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Penny29

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Everything posted by Penny29

  1. Hi, Most of this advice will sound dead time-consuming and boring but it is necessary. 1. Spend as many hours as you have reading this Forum, especially the archives - with particular reference to the "Owning French Property", "Legal", "Finance", "Heath" and "Vehicles" forums. All the important questions (such as how to cover yourself for health care, how to re-register a UK car) have been answered many times - it's just a case of fnding the information and making notes. Equally, hours of patient browsing through The Postbag will allow you to find many useful pieces of information such as different people's views on the Cost of Living in France and much, much more. The Gites and B & B forums contain a wealth of info on the costs of running & setting up in business. 2. Buy and read David Hampshire's book, "Living and Working In France". 3. Go to French evening classes before you come. 4. Start saving now - you will need a substantial amount in the bank (after purchasing and renovating your property) to see you through until you get work and this could be many years.     
  2. Hi,   I have no idea if this will help you or not but we have been paying E80 per month for our electricity (we have no gas) for our totally un-insulated 4 bedroomed house (145 metres sq) & the recent meter reading has confirmed that this payment is pretty much spot-on. I would say that we are heavy users - the washing machine and tumble drier are on at least twice a day, we are hopeless at remembering to turn lights off and the bedrooms and the bathrooms were all warmed by electric fires from October - April/May last winter. On the flip-side we cooked by bottled gas  and used wood burners in the larger rooms. All things will change once the builders have finished renovating the house as it will be fully insulated (we have gone OTT on insulation), double glazed and have bought more efficient wood burners. I'm hoping all these changes will reward us with cheaper electricity bills.    
  3. Hi, Speaking as an (ex) tax official (don't throw the tomatoes at me just yet!) I would have to say it doesn't work like that (either side of the Channel) - the Revenue does not have to prove your residency YOU have to prove you were NOT resident if claiming that tax is not payable. I can't speak for France but in the UK a claim of non-residency would require the claimant to possibly undergo a lengthy interview, answer dozens of questions, fill in numerous forms plus produce bank statements, travel tickets etc to prove the number of days outside of the UK. The Inland Revenue NEVER assumes people are honest!!!    
  4.           I think you are all being pagist
  5. Hi, Agree with Will's comment about velux - we recently applied for Permission not needing permission" to enlarge the existing velux in our grenier and also to add a few more windows - this constituted a "change of use" as the grenier had never been counted as rooms by the Mairie and this change of use would also take us well over the 170 m2 rule - so a simple request to change a  few windows ended up with a costly project involving an official architect and full planning permission. In the end we decided we didn't need an extra 4 bedrooms and abandonned the idea! However, when it came to changing the existing structure of the ground floor - removing walls, changing the number and dimensions of the rooms they did not want any paperwork completed at all - the Maire basically said that what we do inside is our own business providing we do not add to the overall square meterage of habitable space.  
  6. Hi, I've just recieved my civl service lump sum too - it had already been taxed in the UK, so as I understand it (as an ex-UK taxman!!!) it is not taxable in France. However, if you can hang on a couple of weeks I will double check with my newest French friend (who just happens to be a tax inspector too!!!) when I next meet up with her for a drink.  
  7. Poor Whiskers! I did have to laugh about the mother falling down a hole in Australia - shouldn't she have come up the other side in England!!!!! My friend had similar experiences a few years ago - with three buyers pulling out over a period of about a year and each time she lost a house she had set her heart on. Most of her buyer's problems seemed to stem from the fact that they hadn't done their homework properly and were looking at houses they simply could not afford - their offers were accepted but then they couldn't get anyone to supply the mortgage. I absolutely hate the English system of selling - when we sold our house in the UK I didn't sleep easily until the day contracts were exchanged - there is very little in the system to stop someone pulling out right at the last minute and all they will have lost is a few hundred pounds at most on solicitors and survey fees. Good luck!      
  8. Hi, The rabies jab cannot be given to puppies under 6 months old. Time limits vary from vet to vet. For instance our vet in the UK insisted in giving two shots 30 days apart, then there was the blood test 30 days after the last rabies shot, then the month for the paperwork to come through - so in the case of a new born puppy the process could take 10 months! Some vets don't insist on two jabs and only give one, which could shorten the length of time.  
