Bastet

Hi Tim When the water guy did the soil test at our last place (approx 3 years ago & free then!) he used an auger drill, which took out a neat hole approx 4" bore to the depth needed. (Ours filled up with water almost immediately on the several locations tried in our spare field, hence the need for a raised drainage sand bed.) Much easier than digging, sorry if you already know this just trying to save you some effort.  

We'd thought about making bat boxes as they obviously like that wall.  If we shut the shutters while they were out hunting, would they be distressed at finding their roost gone, or do you think they would settle down elsewhere without too much problem? I checked again this morning and there seems to be a large one and a tiny one - adult and youngster?     Is it unusual to find only a couple together? [quote user="chris pp"]. How's your French? Chris [/quote] Passable; it depends on how fast it's spoken. I'll like to go along to this evening; we'll have to swat up on bat vocabulary!

We have two or three bats (pipastrelles - sp? ) which regularly swoop around our garden, hopefully catching all the less desirable insects. We don't know where they normally roost, suspect it's somewhere in our double story  unrenovated outbuilding or small open hanger. However, they seem to have taken up residence behind a bedroom shutter. This must have been recently as only a couple of weeks ago, these shutters were opened and closed daily for a period of 10 days. I only discovered this new abode a couple of days ago when I shut the shutters to keep the heat out and realised 2 bats were flapping around desperately in full sunshine, trying to perch on the wall of the house. I opened the shutters asap, and they settled down again, where they've been since.   What I'd like to know is, if there are 2 bats here, are there likely to be more nearby, or are these just very independent individuals?  Like a previous poster, I would love to encourage more into our garden.  Also, are they likely to move again?  I don't want to risk disturbing them again by closing the shutters during the day, or disorient them by closing them at night and rendering them without their roost, but I'm not sure we can leave the shutters open forever.... I found the link to the site with the info about the bat watching projects very interesting;  there's one near where we live, in Melle, on the 25th August.

Do you mean you're going to be a full time resident in France? If so inform the Inland Revenue that you are no longer a UK resident for taxation purposes, then file a French tax return. Even if you have no income in France filing a tax return is required of all residents. The address you use for this will be classed as your principal residence, unless you indicate otherwise.I'm sure a search of this forum will return plenty of threads on that. Be aware though that if you have property left in the UK that you could be liable to CGT if you were to sell at a later date. As was said, speak to the DSS Newcastle for the documentation you'll need to provide CPAM under the European reciprocal health agreement. Depending on the level of contributions you've paid in National Insurance you can qualify for up to 2 years free health cover, after which you join CPAM proper and take out a 'top-up' medical Insurance to cover yourself.  

I'm sorry I thought this was a forum where people post & expect others to reply with their opinions and offer advice where needed. Which is what I did.  How does that make me a preacher? How is your comment in anyway constructive? From your signature link it looks like you run a company involved in the construction industry (your home page menu links weren't working when I visited your web-site to see the type of services you offer).Would you not be seriously miffed if a customer had contracted to employ you for 3 months, without ensuring they had funds in place to finance the project? I realise occasionally life throws up some nasty surprises, which can throw a spanner in the best of plans, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't be honest and straight with people.

Hi we've recently discovered www.eudiscs.com I don't think you can beat them for price, 100 dvd-r for €20 !  (more for brand names but way cheaper than anywhere else I've looked) They sell CD blanks & cases for disks etc. Delivery in France is €9.99 DHL. I've had no burn failures or compatability issues using their media. I have no association with the company, other than as a satisfied customer. hope that helps Tony

I think it's bad enough that you've created this situation, albeit with your banks help, but to then delay giving your builders all the facts as soon as you know them just makes it worse. Be honest & up front with them - they could well have other works they can pull forward with enough notice from you, but if you leave telling them until the last minute they'll be unemployed for a week or two & looking to you for recompense and reasonably so! It's not your place to soften the blow or choose their clients for them.

Getting back to van hire, we found Super U offered the most competitive deal.

