euro

Hi , yes i too live in a small rural village ,probably much quieter than most in fact apart from the odd lotto night etc ! i take your point that this may actually be an advantage that i hadnt considered compared to a busy city or large town full of people. Euro

you are definitely barking up the wrong tree !   this was specifically meant for the guy suggesting i am a reincarnation or a tad gay.   Euro

in one of my earlier responces i explained why i used the term "totty " perhaps you didnt read that ? it seems to me you are trying to play and referee the game at the same time which isnt normal. within any post on a forum there will be varying points of view which is great , what i dont accept is being told i am "shallow" for using a word that others wouldnt have used. what i would also point out is the original post attracted a much higher number of views and responces than most of the posts on this section of the forum - so the word "totty " must be interesting to some. Euro  - still smiling x    

of course i agree everyone is entitled to a point of view ! and my point of view is that the mods were overly negative about something they couldnt view within its context - why should i not make that view public ? Euro blank lines deleted by a mod (is this too negative?[Www] [:D])

i have started a post about the negativity of the moderators.   euro

interesting question i have lived in SW France for about 5 yrs now and have regularly travelled to Spain for a holiday (Catalonia) my observations are :- food is as good & typically lower priced than France which was a pleasant surprise people are much more friendly than the French ( no major surprise ) people are more welcoming towards the Brits than the French (ditto) wine is good ! climate is great ! And the Spanish make a point of stopping there cars promptly at pedestrian crossings which i find the french do not ,which is rather annoying when you are with small kiddies.   But the property is a little cher !   Euro

i note that to date there have been 75 responces to this post mostly interesting / helpful / humerous etc & would like to thank you all. however 2 of the posts could be described as unnessesarily picky about the word " totty " interestingly both of these negative posts were written by moderaters why are you so out of step with everyone else ? is it political correctness gone mad? or cant you just enjoy a bit of fun ? maybe the power is too much to handle X   Euro  

AVF ? i will be sure to remember the language issues !   although on balance would prefer a Brit friend / very good friend     euro   

Hi Russethouse - i decided to write the word " totty " to make my post eyecatching and therefore get some suitable responces, certainly not to annoy any of the girls on the forum. Euro   .

now that i am single i am becoming a little disapointed with the lack of attractive members of the opposite sex  - in my case female. where are they all ? i live in SW near Villenueve 47  surrounded by old boys driving even older tractors or auld wifies in aprons dragging shopping baskets full of stuff around - so where are all the 30 ish somethings hiding ?????? presumably France has single people or seperated / divorced people just like the UK but where ? ideas please or real life experiences even better - preferably local thanks Euro      

I am a single british guy living in the South West with a very low key social life and would like to know how other single people make new friends etc.   thanks in advance for any help.   euro 

hiring bikes could present a few hassles  ie enough of the right size and type for your group - plus if they are paying would complain about any little thing ! what do you do if the chain snaps and they are miles away ? go and pick them up ? i have half a dozen or so - courtesy bikes Free of charge & they get used a bit ,clients like the freedom to help themselves and its just a little extra thing that they maybe didnt expect.   but to buy new bikes etc ?????   i know i wouldnt want the hassle for what little return you could get.

   Good evening all , i have a gite complex - long established - earns well , reliable bookings etc and i actually enjoy the flexibility & seasonality of the work so am considering buying another one ! yes i am in full control of my faculties. preferable location would be the SW as then i could manage them both and even maybe rent my owners accomodation for extra income , whilst i live in the new one and focus on developing the business etc. all ideas welcome - especially from those who have done this already or researched it. And of course those thinking of selling later this year.   thanks   Euro

floculant is for "suspended particles" in the water  - usually throughout the pool in milky cloudy fashion - sounds like you have some stubborn algae which will be banished by regualr vigourous brushing / chlorine /anti algue products.      

there are many areas  of 47 which are nicer that this part - it is close to Agen which is driving up prices within the local french market - therefore compared to other areas you are paying a premium for somethging which may not apply to you - being able to work in the town of Agen which is the regional capital if you will.   i would suggest a bit further north near or around Villeneuve or even further north toward bergerac   had 5 yrs here and its great !

