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darnsarf

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Everything posted by darnsarf

  1. Here's a link to a suppliers of dimmable LED GU10s. http://www.ablectrics.com/product-3819-7Watt-LED-GU10-Equiv-to-50-Watts,-fully-Dimmable.-40,000-hours-warm-white.html There seem to be quite a few of these coming onto the market now. Fairly expensive at the moment and the dimmer itself needs to be of high quality.
  2. LEDs produce virtually no heat. Halogens tend to produce lots of it! I have two switches in my kitchen to produce a 'half light effect' i.e. half the lights on, half not, or all on or all off! it works fine for a kitchen and may be OK elsewhere but it's not really the same as dimming. That said, I have seen what they call dimmable LEDS bulbs recently though I suspect they achieve this by switching off some of the diodes (I may be wrong). The choice of LED is really important. Firstly, to avoid the blueish light, called 'cool white' (which is for me near impossible to read from) you need warm white but even some of these vary enormously. It depends on the number of diodes each bulb has (and some have ridiculously few). I bought mine from ultraleds.co.uk (no association). The more diodes, generally, the higher the cost. You can buy GU10 versions from about £3 but up to £20 each for some. Ideally, it's best to see some before buying the whole array. The equivilence to halogen/incandescent wattage is usually shown but the LED will normally be about 5W. Hope this helps and sorry if I confused anyone!
  3. The Sunday Times recently ran a story about the bad practices of car rental firms. The main problems seem to be about fuel bill, damage costs and the need to thoroughtly check and photograph the car inside and out, lest very large sums are added for fixing. ST now charges for content but the reader response can be seen free here http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/your_say/article707160.ece Advice seems to be to purchase the damage excess insurance from an online specialist other company, not via the rental firms.
  4. I agree the new LEDS are miles better than they were and last for ages. However, many people use downlighters with a dimmer. LEDS will not, as far as I am aware work with dimmers (i.e. they are either on or off) and this is why many people don't swap/ For places like a kitchen though, where maybe dimmers are less useful, LEDS have a role. Against halogens is the heat that they produce. I've had lots of smoke and near fires with them and had to reduce wattage.
  5. ....Although plainly a salaried estate agent who didn't achieve many sales would be unlikely to remain salaried for very long! That said, I certainly wouldn't suggest agents, whatever their employment/remuneration status are all self serving blaggards. But the client relationship is to my mind too blurred for me to feel comfortable with. The language/law issue bothers me. I wonder how many people in the UK would buy a house in the UK where the contract was in another language, their main contact was an apparently friendly agent financially involved in a sale taking place, a government employee whose primary role is tidy paperwork and tax collection, generally with no Surveyor involved, just the local builder and in a jurisdiction where the law as it applies to property, tax and inheritance is completely different. This is what has created some lovely material for programmes such as 'homes from hell'
  6. I agree . trouble is you don't often know it's going to be tricky until it's a bit too late. Donald Rumsfeld's "known, unknowns" come to mind. Certainly not wishing to damn an entire profession at all but it strikes me that relying on an Agent (who is not necessarily working for you but possibly the Vendor) for certain kinds of advice and, in particular drafting of the CdV and other issues that need surely a legally trained professsional with knowledge of the Buyer's circumstances, seems a little too trusting to me.
  7. I know the subject of UK law firm vs Notaire has been raised many times before but I'd like to support the UK gunslinger/solicitor line. I should add that I'm not a Lawyer! Maybe after a few times buying and selling in France one may become more confident or know more what to spot, but for my 1st buy there, I certainly didn't. The virtual 'sold as seen' concept in France is a potential minefield, compared to the regs and processes carried out in the UK on a home sale. The Notaire is essentially there as a Government officer to collect the tax due. Whilst mine did offer advice and was generally helpful, I felt far more comfortable knowing a UK Solicitor (and qualified Avocat in France) was wholly responsible for guiding my part of the process. They explained what the Notaire did and more importantly didn't do, they checked validity of artisan guarantees, planning in the local area, route of a proposed by-pass, inheritance issues, CGT and the all important Clauses Suspensives. For example, they added a few carefully worded clauses which gave me the option of backing out if certain events changed prior to completion, without losing my deposit. Although a clause didn't specifically cover sudden exchange rate shifts (it's perfectly possible to see a drop of 20% over a month or two), there were some options there that would have given me the opportunity. I speak OK-ish french and could gather what various artisans were telling me (pretty much) and was broadly able to read the documents (though I did use the UK lawyers to help understand the implications and translate a bit) but despite being (I think) about £3K lighter after using the UK lawyers,I consider it was very much worth the money. I'm no wimp when it comes to high ticket items and contracts but it's just too easy to walk into a nightmare, with both sides smiling all the way in.. Definitely my own personal gunslinger for me!
  8. Message on Ryanair website ( http://www.ryanair.com/en/new-routes) says it's starting again 02/01/2011, but I wouldn't rely on it!