Thanks for the reply Nick.  I'll be attending the business course in September and plan to set up under the 'reél simplifié' regime.  I have work to finish in our own house so to a certain extent, am able to choose the optimum date when to start working. Do fixed/reduced cotisations also apply to the 1st year of the above regime and does the 'reél simplifié' cotisation year also run concurrently with the tax year?   i.e., is it in my interests to hold off until 1st Jan?  Apologies if these are dumb questions; but as you say, I'm trying hard to plan and not leave myself open for too many nasty surprises.  

I remember reading on here in the past, but can't find the information now, that the choice of date for first registering as an artisan could detirmine whether initial cotisations are paid unecessarily.  Is anyone able to explain? Thanks.

Hi mark If you need to take off 50mm from the bottom step this won't = half a step, it will feel a bit different at first but you quickly get used to it. It's important to get an accurate measurement of finished floor to finshed floor levels, it's easy to mis-measure & end up 5cm out. Have you got finished floor surfaces top & bottom? If you're adding parquet or similar upstairs this would make up a lot of the difference, just a thought. best wishes Tony

Yes you're right it is a minefield, there seem to be so many more ways of starting out wrong here, then having to pay to change over to some other regime/status later. I still haven't found out if this 10 year insurance is compulsory. Some people have told me it is, whilst others have said it is only legally required by those that construct new homes, rather like the UK. If anybody is 100% sure of the requirements please let us know, otherwise I'll have to wait until September when I do my course - I chose Angloueme as the course is in English & my French, whilst improving everyday, is nowhere near good enough to get the most from the course. I have a couple of friends who did the course in French, treating it as a formality, and regret it now when there are so many things they don't truly understand!  

Hi Zeb Thanks for that. I wasn't aware you could actually get your siret before doing the course. I've been asked to start some renovation work in august for friends but was worrying I'd have to defer it until after I'd completed the stage. This backs up something I was reading about it being illegal for the French goverment to prevent you from earning a living in your qualified trade, so guess it makes sense. Would this satisfy the local mairie/gendarmarie do you know? Will that mean I can also take out any necessary insurances? Does someone know for sure which insurance I must have, apart from public liability (I'm not sure what this is called in French yet, sorry). Val thanks for your comments also, we don't have any children but I take on board absolutely what you say about big brother watching your every move!! That's one of the reasons I've decided against a micro enterprise, been told the authorities almost can't understand how an artisan can limit themselves to an amount of turnover per year , so they assume you're doing everything for cash & only putting minimum through the books. I'm sure that goes on but I don't want any part of it, the last thing I need is trouble in a country where I still consider myself to be a lucky and, so far, welcomed guest. I never worked like that in the UK so have no intention of starting now. thanks all for your help & best wishes Tony

Hi Okay as people have asked, both here & pm's, for the company we used,  it was www.armenager.com We have no association with this company, other than as satisfied customers. They have a showroom in Paris & an excellent website making it simple to choose & purchase everything on-line. We purchased a Sauter range, model SCM100XF1 which we are very happy with. The dishwasher is de dietrich DVF300JE1, packed with features & very quiet in use. The extraction unit is a Brandt AG357XP1 double fan built-in unit 70cm wide. We wanted a traditional look above the range so I built a hood with the extractor almost hidden from view, very powerful & nice quality feel to it with a low profile which made it easier to conceal. Think that about covers everything, hope that helps. Best wishes

Hi Thanks very much for your detailed reply Nick, so sorry it took me this long to acknowledge it.I've been busy working on our place, trying to get bedrooms ready for the influx of summer visitors, I think we must be on some sort of migratory route!!! Thanks also to those of you who have sent pm's offering words of encouragement. I have booked my place on the 5 day course in September ( all booked solid until then!) and intend to set up as a menusier, I think with the amount of work around I won't have any difficulty keeping busy, ha ha. I'll be a réel simplifie for the 1st year & register for tva if the need arises. I found out it isn't any more expensive in terms of coitisations & it will allow me to claim all my expenses back plus allow me to invest in new machines/tools as needed, which would also be offset over a number of years. Wish me luck..... Thanks all Tony

