mrbeeman

I have just  gone through the system with my dog so that I can travel with her in future. My Vet says that althought the UK regs are longer than one year the French ask for boosters every year and therefore he recommended me to have yearly boosters to avoid problems of this nature. He furthermore says that the gestation period for rabies can be six months, therefore the UK six month rule is because antibodies in the blood could come from either the injection or a previous infection and the waiting period is to make sure it is not an infection. This actually means I can go to France now but not return before June 2008, therefore I cannot really take her out before June if I intent to return after a couple of weeks. Rob.

There is a lot of building going on in the Vendee at present, my own project being just one of them. I would suggest you drive around and look at new builds and each one has a board giving all details of the builder ect. You can find a local builder by this method. I also looked on the internet and asked local people. Rob.

Hi, I purchased some land in the Vendee and drew my own floorplan and design of what I wanted the house to look like. This I submitted to some building companies in the area before choosing one to construct the house. The cost can be estimated at around 1000 euros per sq mtr of living area, just for an idea. Then there is EDF, sewage, telephone and water to pay for, perhaps 3 to 5000 euros. My project is nearing completion and it has been interesting so say the least. Please contact me if you have anything to ask you think I might know. Rob

I need to transfer money from England to France for the building of a house. I have found Halo financial on the internet who say they have no commission charge and offer good exchange rates. Has anyone dealt with this company or can recommend a similar company please? Rob.

I agree. I have just looked into borrowing money in France but, once the monthly insurance and the guarantee were taken into consideration and added to the Notaires fees then the much smaller interest rates offered in France were wiped out. There are some quite good deals offered in England at the moment. Rob.

[quote]Can anyone advise on the best way to get rid of frelons (hornets). We have 3 nests in the end wall of our house and at least half a dozen in our barn. So far we've left them alone and they've left u...[/quote] Wasps and Hornets life cycle is geared towards raising several Queens by the end of the summer. At this time the queens will mate and all fly away before hibernating over the winter. Spring they all wake up and each queen will start a new colony to raise the next lot of queens. Only the queens survive the winter, the rest of the colony dies and this is the time to block up all holes that they use to get in your walls.They do not automatically return to their old nest but that is not to say that any passing queen will not choose a ready made home if discovered. I say live and let live. Unless they are causing a problem or in a very inconvenient position just leave them alone until the nest dies. They are carnivorous and consume large quantities of aphids over the summer. Although an American site http://www.pestproducts.com/wasps.htm does have information on the wasp family and tips regarding their removal. Rob.