Mark

I'm replacing my French registered car with another (yet to be found).  Just checking that: 1/ All I need to do officially with the one I'm selling is to cross through the carte grise and hand over service history, and 2/ As I'm intending to buy from a garage forecourt/showroom, they will sort out the carte grise and CT pre-sale, and given that it's not a 'private' sale as such, I will have the peace of mind that there won't be any outstanding credit or other nasties lurking.... Anything else, other than amending my insurance?  Thanks [:)]

Russian vine goes like mad, almost instant coverage, although it can get a bit too coveragy (ok that's not a word but I couldn't think of another...) [:)]

I'm in the process of buying a little grange of 30ish m2 which has a new fosse on site but not installed.  I hadn't considered that the house could be too small for a fosse, and still don't understand how it could be!  Should I be concerned?! Thanks [:)]  

[quote user="tenniswitch"]They opened a large, new store in our area about a year ago.  Closed the small, old one.  Could they be doing something similar in your area?  Maybe opening a big one in a nearby town?[/quote] Ditto, although it was only a few months ago.  New one really good and means we don't have to travel up to Leroy Merlin on the outskirts of Toulouse anymore. Sounds like they're expanding nationally. 

In 'Starting A Business In France' by André de Vries, he claims that one of GdF's conditions for a gite de sejour is that the owner 'must be within 15km' of the gite.  This, I am sure, is nonsense, but could someone just confirm that for me please?  Perhaps it used to be the case and the book hasn't been updated (my edition was published in 2004 so it's by no means ancient). Thanks [:)]

Do GdeF or Clévacances have regulations governing minimum double bedroom dimensions?  I know a room has to be a certain size to qualify for 3 epis for instance, but I can't find anything suggesting they have minimum size regulations. Thanks.  [:)]

Traffic past the window today thus far: one red kite, a feral alsatian and a horse.  Oh, and me I suppose as, 'pillock on a bike' that I am, I went out this morning to get a paper (1hr 15mins round trip to the paper shop).  None of them were tailgating, although the kite was doing a good deal more than 50kph I reckon.  I certainly wasn't anywhere near to breaking any speed limit. So not that dissimilar to the Paris peripherique up here in the Ariege Pyrenees.... [:)]    

Great thanks Pierre.  I'm off to the estate agent now with a list of other questions (my question above relates to a potential house purchase), so I'll ask if the soil tests have been done, but as you say it shouldn't be a stumbling block if they haven't yet.  The fosse is in place and brand new, courtesy of the current owner - it just isn't connected to anything!

Quick one: can I install it or does it have to be done by someone who officially knows what they are doing? Thank you [:)]

[quote user="J.R."] Barres de toit are roof bars that fit to roof rails so perhaps galerie de toit? You should at least get some interesting replys, how are you going to cope with the telephone enquiries if your French is not that good? [/quote] I can just about do normal stuff like arranging a meeting with prospective buyers but Land Rover toy vocab was never covered at school...[8-)]

Just putting a classified ad in a freebie local paper.  Does anyone know the French for 'roofrack' and 'spotlights' (ie the two extra lights I rather unnecessarily had added to the bull bars on my Land Rover when I bought it)?  Actually, those bull bars were also rather unnecessarily added at the same time, thinking about it. My Collins mega-dictionary, usually fairly reliable, has let me down.... Thank you [:)] 

Anyone know how much liquid one can take on a flight from Toulouse to Marrakech with Atlas Blue?  Is the allowance as tiny as for flights from UK these days?  It's shampoo rather than anything more mood-enhancing that I'm worried about, naturally.... [Www]