You can get built in double ovens in France but there are only a few brands available and they are horrendously expensive. We considered having an "ordinary" built in electric oven and a combi-microwave oven as the 2nd, but the total cost, including a decent hob was still way too pricey.  I did quite a bit of research as I desperately wanted two ovens but didn't have the space or budget for a full size range cooker.  I found one on-line that is 1000ml wide, as opposed to the usual 1200 +, has 2 electric ovens, 2 grills, a rotisserie (as yet untried) and a 5 ring gas hob. We also bought from the same supplier, the extract fan and dishwasher, all at much reduced prices and from a much better choice compared to ordering through a shop.( We compared them to a local destockage outlet too!) There are quite a few on-line suppliers with various pricing policies for delivery, guarantees etc, but they all seem to be very competitive. Good luck with your choice!

Hi Katie, Yes, you are so right, hence my pre-emptive defence!  These types of associations can give newcomers valuable information about local life/customs and the confidence to get out and mix with the French. We had loads of help from GT members when we first moved here 4 years ago and are happy to carry on the custom.

Hi Vab, and welcome to the Forum. There are many english speakers who live in and around Lezay, including St Soline. Apart from the regular annual large Brocante which takes place there in July, I don't know much about the local events, but you may, as newbies to the area,  wish to join an Association called Get Together which has a couple of hundred (mostly) British families as members. It arranges social, sporting and cultural events in the Deux Sevres department, as well as offering advice on many aspects of settling into french life.  If you want more info, please send me a PM. Before I get shot down in flames by those who consider this type of organisation too cliquey or exclusively 'ex-pat', I  must say in its defence that it can be enormously helpful for newcomers, and does a great deal to support local french causes.

Hi again Just to let you know we bought a siemens 3 handset answer phone package, which was on promo at leclerc for €85. Have to say that our early impressions are that it is excellent, has a host of useful features our last phone didn't have. Thanks again to all for their help. Best wishes

Hi all, I've read lots of posts on this & other forums but can't find an answer to my specific situation, so here goes. I'm a carpenter/joiner (city & guilds qualified) with 20 years experience in the construction industry. My last few years in the UK were spent in property maintenance & there I learnt most of the other trades. So I ideally would like to offer a similar service in France, but I don't want/need to work full-time, hence my query as to if it could be possible to do this under a micro-enterprise type company. From what I've read it would not be possible to LEGALLY offer to do all trades, but gather people do register as one thing & then do anything they're asked to do. I don't want to do anything where I'm going to be looking over my shoulder, or possibly causing ill feeling amongst my French neighbours/artisans. So does anyone know, with cast-iron certainty, what I can do? I guess my trade would be comparable to a menuisere, which seems to offer a range of jobs. I'm not against limiting myself to one trade skill-set, but don't want to limit myself if it's not necessary, as customers love it when you can come in & do the whole thing start to finish. Lastly can I please point out that it is not my wish to set up as a micro to avoid paying excessive insurance, coitisations, whatever. As I've said I'm in the fortunate position of not having to work full-time & the €27k P.A would be more than enough for us. I realise that it would mean the customers would have to buy materials & I would make this clear from the start, also I would opt for the sans assurance dec' like a lot of the french artisans around here, as that would help keep my costs down, insurance wise. Thanks to everyone for looking & all help/opinions offered. I would also like to ask that people don't hijack this post please[;-)]

Can I also add that if you buy specs here, with a UK prescription, you will not get anything reimbursed by CPAM - unless I was very unlucky recently. Until July, a chain of opticians called Optical Centre  ( www.optical-centre.com.)  has an offer of 40% off total cost + second pair free.   I originally posted this information a couple of months ago.....

Very comprehensive!   Many thanks

Can anyone recommend a make/model of phone, with integrated answer-machine and two extra handsets?  Our existing set is rubbish but we're not familiar with many of the manufacturers on the shelves, so are reluctant to buy "blind," in case we end up with another poor quality set. Thanks.

OK - the trials or try outs (essais ?) are in the morning  9 -12,  then the race(s) are from 2pm onwards - I think till 6pm.  They take place mostly on the D5, on the road to Niort.  

I'll check when I go out tomorrow  and let you know....