buy a place that has already been run as gites otherwise no matter where you decide to live all you are doing is adding another property to the already heavily oversubscribed adverts / websites etc.   many people begin  wanting  a gite as little income to supplement pensions etc- but with rising costs of living / taxes and advertising & maintainnece costs soon realise that they actually should have a more businesslike approach.   on the plus side it can be fun !

i am looking for someone who lives in dept 47 - ideally west of Villeneuve sur lot  for various types work including grasscutting /strimming/garden tidying and general labouring such as demolition / groundworks etc. Own transport useful as well as being physically capable of such work . Steve

Hi ,   in your post you dont say if you are going to start or buy a gite business ? as these are two very different things. buying an existing gite business means you are not adding to an already saturated and sometimes unpredicatable market and the infrastructure is already there including some goodwill or bookings track record. starting from scratch is likely to mean renovating barns or old buildings / building a pool etc which can be a major undertaking financially as well as in terms of hassle plus you will be adding another gite to a market which is not growing at the rate of new entrants.   Steve

i am currently living near Villeneuve sur lot and wish to find somewhere else nearby to live,i would be interested in looking after property /gardens &  pool etc instead of paying rent. As i run a property management business here i have the  relevant skills & experience to take care of property matters. minimum 6 month arrangement. references available.   Steve

Toro is an american brand  - they also own other brands inc lawnboy.my local stihl dealer stocks honda and others plus toro so i can get it serviced / parts ok. engine briggs & stratton as standard. they are extremely tough and very well made - not sure if they are sold in the uk ? but anyone who wants to save money should at least investigate the cost savings available buy purchasing in this way,i couldnt have afforded such a machine from the local French dealer and would have had to settle for a less useful bit of kit. the vat / customs bit is a piece of cake as the parcel company telephone to arrange delivery & tell you what to pay and its always by cheque. as mentioned before paying by CC on the phone or Paypal etc is as safe as it gets.      

i am thinking of equity release as well , same problem with income proof from gites etc but bought the place outright a few years ago and if there is a broker or specialist finding ways around the french govenments draconian banking dictates then please let me know.   steve 

hi , i live near villeneuve and know a few people who have tried using various ISPs to save money like neuf & cegetel.but all i hear is problem after problem. i have had wanadoo / orange for over 3 years with v few problems and adsl costs me 25e a month. France telecom have a shop in Villeneuve where you can get the phone line & internet in one place , take every piece of ID you have ever owned to get connected ! its a shame really that the other operators cant beat the state owned network on service  / reliability as well as price.The market here is some way behind that of the UK. steve    

if you buy in france,try to buy from a store / dealer who has onsite service workshop as some stores such as Gamm Vert do not as i found out much to my cost when a chainsaw was sent for repair to some hell hole a million miles away for 7 weeks ! french stores usually offer a 2  year warranty meaning you will have to get them to deal with problems for that period. 1 flat acre  - as the other member noted is not so demanding so you shouldnt spend too much  - maybe 1200e  -  1500e .  the novelty factor of a ride on mower doesnt last very long so get the widest cut possible to save time steve

sorry i cant recall the exact prices as it was a while back , but i do recall the saving was enormous and may even be more then the figure mentioned before. but if you are in the market for a machine then look at the range online with the rrp shown in dollars add 500 for delivery and then do a conversion to euro then add the french vat - you can then compare that with your local dealers. the Toro machine is superb though and can cut around trees in one go plus it cuts in reverse so no time / fuel gets wasted. i was having my car fixed and whilst waiting observed a pro gardner arrive at a large lawn and cut in no time , so when i had to replace my old broken machine there was no doubt about the kind of kit to get. you can get similair machines from lawn boy and husqvarna.  

Hi The company i got the mower from was called Speedway and the import cost was just vat which the haulier telephoned ahead to give the figure due ,then i gave a cheque on delivery. its such a shame the electrical system isnt 220 - 240 as power tools are overpriced in france as well - i find most things are except fags / booze and restaurant food! the company i got my chainsaw from is called Roberts small engines , ad on ebay and if you drill into the feedback lots of french people are doing the same as me !   steve