Causette

Dear Jane and Alan, Can I suggest that you buy your paint in UK? I find it is better quality, cheaper and a better range of colours than over here. If you use paint pads, you'll need to get those in UK too, as I have never seen them over here - but doubtless someone else will know otherwise Regards, JudyM(14)

I'm in the awful position of having to subsidise my day job (self employed status) I'm not earning enough to pay all cotisations plus diesel, insurance, blah blah, let alone my time... I've the opportunity to sell lovely greetings cards over here (the PostBag message has come at a really opportune moment!) - I've yet to think through how it will all work, but the idea is attractive - it can be as big scale as I want - I'd welcome any coments.... JudyM (14)

LAST EDITED ON 18-Jun-04 AT 10:16 PM (BST) Hi Diana, I felt so sorry when I read your posting - I thought I had done exactly this earlier in the year, and I felt physically sick, so I do know how you feel (luckily, mine was a false alarm, but horrid while it lasted). Have you phoned the holiday makers yet? How did it go? Kind Regards, JudyM (14)

> >Can anyone give me advice on: >areas, education, pitfalls/positives, any info >gratefully received!!! > > In amongst your research, you could 'ask your granny', and include a trip to: http://www.grannynetwork.info JudyM (14)

I know a couple who are due to sign the Acte Authetique next weekend for the purchase of their French home. Because of other unavoidable commitments, only the husband is able to come across - his wife has arranged a for a letter authorising her other half to sign on her behalf, and this has to be witnessed by a notary. I can't recall the exact details, but we did this with our first purchase in France, and we didn't use a notary public; we just got our solicitor to witness our signatures, and he didn't charge us anything. This couple have been told that it is going to cost them 100 - just for a signature to be witnessed!!!!!!!! Surely this is an excessive charge? Or does anyone know differently? JudyM(14)

LAST EDITED ON 20-May-04 AT 11:48 PM (BST) Like most other people, I'm resigned to not getting anywhere near the actual landing beach sites. The Pays d'Auge (lcoal paper) had a map in it showing the cordoned off areas, although it looks as if there's a sort of Park and Ride set up to bus you in to the commemmoration areas. Last Sunday afternoon, we went to the beach at Ouistreham, where they were making the word 'Normandie' by having us all stand in the letters marked out on the sand. There were a fair few there, but there were many more people just standing at the top of the beach watching and not joining in. Shame, really. They had 'Liberte' and 'France' on other beaches. Did anyone else go to one of these? JudyM (14)

LAST EDITED ON 15-May-04 AT 08:14 PM (BST) Evening, fellow Gite Owners! I've been over at our little cottage today, seeing out one lot of (thankfully, happy) guests, and seeing in the next lot a few hours later. Whilst I was washing, polishing, bedmaking etc... I wondered what your least favourite job is on Changeover day. Me? I hate cleaning out the little hair trap thingy in the plug hole in the shower. I hate it more than cleaning the loo. In fact, I hate cleaning the shower full stop. My very favourite jobs are polishing the old sideboard, and picking wild flowers for the vase.. I'm very lucky, in that I have put flowers in the cottage every week we have had guests (even in the winter), and I've never had to buy shop flowers! JudyM (14)

Why are you having to find him a new home? JudyM

I agree with Gill's advice. The worst damage we had was a set of new saucepans completely wrecked after about 8 weeks' use. When we equipped the cottage, I had the choice of buying cheap and replacing often, or buying more expensive, better quality, in the hope they would last. We did the latter - good make, non-stick coating, no glass lids, heavy bottomed, etc. Ho hum. Someone used a knife or similar to scrape (gouge!) food out of two of the pans - yet we provide kitchen tools for non-stick surfaces, and proper pan scrubbers etc I could kick myself, because I didn't check the pan cupboard on a couple of bookings, so I'm not sure who it was. Lesson learned there, then! For the glasses/teaspoons and low-value items, I have a unit price on my inventory list, and we ask guests to put cash in the honesty box for anything that they break/damage. It has worked for us, and it also stops guests buying replacements that don't match (and probably what you already have spares of at home!). Obviously this doesn't work for major things - for which you should definitley deduct the cost of repair/replacement from their security deposit cheque (Though I'm dreading the day I have to do that!) JudyM

Hi Michelle, Congratulations on your new build home. Bayeux is lovely, and a tremendously popular area for rentals, so you should have no trouble finding clients from that point of view! As long as everything else is right, of course When we were researching how to market our cottage, I studied all the likely places - books on life in France; lots of Internet rental advertising sites (we used French Connections - but there are loads of them); brochures such as Brittany Ferries which offer gite holidays etc. I also drew on our own knowledge from our years of French holidays - what we liked, what we didn't; I asked friends and family for thier views on what makes a good holiday home - and of course, there is absolutely LOADS of helpful information on this forum under Gites You'll also need to think about the admin side - insurance, taxes, whether you'll do the marketing or employ someone else; employing someone to do the changeovers/cleaning/gardening... I think if you determine the market you are trying to attract (French? English? American? Couples? Families with youngsters? They all expect different things!) and plan accordingly, you'll be on the right track. I like to think we must have got ours about right, as we have been full almost continuously since we opened Jun 03 - this year is full until the end of October (when I start my 4 day short breaks offers), and we have 5 weeks booked for 2005! JudyM

Try Alistair Sawday's site: http://www.specialplacestostay.com/titles/fbb/index.html Nothing for Gace itself (which as I recall, is quite a small, quiet town), but quite a few entries in the Orne region. Have a lovely holiday! JudyM

LAST EDITED ON 05-Apr-04 AT 05:15 PM (GMT) I've been recommended a book this week which sounds just the sort of thing that you (and I) are looking for. But I can't find it on Amazon - has anyone else heard of it? "Du Tac au Tac (anglais) by Jean-Pierre Ancle, Ed. Ellipses, 1999 ISBN 2-7298-4982-3 Apparently, there are 1500 popular ready-made sentences or expressions with the equivalent in French on the opposite page. JudyM (14)

And Deauville started flights to London City airport in peak season......

Chateau des Animaux in Vimoutiers on www.chateaudesanimaux.com JudyM (14)

Chateau des Animaux in Vimoutiers on www.chateaudesanimaux.com JudyM (14)