Babnik

I would think that the 'gentlemanly' thing to do is to let the more expensive one know about the cheaper one, and if he can't match the price, then I would think that no one would expect you to stick with the most expensive one. Difference in prices could well be due to a different commission % taken by the two. Steve

I have a room with the same kind of tiles....is it possible to lift those tiles and re lay them(laid straight on dirt floor + room will be a bathroom.....prefer them in a kitchen!)? If I decide not to keep hem is there a market for them or do I throw them away?

I need to buy a dish with lnb and some coax for a Sky box. Anybody can give me advice on the best place to go? I'm not far from Rochefort in Charente Maritime? Steve

I'm sure you could find a gite or other accomodation which accept animals. I find it highly unlikely you'll get everybody involved to work to a same day completion, and even if you do manage it, what happens if something goes wrong with your sale in the UK? Save yourself a lot of stress and make sure you have sold the UK house first, and then take your time finding your new home! (just my opinion, others may think differently!) Steve

The Shiraz grape is called Syrah in France. Try a Cotes de Rhone.

Best place to look is the 'Petites Annonces' of your local paper, but I warn you they are not cheap. I've been looking for about 5 weeks!

Did you sign a devis? If not I don't see how he can expect to charge for work he wasn't asked to do!

When I did my CT, they said the headlamps had to be changed, but they suggested 'borrowing' a pair for the test then changing back. Where would you borrow a pair of headlamps anyway? (now there's a business idea!!) In their defence they did warn us if we did that and we then had an accident, and someone decided to check the headlamps we might be in a little trouble. Needless to say we have new headlamps! Another suggestion was we have a small  'accident' and claim them on the insurance ('oops I put the car into first instead of reverse in the garage!'). They were very 'helpful'!!! Steve

Maybe I left my brains behind too, but what's wrong with that? Joggers like a nice route with a good view just as much as walkers do.

Maddogwoman(?), was that pool for gites though or was what I've been told all a load of b...s..? Mind if I ask who the contractor was?  

I've just been back to speak to our 'friend' at Desjoyaux, and confirmed again that I don't like the guy and wouldn't buy a pool from him even if he offered it at €5000 (well maybe!!). Anyway, he confirmed his approx quote of €100,000, and he says it's because we want to have a couple of gites, and the pool then becomes a 'piscine publique', with all the rules that brings with it. Equipment for water quality, access for the handicapped, public conveniences etc etc. I still don't believe a pool should cost so much, and if it did, no one, and no gite would have a pool. Again I had the impression he doesn't want to sell. And I can't believe a pool in a small gite complex comes under the same rules as the olympic size pool in town!

sorry around 600,000 Francs not 6 million.....confused!!!

In fact he actually said Francs first (6 million or so!) and then converted it to Euros. Seems very strange!!

We recently went to Desjoyaux Piscines in Rochefort (17) to try and get a quote on a pool. I think I read about the company here on the forum. Anyway, they salesman seemed very disinterested at our request, and to get rid of us told us a 10x5 pool would cost in the region of €100,000. Now while I appreciate a pool will not be cheap, this seems a little too much for my taste. Anyone got any recommendations of companies who actually would like some custom!

Well maybe we just talked to the wrong people. I know that it takes a while to heat the walls of an old farmhouse, but once warm they'll keep the heat in. I hope!! Steve

Does leaving walls to stone make a big difference in heating bills? A lot of artisans assume that all walls will be insulated, and find it strange when we say we'd like to leave some walls bare. Anybody else have this reaction from Artisans?  

funny how people come to France to escape the UK, then yearn for things that they had there! Be careful you might get what you wish for!

You probably have a Dish which is pointing at Astra at 19.2 and/or Hotbird at 13 (degrees east!) Sky uses Astra at 28 (degrees east i think!) So you'd need to have the dish moved...straight swap won't work. Also, you'll need a card in your sky box to get Channel 4 and Five. Bbc channels should be FTA!

My mistake...If you are doing the work in the UK, then you pay Tax in the UK, even if you are resident in France (Eskenazi was right!!!) I was just thinking of my case where I do the work in France. But if I'm not mistaken, you'd still have to pay social contributions in France if you are resident there. I think it could get quite complicated if you do part of the work in the uk and part in France! Eskenazi seems very confident of what he/she says, and I have to admit it fits in with what I've been told.

I'd first ask the question do you really need a laptop? Unless you need the mobility, its going to cost you more than the equivilent spec desktop. If money is no object, then by all means go ahead, otherwise I'd seriously think about it. (I have no connection to any desktop manufacturer, and am not trying to discourage the sale of laptops..i'm writing this on a laptop!) Steve

I'd first ask the question do you really need a laptop? Unless you need the mobility, its going to cost you more than the equivilent spec desktop. If money is no object, then by all means go ahead, otherwise I'd seriously think about it. (I have no connection to any desktop manufacturer, and am not trying to discourage the sale of laptops..i'm writing this on a laptop!) Steve

"we are officially employees based abroad, so pay UK tax and national insurance (working for companies in UK anyway)." It doesn't make one bit of difference where the company is based, but where you are resident. If you are resident in France, you pay French Tax and Social Contributions. Only exemption is if you are on a secondment for a year, and will be going back! "If we decide to stay over 12 months (increasingly unlikely reading messages in this forum)" I wouldn't let anything that's been said here put you off...it's complicated and you do pay more, but you do get a lot more for your money too in my opinion. (Health Service, Community facilities etc etc) "Feel a bit nervous about how regular this all is, but am assured it is!" If you decide to stay over the 12 months, French authorities might question whether the move ever was only for the 12 months, but I have no idea. I played safe and got my self 'frenchified' as you put it, straight away. btw, who is it that 'assured' you? Steve    

There definitely will be CH, so it's not going to be the only source of heat....my only worry is that it's basically a great big hole for heat to get out (Chimney). I'm not sure what would happen when it rains either!! Steve

At the moment we're renting near Rochefort, but the house we've bought is south of Jonzac! Back to the fireplace...it seems a shame to me to put in a wood burner...but we may end up doing that! Steve

Oh and if you need a mortgage, I'd check with the bank if being a self-employed changes anything!! Steve