drive to capture the vehicles that visit, (apparently they have been), it's going to be some time before we can get gates and fences up.    
  12. We will with the renovation increase security with bars and whatever, it will only be used as a holiday place and though we intend to use it a lot there will be times when it will be obvious that no-one is permanently living there. It is not overlooked by neighbours which is part of the charm. To find an insurance company which will cover this use would give us some peace of mind, but really we want to build in whatever is necessary to dissuade future problems, do hedges and gates help? How do others protect their Holiday home? Has any one installed their own CCTV, or even better, a sensor operated image capture that can trigger an e-mail?  
  13. Hi all, All the windows and doors are intact and most are shuttered, as I say it had stood with no break-ins but since signs of building work it has attracted three forced entries; kicking in shutters, windows and doors. I thought that since there three attempts then it might be different people each thinking that power tools had been left behind and on finding none, they simply left the property. There haven't been any other break-ins locally that I'm aware of except one famous one where they demolished the roof with JCB & truck to take the timbers, french doors etc, even casually telling the neighbours that it was on the owners instructions! I wonder what language I should put the 'No power tools' sign in? Any other suggestions to dissuade further attempts?:
  14. When we bought our place (16), it had stood empty for a couple of years without break-ins. Its about a kilometre from the nearest hamlet on a D road with very little traffic, and 10 kilometre from the nearest town on a main road. Since we bought, we have spent a considerable amount in making the property more secure and weatherproof, some new locks, windows, and a roof etc. The property looks like it is partially renovated but unoccupied, and despite what we have done so far AXA insurance will not cover us for theft. We have a local (french) gardener to keep it basically trimmed, and a local (french) builder has a spare set of keys, though things have come to a halt while we finalise plans and permissions. We have some friends who live locally and check it occasionally. However they are now dreading checking it again and we are almost dreading their next call, since we have now had three break-ins this year. Once through the barn doors, so we prevented them from opening, once when a window was forced, so we boarded it up, and now the shutters have been forced open and the french doors forced. There appears to be nothing much if anything missing (there isn't much there) and apart from the forced entry little damage. I wonder apart from erecting a large sign saying no valuables or power tools left in the house, just what can we do?! Any advice or suggestions gratefully accepted!
  15. I think you should keep it simple, and here's my advice for what is worth. France intends to increase the tax on diesel to same level as petrol and in the next two or three years you may not get a benefit from diesel especially if you have to pay a premium for the car, personally I don't like the emissions from diesel cars, I would rather have lpg from an environmental point of view, and this is available at most Supermarket fuel pumps in France. Most cars are safe enough these days but I would rather be in a medium size car than a small car especially with two children, an estate is not significantly longer or wider than its equivalent saloon equivalent and can be driven through every village I have driven through in France. Spending time in a car I thought my second hand Mercedes was more reliable and comfortable than my new Renault, (and for less money). Importantly, if you buy it from a garage up the road (route!) then it is more convenient for your maintenance, they will remember that they sold you the car, and in two or three years might even buy it back from you. So to recap, look for a used, petrol, quality, estate car with a guarantee, from a garage near to your new village, and if you are keen on environment or fuel savings, ask them about lpg. Good luck, wear sunscreen.
  16. Hi Nick This sounds much more cost effective and very do-able. Do you have any more information, name of suppliers or installers etc. Thanks and best John & Sue
  17. the local Notaire should have a very good idea of the value of land and would be worth consulting in the first instance before making an offer. Our experience was to have made an offer for some agricultural land adjoining our property based on local advice of .5 of a euro per sq metre, and then discussing it with the local Notaire. He took great delight in telling us that we had offered 5 times its true worth, but that clearly it was obviously worth that much to us, he also advised us that having made that offer to the owner, if we repeated it to the Notaire then it would be considered a firm commitment. We were happy to do this but now 5 months later we still await the outcome of SAFER's deliberations.......
  18. Don't stop me now! Stop mucking about! give us the rest of it! 8-)
  19. Without wishing to state the obvious, we drove around the area we were interested in, looking for signs, which introduced us to a few properties with agents (another story) and a couple of private vendors, who had simply put up a sign with a telephone number & AV. We arranged to see one of these and made an offer and then found a notaire who spoke good english and was prepared to translate. Eventually we completed (yet another story) but despite everything no commission was paid to either an agent or notaire. We found nothing to be afeared of Notaires!.
