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Keni

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Everything posted by Keni

  1. Hi, it's Keni here (female) - hi Cassis & co We are in the Haute Vienne  - Marval actually. We thought we'd found a small rural village, only to discover that half of Britain actually lived there. Most seem to have been in the area for years and years. We are still sloooowly doing up our ancient pile (painful) and look forward to the day when we can be there permanently. Recommend Les Fueilladiers (spelling bad) in our village - Dominic puts together some great food, my hubby recommends his fish menu - I can't, allegic to the stuff, perhaps the Bursar's pills might work for me. Great to see so many Pratchett readers in one place!! Keni  
  2. oradour is certainly one of the most awe inspiring places we have visited, our daughter, then around sixteen, still feels the atmosphere today - nearly eighteen now. It is near Limoges, on the way to the airport, coming from St.Junien, from our direction, that is. We took a film of it and playinf it back, it is certainly mind blowing. The overhead tramlines really do bringh the history to life. We were told the story about when the German troops were there, the people on the trams were not being let off at Oradour by the other French, as word has got around that something was to happen. These people had their lives saved simply by not going home! Recommend a visit to all - local schools have to visit it as part of their curriculem. keni
  3. We are thinking of retuiring to France, what area are you in - mainly because my hubby, Chris. is interested in perhaps looking for  a job delivering cars - like we do over here on trade plates. Does that happen in France? If your business got going, would you be looking for a delivery driver? Keni
  4. Hi, panic not - we have just had the last two months refunded into our dd account. As they had estimated the account (again) this is therefore four months in the past year where they have refuned our account. They usually refund very quickly, as we have found out. Keni (he's a she)
  5. Now I know why so many people grow their own ! Is this how and why the food is better? Keni (He's a she).
  6. Thank you for the interest - I must first point out that he is a she - sorry Keni is female - my hubby Chris is the bloke - confusing i know, so you can see how we struggle with everyone thinking I am the bloke. I am making notes of the info you have given me - I know the Pays d'Ouest Limousin have a business start up thing for and I have e-mailed them for advice, but do not know what is on offer. In the uk I run a shop selling fabrics, knitting yarns, sewing and stuff like that. I am a DMC Main Agent (French Company) and buy from France at present. i would simply like to continue running said shop - we run knitting groups and quilting groups etc. I thought it might work over in France, one because I do speak some of the lanugage - and am at classes continuing to do so, and secondly, I thought with all the Brits around they might like to be able to purchase yarn, fabric and stuff like that. There does seem to be less on offer in our area. So all help and advice is welcome. Keni
  7. Thank you to everyone who has replied to my bit - and thanks you for the advice. We are not that green, sorry if I sounded vague on the posting, but I am a cautious person, not given to telling everyone our plans, However, we have had our place for 3 years, we can not really  invest in it unless we live there permanently we feel. The idea is for hubby to retire early - he has a pension as I said, and then perhaps for me to bring my business over to France. Which I why I was asking about registration and tax and things. We will also be selling our home, and, using the interest from the capital of the sale, live on that yearly. However we will still have the capital as back up, plus savings. We too have seen many people struggle, but because we have had friends resident for six years, we have seen what are needed for costs. My problem simply was that most of the people I know are retirees and have no wish to run a business. I would like to class myself as an artisan, but need to know the set up costs if I wanted say, a small shop. If that makes sense. We too have a bit of land, and I would like a couple of chickens and to grow my own - which is somethingI do over here now.   Thanks you again for all your interest. Keni
  8. I am finding this all a bit puzzling. We hope to retire over to France in the next few years. My husband will receive a small pension of around 5K a year, and we will both be in our fifties. We will just be living on the pension and a bit of interest from when we sell the British home. Will we still be expected to pay around 250e's a month each for social - that's about what we will be living on! We cannot find out from anyone what our dues will be. Keni
  9. I am in the same position - looking to perhaps add a little to small pension. We have a small piece of land and hubby would like to have bees and sell honey. I know a local beekeper sells his honey through the Co-op, but with something like this you are are the mercy of the bees/weather - or do you think the French might regard them as employees? (Joke). I myself have a small shop in the Uk which I would like to downsize and run in France. I would only work part-time, and employ no-one, so would be very interested in finding out about this. I was thinking about seeing whether I could run it as a France arm of a UK business. Thanks Keni
  10. We had a major condensation problem a while back, until it was explained to us about the shutters (if you have them) and the way most French windows shut. Apparently, it is normal at night to close the shutters, but you close the window with the locking (turning) handle, and hold the other side of the window fast in the knob, not actually closing the window. We thought we would freeze, but having just come back from France when it was minus 9 some nights, it does work and we had no condensation. The woodburner kept us warm. Even when we are away, this is now what we do. Lock the shutters tight but bot lock the windows, leave them open, but held fast in the handle of the locking side - sounds strange, but if you have this type of window it certainly works on the condensation. Bonne Chance. Keni
  11. I have been running a small business in the UK for about 17 years now and I would like to open a small similar business in France. I have tried to find out my equivalent qualifications on the enarq site, but as I was given my SIA  and Dip-Ad in 1970, I do not think I can find the equivalent now. I think I will need them translated however, as I might be regarded as an Artisan - being a quilter and wanting to open a small quilting shop. Any thoughts anyone as to where I go for help for these translations. When I tried the site I was told I was spam and they could not help me! Keni
  12. We are looking for a very small woodburner to fit a very small fireplace. I know a certain British DIY company used to stock them (The one with the orange lettered logo), but now they do not. The fireplace is just over eighteen inches at the front, is fitted into a corner (therefore triangular), and goes back around foot as well. The flue is therefore directly up. Anyone got any ideas? This is the only heating this room could have to present, so would like to use it, even if it is just keeping the chimney dry! Keni
  13. In reply to nicktrollope, I think your problem comes in with the Batiments business. The colour of house painting and other works which can be refused is usually if you are in the vicinity of a chateau - as we are. We are opposite the ancient chateau, so cannot paint the house other than grey etc, can't even repair the rendering without it going via the marie/batiment etc. I understand from others around here they have no problems, only us, because we are 'en face'. Keni
  14. We have just recently had a new gas water heater fitted to replace an old existing one. The old one survived without a ventilation duct, but the plumber had to fit a new brick and duct through the house/sous sol (kitchen upstairs in middle of house), to comply with modern regulations. Keni & Chris
  15. If you are anyway near to Vayres (87), although not a big company BCMD are a good company - Bernard will deliver as well if he can and has a lot of dealing with us Brits. He speaks a bit of our language, but pretends he doesn't. He is patient and will usually help with costings - he has helped us a bit when we are stuck for things/prices and goods. Although not a big flashy place, you could try there for information.   Keni & Chris
  16. They all look pretty good to me - mind you our bed was included in the purchase of the house and was I think the original wedding bed furniture! The only thing we really worry about is the pile of woodworm sawdust appearing regularly from underneath - even though it's been sprayed - their onto the wardrobe now as well! Keni (I'm a she not a he!)