  9. My understanding is that they are typically sold on a lease of about 25 years though existing leases with a portion of the lease remaining can be sold on. There are sometimes restrictions on who can sell the lease  - sometimes it has to be offered through the marina itself (and commission paid). But there are brokers - try http://www.marineonline.co.uk/index.htm as an example of the kind of prices charged.
  10. So they can apparently work on a temporary basis provided that they are registered for such work in their home country? Interesting. Given that I know not one word of Polish (and therefore verifying credentials may not be simple), I think I'll still go 'conventional'. I've found two separate Brit artisans who are registered in France and, with the help of an existing French artisan, a carpenter. So, hopefully, the long march to completion is nearing its end. ish Thanks for the link.
  11. The link doesn't work (for me). Could you check it and re-post?
  12. Just to be clear, I was not interested in engaging in black market labour, just a way of getting a small army of skilled workers to finish a renovation legally. It now seems this is at best borderline and would probably run the risk of being prosecuted, even if we put aside the local politics, which I do actually care about too. So, I'll now opt for a rather more conventional route - seeking out more quotes from registered local/regional artisans!
  13. Hmm, a little too close fo comfort! Thanks for the info. Any idea what actually happened in the case on judgement day? I tried a search and got nowhere.
  14. Thanks for the responses. Nick, if I use a business which is not registered in France (i.e. no SIRET), am I in potential trouble or is the (Polish) business? Given that it's largely decoration we're after, I'm less worried about the potential insurances/guarantees than the law.
  15. Our place in France has been in the process of renovation for over 2 years. We've used local artisans for all the work. The quality has been good, though maybe a bit expensive(!). It has been exceptionally slow with certain artisans turning up when they can or feel like it (normally just for a couple of days before we visit each month!). This makes a bit of a mockery of a planned renovation (i.e. first fix, second fix, co-ordination between trades etc). But we're nearly there and we've now got loads of rooms that now require painting and floors to be finished etc. If we use our existing team of two, working as they do,  not exactly every day(!), we'll still be under dust and paint by Christmas. I reckon I need a team of 6 painters & decoraters for two weeks for the final push to have the place finished. I've tried contacting other local painters and decorators but I'm hit with either lack of availability within a reasonable timeframe or none turning up for an appointment visit prior to a devis. Reluctantly, I'm going to have to consider getting a team in from further afield. I'd prefer not to have to do this since it could be a bit delicate locally though neighbours have expressed some horror at the time it's taken for the work to be completed so I think they will understand. Genuinely, I'm not doing this as a way of having the work done 'on the cheap' - though I suspect it will be cheaper. I'm considering it because I'm becoming a bit exasperated at the time the renovation is taking. I've contacted UK firms for a quote but most of the time I either get no response, little interest or Polish tradesmen who may or not be legitimate. I've had contact with a company in Poland who are willing to send a team of skilled people down. They can start very quickly and will doubtless work solidly (a friend has used them before though not in France and says they were exceptional). My concerns are: I'm assuming it is legal to contract a Polish company to employ Poles in France? - Treaty of Rome and all that. These workers will not be registered artisans (in France anyway). Is this a problem, apart from insurance, even if their work is only for a couple of weeks? The insurance liability will be carried by the employing company, hopefully anyway. Does anyone know whether, assuming  the business is legit and pays employers tax in Poland, is this acceptable in France? (i.e. is there a reciprocal agreement, like with UK/France?) If the company turns out not to be a company and is paying the workers cash, could I be held liable for their cotisations whilst in France? It's the company, not me that's employing them. I'm contracting the company.   I understand I'll not be able to reclaim capital gains of the costs in the event of selling the house but this isn't really a bother. I've tried to research via the web. There seem to be quite a lot of dire warnings about hiring workers 'on the black' but this seems to be talking about individuals. I've not seen anything about using a business or even a businesss which might not actually be a 'formal' one. How am I to know? I don't want to engage people on the black, but I'm a bit worried it may look like I am, to the authorities.
  16. Well I've turned the temperature setting on the boiler for the CH down to 12 deg and turned off the hot water completely. So it's now effectively in anti-gel mode, plus a bit.
  17. When I popped back to the house last weekend, the tanks were completely empty. The painters & decorators had left the boiler on for 10 days (and erm only appeared for work on 2 or 3 of these). A new delivery couldn't be made for 4/5 days so I popped to the local garage, jerry cans in hand and bought 40 litres. It was 80 cents a litre. Having transferred this to the tank, I started up the boiler again. 24 hours later, I was a bit shocked to find we were empty again. So this process continued for 4 days until the delivery arrived for the refill - at about 54 cents/lt. I suppose it was useful to establish just how much oil the boiler needs on a daily basis. Still, at least the price is miles lower than last year. Since we plan to rent the house out during the Winter months, it's important to realise how much money to factor in for heating whilst it is occupied - with maybe some contingency against upward future adjustment of the price!