  20. I can recommend a French architect, which was recommended to us by someone he had done good work for, including extras without increasing his fee, he speaks english and works on a quoted fee basis, he hasn't done any work for us yet (we are still waiting for completion of the land purchase) but we met on site and discussed options and he quoted a very competitive price; Yves Cohen, Architect 92 Boulevard de la republique, 1600, Angouleme 0033 (0)545953370 Also a French builder in (16) who works in Charente and Dordogne and has done work for us, he speaks english (his wife answers the phone and only speaks french so you will need enough french to ask when to speak to Patric or write), again, he was recommended by others and he has done good work for us on our existing property including a new roof, stone wall and new gravel drive. Patric Anastase; Entreprise Zizard 0033(0)545 98399979 Chez Teve; 16210, Bellon, (nr Montmoreau, south of Angouleme) Good Luck We look forward to seeing how you get on!
  21. Thanks for your answers everyone, what about underfloor heating, has anyone had this installed, any advice?
  22. We were just repeating vebatim someone else's experience after they had apparently successfully registered several vehicles. I thought the most useful part was mention of Mines/DRIRE which I hadn't seen elsewhere and obviously makes it simpler for some vehicles rather than having to obtain manufacturers certification at greater expense.  
  23. Thanks for info, I hadn't realised how different the combi's were. Why do people not use tank gaz? Does that this mean that the comparative costs for gaz tank installation and combi's and tank gaz usage costs are prohibitive?
  24. I found this information about registering a UK car in France if it is any help. ... if you have a standard car built for the european market you should be able to register it easily If it's non-standard or not an EU model it's a LOT trickier. 1: You don't need to get an export certificate - it's easier to do the paperwork on the French side with the original V5, so complete a SORN form (statutory off0road notification), keep the V5, then when you have a French Carte Grise you can send a photocopy of the V5 and the new Carte Grise back to DVLA with a covering letter. They're happy with this, I've done it several times. This also gets you out of jail free if for some reason you can't register the car in France or have problems and give up - you've still got your UK V5 to fall back on. 2: The Mairie usually know bog all about registering cars! And they have to send the paperwork away to the Prefecture to be dealt with. Far better to go to your local Prefecture (NOT the sous-Prefecture, the main one), where they do it while you wait and you can ask questions, and respond to any questions/clarify any mistakes you've made filling out the paperwork on the spot. But first... 3: You only need an Attestation de Conformité (which usually costs about £100) from the manufacturer if your car's VIN number doesn't come up on the computer of the Service de Mines (also known as the DRIRE).  So first step is the Mines/DRIRE (find 'em in your phone book). Roll up there with your UK V5 and tell them you want to register the car in France. They'll run the number through the computer and if it recognises it bob's your uncle. They'll give you an Attestation de Conformité on the sport and charge you about 35 euros. If it doesn't go through the computer then you'll have to contact the French importers/manufacturers for an Attestation. 3: Once you've got the form from the DRIRE saying you're allowed to import the car, you need to go to your local tax office and get a Declaration des Impots saying you've paid any taxes on it. There'll be nothing to pay unless it's absolutely brand new. 4: Now it's time for the Controle Technique (which is not as strict as a UK MoT in most respects) if your car is more than four years old. You might get away with beam converters on the headlights, you might not. 5: Now roll up to the Prefecture with all the documents you've collected so far, plus passport, driving licence (just in case), and a utility bill or two showing your French address. Fill in the form asking for a regisration document and hand it in. Wait for a while. Eventually you'll get called back to another window, given a Carte Grise and relieved of quite a few quid, depending on the Puissance Fiscale (taxable power) of yoru car. This has nothing to do with real power, it's purely administrative and is based on engine size and type (a late model Citroen2CV is actually rated as 3CV on puissance fiscale and makes about 30 real horses...). That's about it. There's no road tax to pay any more, so that's it! Once you know how, it's actually possible to do the whole lot in a day, but it's more realistic to do each step on a different day and have a rest in between! Craig's site implies that French insurers might charge more foor a right hand drive car - not the case in my experience. He also implies that there might be safety issues driving a RHD car in a LHD country. Well, maybe, but I drive both LHD and RHD cars in both the UK and France, and there are advantages and disadvantages for both. The worst thing is trying to overtake lorries - visibility can be limited. But on the other hand, you can often see past other traffic on the verge side, and have better visibility than you would in a lhd car in the same situation. The Certificate non-Gagé that Craig's site mentions when he talks about buying a used car just says whether there's any reason why you shouldn't be able to register a car (if it's the subject of a court order or ownership is in dispute). You can usually get one from an automatic machine at the Prefecture - just type in the reg number and it'll tell you if there's a problem. Also, it's important to note that if you do buy a used car in France you can't register it unless the Controle Technique is less than six months old. Also worth noting that once a used car has been signed over to you, you must register it in your own name within 15 days or you are not allowed to drive it.
  25. Thanks for the very detailed info! Did you get the price details off the web? What is the best supplier? Is the Lamborghini a Combi boiler (instant hot water to the tap without a tank?) Sounds brilliant if it is just for the name!!...
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