[Free rental in Normandy - crazy idea?]

Morning all

I have a detached house near Flers/Bagnoles de L’Orne in Normandy. I’ve owned it for 14 years, and made some improvements - central heating, extension with two bedrooms, and had the garden cleared up.

Problem is - I have no time at all to get over there and do all the jobs I want to do. I need replacement windows, a rewire on the ground floor, an en-suite needs fitting, and a host of other smaller jobs.

I used to use Les Bons Voisins to arrange things and get the place looked after, but they stopped covering my area.

So, I was thinking of this. If there were a sensible couple or family that were thinking of buying in Normandy, I quite like the idea of letting them live in the house (probably for free), providing they arranged the work that needed doing, they did the gardening, and get the house up to the condition I want it. With me paying for things, naturally, but they live there and arrange it all.

Does anyone think that’s a terrible idea? Are there even people out there who would do a bit of work in exchange for rent?

Has anyone tried this?

[Advice on woodburner]

We have an old Deville woodburner in our lounge.  I derive a

strange satisfaction from cutting down trees on my land, and then

shoving them in the burner!  It feels all green and sustainable,

man.....

To be honest though, it's not that controllable and takes a fair bit of

tlc, cleaning etc.  If you have central heating, get an extra

radiator!

[10k UKP gone missing between UK/France]

I am an auditor for a UK Bank, and I have had regular fun with 'missing

currency payments'......basically the problem with the international

payments system is SWIFT - it's the 'glue' that holds the international

payments system together and it is frankly a little outdated.  Let

me explain how the system works.

The currency broker will have his Bank in the UK - let's say its

Barclays.  he will instruct Barclays to pay a currency amount to

your account in France.  This is where the fun starts.

Barclays may have a direct 'relationship' with CA in France - in which

case CA are the 'correspondent' Bank - if this is the case Barclays

simply 'transfer' the funds via a SWIFT 'message' and the banks debit

and credit their Nostro and Vostro accounts (don't ask!).  This is

fine, usually, and involves minimal checking.  However....

If Barclays don't have a 'relationship' with CA, they will 'route' the

payment via an 'agency' bank either in the UK or France, for example

maybe Citibank in the UK, or BNP in France.  If this is the case

the payment goes from Barclays to Citibank to CA, perhaps even via

another agency bank in France, so the payment could either be routed

like this:

Currency Dealer > barclays > CA > You!, OR

Currency Dealer > Barclays > Citibank > CA > You!, OR

Currency Dealer > Barclays > Citibank > BNP > CA > You!

The complexity is often because payments get 'stacked' in 'in-trays',

which is particularly a problem if American Banks are involved as

correspondents or agents, as they are paranoid around routing funds to

'inappropriate' groups (its the war on terror I am afraid!), and so

take a loooooong time to check every payment v throughly before letting

it through their 'gateway'.

In your case, I wouldn't blame the currency dealer or even CA - they

might not even have any knowledge of the payment yet.  The people

that should be in charge of the situation are the 'remitting bank' - in

this case Barclays, and the currency dealer should be barking at them.

Everyone agrees this is a crappy situation to be in, but something

called 'The Single European Payments Directive' which is due to come

into play in January 2007 will imrpove things.

Banks get a lot of hostility because of payments, but it's really a

political problem.  If the system is improved it reduces the

'barriers to entry' to payments business in the EU for all domestic

banks.  Lets face it, if there is one country which wouldn't want

a British bank transacting their payments domestically....it would be

France!!!

I hope that makes sense - I have tried to keep a complex nightmare

system simple!  Just be glad you're sending money to France - I

once sent some money to Latvia for a client that was 'routed' via a

bankrupt bank......ah, the happy days of Corporate Banking!!

[Which heating?]

I desperately need central heating installed before next Winter - my

place in Normandy has a wood burner and electric heating, but this

combination is totally unsuitable.  The very large room with the

woodburner is hotter than Hades, and the electric heaters just about

manage to stop ice forming!!  I'd like some sort of middle

ground.....

The local builder has suggested oil fired CH, but I want a gas cooker

so was thinking of LPG.  Any idea of the costs involved?  I

have been quoted €10,000 for an oil-fired boiler, 5 rads and an oil

tank.  This seems a bit steep - am I right?

[Cancer support]

It's not really a support group but I have found www.cancerbacup.org

very useful for info about cancer - my partner was recently diagnosed

too.

[Your Help! Rayburns, fuel and money, money, money!!!]

hello

I have taken le plunge and bought a maison secondaire.  At the

moment, it has electric wall heaters and an immersion heater. 

Being a typical anglais, I look at central heating as a minimum. 

I'll be over at the house in winter lots (it's in Normandy), and so I

want it to be cosy.

I am very keen on a Rayburn - and I was thinking of oil, although I don't know if oil Rayburns are available in France.

My question is,

1 - whats the easiest way of buying a Rayburn usable in France

2 - which fuel?  Oil/gas?  I don't want solid fuel as I don't want to be stoking it

3 - how much for a new Rayburn and central heating with 4-5 rads?  Fitted?

Is this going to cost more than the house?

Ta

[Are there any discussion groups in Dept 61?]

Hi

Thinking of buying near Domfront.....so I guess 61 could be 'home' soon. 

[La Ferriere aux Etangs]

Anyone live near this village?  Its the nearest place to a house I am off to view.....