  18. With apologies for slightly deviating from the thread but can anyone tell me the french word for a skim? Many of our walls have been slightly daftly polyfilla'd to give a sort of faux rustic look. I'd prefer it to be smooth(er).
  19. At least as a guide as to what's available and at what price, maybe the following link may be helpful ... http://www.fer-forge.fr/page/catalogue-fer-forge-2008--portail--garde-corps-d-escalier-et-de-balcon--porte-d-entree--etc.html
  20. "Oh no, much more of an international flavour. Tonight for example, we have sausissons sur un lit de purée de pommes de terre" :-)
  21. Maybe I'm confused but I'm not sure the original poster mentioned using black market workers. He was discussing the possibility of employing other EU workers to work on his renovation. As Poolguy mentions, there's absolutely nothing to prevent him doing so, in france or any other country in the EU. He may not get the security of insurance cover on the work but people no such system operates in the UK and people have been having building work done like this for years. He has already seen an example of their work (which would carry more weight for me than any supposed cover scheme). To ensure compliance with local building regs and the like, the OP could employ a Project Manager to check everything was being done as it should be. He'd still be quids in if he's correct about the price difference.  I would suggest one caution though.... If he has, for example, a new boiler to be fitted and there are problems with it later on, he'll find it much harder to get a local artisan come and fix it if it became known (as it surely would) that he's used non local/french artisans.
  22. I gather the protesters arrived 3 hours before the first flight so any rearranged flight plans etc could have been sorted in no rush, I'd have thought. Also, if there was any cost of the planes diverting to other airports, this 'wasted fuel' has to be offset against the fuel/carbon saved by the cancelled flights (in the protesters' minds anyway)
  23. I suspect from your ranting style, maybe you're a graduate of the 'O' Leary school of customer service. My point, which you seem to have missed, is that it's not actually a £10 fare for most passengers. Whether or not I can be bothered to find a post office and get another piece of plastic is another. Your next response is as daft as your first. If they say they have tickets for £10, they should have tickets for £10. If that causes them to go bust, so be it. I fly quite a lot on Ryanair but as has been suggested, they are not always the cheapest option and I use them when there's a big difference between their fare and another which offers a less unpleasant experience.. Why should I or the earlier poster be bothered to go to the trading standards office just because Ryanair is telling porky pies or failing to honour it's priuce pledge? And to your third point. Er, if I want luggage in the hold then I can't do it online, can I? Also, on Tuesday, I returned on a chavair flight (with just hand luggage incidentally). Despite the flight being only two-thirds full, nearly everyone had hand luggage and a coat. The flight was delayed because not all the luggage would fit in the overhead lockers. If everyone travelled with a hand luggage case, there simply wouldn't be enough space and it would have to go in the hold. I'm also getting a bit fed up helping more feeble/short passengers lift their cases up to the compartment. Ryanair staff certainly don't. Also, if I'm paying £32 for 15kg of luggage and passengers weighing considerably more are paying far less, who exactly is subsidising whom? I could go on about the dreadful tacky music, the lurid colours, the smell, the sticky seats, the eardrum shattering volume of announcements, the safety announcements that maybe in english, but not as we know it (probably in breach of CAA rules), the self-congratulatory trumpet fanfare when on time and the lack of apology when late, the temperature control with two settings (Polar or Tropical), they way they stick baggage labels on my passport using cheap glue that makes the passport sticky for ever more, the queueing, the soft porn calendar advertisement on the website, the way they treat their staff etc etc. But I won't because obviously it would prevoke the oft-heard dullard response from Ryanair groupies "if you don't like it, don't travel etc". If they traded more honestly and made the travel experience less horrible, I would travel with them even more. Time will tell if their business model will see them through a recession. They certainly do very little to build any kind of customer loyalty, apart from the actual (for which read Real) price of the flight. I tolerate them, and that's all.        
  24. [quote user="teapot"] Are people still whinging on, its soooo boooring. So a couple of flights to Milan cost £20.00 be bloody happy. A  short train journey in the U.K. cost more, Move on. If you want to save a couple of quid get a Visa electron card.[I] [/quote] Sorry it's so boring for you. I suggest you read some other posts if that's the way you feel. The homepage of the Ryanair site boasts about £10 fares one way, on 250 flights. If these flights are found (which really is "boooring"), it's not £10 at all (for the vast majority of passengers, being non-Visa Electron cardholders). Even for its own Ryanair cardholders the same sting is charged. I'm not aware either that £16 is actually  "a couple of quid". It should make this clear on the page - otherwise it's just a plain lie - which is against the Advertising Code. And don't get me on the airport check-in charge or the baggage. Maybe the banner ad should be amended to say  "Yes, it's £10 quid, but  nearer four times this if you want to pack more than a couple of Speedos and a T-shirt or slow up boarding with your handluggage"
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