  17. Regarding the type of truss - I can see rough poles, as I call them with what appears to be another set of trusses on top, although that appears more modern. The original main beams are ok'ish one is split but help together with the largest set of bolts I have ever seen. The main problem is when it rains we have a leak on the top, the side bit is rotting and with the tiles being asbestos I thought their might be an alternative. Keni
  18. We are in the northern west bit - near to Piegut Pluviers Keni
  19. Having just come back from our summer holiday visit  to the renovation project, can anyone tell us about roofing - especially lightweight roofing tiles? Our present roof is old and needs renewing. The joists appear to be what someone told us were artisan, or rough. They appear to be just rough hewn posts with another approx. 3 x 3 wooden frame on top and exteremely old beams as the main support. It looks a bit like fencing posts just laid down. The present tiles are large, maybe around 1 metre square and appear to be what is called 'Crysotile'. We know they contain asbestos. We will need the whole of the roof down, but are not sure whether the old beams will take the weight of  new tiles, but, being opposite the chateau we are told that there is a driving force for the roof to become a proper tiled roof when it is replaced. Our question is has anyone had this type of roof, do they know the pitfalls of removng the tiles and if in the Haute Vienne area can you reccomend a roofer? Thanks, Keni & Chris.
  20. Just to let you know how things have been going on the house as promised. We made it over to the house, and again saw the secretary to the Mayor. She said he would get over to see us, but again, he never made it. It appears that until we move over to the village permanently we will not get any help from the Mairie. There had been a mega storm prior to us arriving, the water had flowerd down the road , into our front garden and into our Sous-sol, thankfully it had just flowed straight out the other side. However, the chimneys are allowing water in and the rendering has blown completely now on the front. Is there any way we can get this sorted or do we just have to keep plugging away at the Mayor to get him to contact the Batiments de France? Keni & Chris, ps weather was great, so was the food and wine, as usual.
  21. Thanks for that, I might try the lady secretary to see if she is more amiable about the Batiments. I am sure we are being used as Guinea pigs by the mayor to see if we would do anything first - so that is why we are trying to make sure we do it the right way. There are a lot of Brits in the area, but we are the nearest to the Chateau. I'll keep you posted on the rules etc. as we go along.   Keni  & Chris
  22. Bearing in mind our place opposite a chateau and having to paint everything grey, I am surprised our shutters are sort of rust orange. There are two front metal shutters and the third is the traditional wood, so I came to the conclusion that perhaps the old owners just painted everything rust on the premise that it would turn to rust colour anyway. The eau-de-nil colour you have is what we would like, but I think we have to turn everything grey again - same colour as the walls, even through the other properties near us are green, blue, white etc. Is it cos we're Brits pertet? (yes I can spell the words really). Keni & Chris
  23. Sorry all, Where will we dowload this form from - the Traveaux thingy? Keni & Chris
  24. Hi, Although our place is mains, our friends all have fosse septics, and all their water waste  from sinks and loos go into the fosse. One of our friends has a large place with five bathrooms, and if all of us are staying over all gets used, but there has to date never been a problem - she just has to make sure the 'bacteria' doesn't get killed off, so that it continues to work - that is breaking down the greeblies. One of our friends though does have her kitchen sink and bathroom sink plumbed into a water butt and uses this for watering the garden - that too seems to work. Good luck Keni
  25. Thank you to all so far for your replise. We will start with the downloaded form and see where the Mayor takes is from there. He speaks no English at all, but I have found out his secretary is actually fluent in Engligh, but he will not let her tell anyone. We are only trying to repair the house, rather than let it fall down. Unfortunately our neighbour (the mayors' buddy) damaged our property and his insurance had to pay is 1200 euros, so we have a sneaky feeling this is tit for tat. We will be chatting to a couple of neighbours in the next week or so and see if they can shed light on it. We will keep you posted as to what the rules actually are. Keni & Chris
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