[quote user="monaco"]It sounds just the place for me to buy to live in permanently!  I am currently renting a gite with one living/dining/kitchen on the ground floor and one bedroom/shower room upstairs, but I do get to share a 20m x 10m pool with just  two other gites and there are five acres of garden. I pay £500 a month for a year-round rental.   I am having problems finding a house small enough for myself - I need about 40 sq. metres to be comfortable and about 300 sq. metres of garden. I also want to be isolated - no need of shops, bars, restaurants, etc. just peace and beautiful mountain views.  Where is your little house?  If you don't want it, perhaps I might! My landlords get lots of requests from couples  wanting to rent throughout the winter whilst they look for houses, or from some people who live on a mobile home park that closes for two months in Winter. [/quote] I'm not going to tell you! [:D] Anyway, it's only 28m2 so faaaaaaar too small for your needs.  And there certainly isn't a pool. However, those things aside, it sounds right up your street in terms of magnificent position, size of garden and peace and quiet. If it falls through, I'll let you know.....  

Thanks all, generally encouraging, will see how things develop.....

I viewed a house yesterday with a view to buying it and turning it into a gite.  It had enough going for it (pretty building, super riverside location, not in bad nick, enough land etc) for me to make an offer on it (albeit a slightly cheeky low one), but my only concern is the size of it.  The house itself has only 28m2 of living space (essentially a one up-one down with a reasonably-sized shower room off the bedroom).  The bedroom is big enough for a double bed, drawers and maybe a wardrobe, but does feel a bit claustrophobic.  The living room/kitchen is probably ok - just.  However, the market would primarily be summer walkers/anglers/cyclists who would be out all day and in the garden in the evening, so perhaps the internal dimensions aren't quite so important. So, is it simply too small to be a worthwhile investment?  Is there a minimum size of house insisted upon by GdeF/Clévacances? Comments welcome before I sign something I'll regret! Thanks.[:)]    

[quote user="Meg and Mog and dog"][quote user="Mark"] price, [/quote] You mean you've spotted some with the price on???!! [/quote] Naturally.  Very honest and above-board lot here in the sunny (at last) Ariege. [:)] ps - your holiday will have to wait Lou, as my parents are here for the next two weeks from Thursday [:'(][:'(][:'(]

[quote user="Sunday Driver"] A debattre - or not?   [/quote] Yep, good one, will add that, unless Phil takes it! [:)]

Hi all, About to put one of those ads in my Land Rover window. Think I may be forgetting something in terms of what usually is stated, but can't remember what: AV, no. of kilometres, date of 1er matriculation, model and spec, CD, CT OK, price, phone no.  Anything else?  Maybe not actually, looking at it. Air con is two big flaps between the bonnet and the windscreen, so I may not mention that. Thank you very much.[:)]  

My Squidge tells me that a Scot smashed all the ballot boxes up with a golf club yesterday in the British local elections.  It's an option, in any democracy worth its salt. For what it's worth, I think Sarko looks like an utter snake.  I'd spoil my paper. nb - the fella didn't smash ALL the ballot boxes up in the British local elections, just those in his manic vicinity.  

For the second day running, a wasp (presumably the same one) has been making a scratching noise on a bamboo screen in our garden, sitting there for ages scratching away.  Without wishing to sound too much like a stand-up comedian, what's all that about?  Is he calling others to make a nest nearby? Thanks.  

[quote user="Cassis"]What?  The thought of how you and Squidge keep warm? [:D] [/quote] OK, OK, since you ask, I knit feverishly and she puts girders and timbers into place to ensure future guests have secure and comfortable stays.  Lou, ignore the heating problem, global climate warming change will be back next week.

[quote user="Cassis"]Did you pick the daffs before they got buried? (EDIT: see pics 1 and 2) Have you installed your woodburner in the past couple of days?  I thought not.  So how are you and Squidge keeping warm? [/quote] 1/ They're Janneau's daffs. 2/ Don't be seedy.

hope this isn't putting you off Lou...     ise. [:)]

....and our village and the next village at lunchtime today. [IMG]http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o276/MarkHUFC/113_1400.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o276/MarkHUFC/113_1393.jpg[/IMG]

OK, here goes, a before and after of more or less the same view from our bedroom window, taken a couple of days apart.... [IMG]http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o276/MarkHUFC/113_1380.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o276/MarkHUFC/113_1384.jpg[/IMG]