  9. Hi Val, Think your information is correct and that it is only a matter of time before all domestic animals have to be rabies-jabbed. I'm not sure if this is true or not but my nearest neighbour (French) told me, today, that the new regulations re. rabies have now been extended to the 3 departments of the Limousin.
  10. Hi, If you check out the Smallholdings and Animals section on the TF forum I think you may find some more information about how the regs in France are changing - I seem to remember Kanisha posting on the subject and she is very knowledgeable.  
  11. Hi, Many vets are charging high prices for rabies jabs given the current situation, some as much as E40 per jab. My French neighbour has just popped in to tell me of a vet in St Yrieux (South 87) who will do the innoculations and certificates for a fraction of the price. For three or more dogs he only charges E12 per jab. For a tattoo plus innoculation E32 per dog. These are the details if anyone is interested: Dr Emire Hache 53 bis route de coussac BP32 St Yrieux 0555 083175
  12. Hi, Many vets are charging high prices for rabies jabs given the current situation, some as much as E40 per jab. My French neighbour has just popped in to tell me of a vet in St Yrieux (South 87) who will do the innoculations and certificates for a fraction of the price. For three or more dogs he only charges E12 per jab. For a tattoo plus innoculation E32 per dog. These are the details if anyone is interested: Dr Emire Hache 53 bis route de coussac BP32 St Yrieux 0555 083175        
  13. Hi, Received this information from our local animal sanctuary today. RABIES CONTROL REGULATIONS  A dog confirmed as having rabies travelled widely in this region during August. For the safety of your pet and the general public, your dog/cat needs to be identified (tattoo or microchip) and vaccinated against rabies. As a guide to our members, here is our interpretation of the Ministerial Order dated Sept.3rd, 2004 concerning the precautions against an outbreak of rabies. All the new regulations apply to the Gironde, Dordogne and Lot-et-Garonne (the Zone) and are effective for 6-months.   1.      Dogs   If identified (tattooed or microchipped) and properly vaccinated against rabies (i.e. possessing a certificate valid from one month from the date of vaccination and lasting a year) they are allowed outside and off the lead as long as they are under the surveillance and control of their masters. In a public place, the owner should carry the certificate of rabies vaccination to show on demand. If not identified or with a valid rabies vaccination certificate, dogs must be shut-in, kept on a fixed tether or, if in a public place, be on a lead and muzzled. Such dogs must not leave the Zone.   2.      Cats.  Even if identified and vaccinated against rabies, all cats must be kept shut indoors or kept in cages for 6-months. They may be transferred from place to place in a closed cage or basket.   3.      No cat, dog or other domestic carnivore without i.d. or a valid rabies vaccination certificate, may be relinquished by its owner, unless for its euthanasia by a Vet. with a ‘mandat sanitaire’.   4.      No domestic carnivore without i.d. and valid rabies vaccination certificate can enter the Zone unless, if a dog, muzzled and on a lead, or, if a cat, kept in a cage or basket.   5.      All unidentified stray dogs or cats in the Zone that are admitted to pounds (SPA or ‘fourrières’) will be put down.   6.      If the stray dog or cat is identified, the owner can reclaim the animal on production of a valid rabies vaccination certificate. If not the animal will be put down.   7.      Any illness or death of a domestic carnivore must be immediately shown to a Vet. possessing a ‘mandat sanitaire’.
  14. Hi, Gosh I remember being starry eyed when we were in the process of moving out here and I, too, thought that everything in France would be better, cheaper, easier etc. After 2 years (so, still in the "apprenticeship" phase) I still love living here but I am much more realistic about things now and, even if it is called moaning, I would rather warn people before they come out here that France is an expensive country to live in - food is not cheap, utility bills are high, banks routinely charge for things which would be free in the UK, and some people I know do pay Taxes Foncieres which are a least comparable to London Council tax bills. For us all this is worth the "trade" - the trade being to live in peace and quiet, surrounded by countryside and natural beauty.  
  15. Hi Sue, No - it varies from Dept to Dept in France - you just might be in a dept where it is still mandatory.  
  16. Hi, Just a few updates. When in Perigueux this week we saw that all the large supermarkets had official notices in the pet food aisles  - we didn't read them thoroughly as we had already made arrangements for our dogs to have their jabs but believe there is a time limit (poss 3 months) for everyone to get their dog innoculated against rabies. The notices basically said that all dog owners must have their pets innoculated and chipped (or tattooed) within the time limits and that there will be heavy fines for any dog owner found not to be complying. Our local hunt has more-or-less been cancelled due to the ban on using dogs, also dog clubs and dog training classes have been cancelled indefinitely.  
  17. Hi, We drew E1000 out one week (Banque Tarneaud) and they phoned us up for a full explanation of what we used the cash for and why we weren't using cheques!!!!!  
  18. Hi, Whereabouts in the Correze are you and how far are you prepared to drive to visit places of interest?    
  19. Hi Beeky, Here are some links that I found useful.   http://perso.club-internet.fr/denac/Denac/CertificatCapacite-01.htm http://www.cyno.org/ http://www.sfcyno.org/faq-sfc-6-La.html+loi+les+chiens+et+vous#62   http://www.kenneldesign.com/info/
  20. Hi,   Have you checked out Leclerc or Carrefour? We got an electric sewing machine at Leclerc, Perigueux on special offer about this time last year, I can't check out the model name or the price (but it was very cheap, around £50 or less I think) as everything is packed away at the moment due to the renovation work going on here. It is definitely foolproof as even I can sew a seam on it and I was known as the "Machine-breaker" at school. The instruction leaflet was well illustrated which also helped.    
  21. Hi,. Assume we have finished talking about knighthoods now?????? Nice to see that some people have taken time out to (A) Create a new forum identity and (B) Marshall a well thought-out, coherent, fluent and convincing argument (not).  
  22. Emerald, Sorry, forgot to add that all replacement parts were sent to us free of charge. The delivery? Well. we did have a problem with it as they initially said 10 days but it ended up as 21, although this was bang in the middle of August with not a French haulier in sight for weeks, and Mick Briggs himself was on holiday when the problems surfaced. However, when they finally got a date for us the caravan arrived exactly when they said it would, almost to the minute.  
  23. Hi Emerald, Ha - think I need to ask Msr Briggs for some commission on sales. No, you won't be disappointed - we also bought unseen and were delighted with the model which arrived here. As a matter of course I cleaned the van from top to bottom when it arrived but have to say that, apart from surface dust on the floor when they had been preparing it for transportation, the van was exceptionally clean - not even a trace of dirt in the overhead lockers or behind the loo! Yes, there were some broken things - very minor - such as a broken knob on the gas hob, a crack in the bathroom ceiling vent, a broken water fixing and a worn out electric fan. Each replacement component was dispatched quickly by Mick Briggs and reached us within 3 days. Check your plumbing fixings carefully, though, cos our builder said the broken water fixing-thingummy was caused by the caravan not being closed down properly at the end of last winter, causing the wotsit to crack. Also check window blinds and fly screens as these can often be on their way out after a few seasons of heavy use on a commercial site - again, Mick will happily replace if you are not happy. Which model are you buying? We got the Festival 26 for £2995 with free transportation up to £500.    
  24. Hi, If you check out the archives on the Pets Section you'll find an old posting of mine when I was thinking about setting up a cattery. I hope the old thread also lists the weblinks to the French Governing Bodies which authorise these type of businesses. Basically, there are rules about where kennels/catteries can be situated (more than 50m from the nearest neighbouring house for catteries housing less than 9 cats, 100 metre rule for 9+) not sure about the rules on kennels but believe the distance must be even further. It is not enough that your local Mairie will approve the scheme - the French equivilent of DEFRA must also aprove site, situation, buildings etc (they can veto the Mairie). You need to get various certificates, sorry I can't remember the details, but in order to get them you have to prove three years experience in your chosen field and/or attend various training courses and take an exam in French. If you don't find the link let me know and I will look on my other computer for the information for you.    
  25. Hi, We took along: Passports, last 3 months worth of UK bank statements, proof of our French address via the landlord's EDF bill (we were renting at the time), and about E500.  
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