Babbles
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Posts posted by Babbles
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Had no problems with using POA for the first signing but we both had to be there for the second, it slightly slowed down the 7 day cooling off period because MOH had to recieve the compromis vent papers in the post and wait 7 days from the date they were signed for but it was no problem and didn't effect the final signing date Good Luck[:)]
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From experience the thing not to do is open an account at an international branch, as its been said in the thread franch banks do not run in the same manner as the uk, its more important to open the account in the branch you want to use, it took monthes to sort our account from BNP Paribas in Paris to our local branch MOH still hasn't got his card. The important thing to remember is that when you set up direct debits you have to provide a rib (either from your cheque book, branch or on-line) its just so much easier if you can pop into your locak branch and get one. Of our two major headaches in our house purchase opening the bank account was one of them, which with hind sight could all have been avoided.
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Having worked in retail management doing shifts and working 5 days out of 7 really does have some bonuses, a day of in the week and I got loads done, but it wasn't so hot for my social life and I wanted to work Monday to friday, I got promoted to area level and worked Monday to Friday on balance I think having a day off in the week is better as long as you get one day of at the weekend to catch up with friends and family. Mr Babs used to work in the newspaper printing industry now that really is unsocialble hours and makes retail look like a walk in the park printing all those sunday papers on a saturday night really cramps your life style, but there are loads of industries / walks of life that work really bad hours and are not always recognised by good pay or shift allowances.
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Panda, Faint hearted we're not, stupid possibly [:D] it wouldn't be the first project that we've done and have put up with a fair amount c** p whilst they going on , as they say you're a long time dead so you may as well give it a go, as MOH says you make a decision and then make it work even if sometime you're flying by the seat of you're pants! First we need to sell our business in the UK to release the initial capital we need, we'd live in the house in Gers which is just coming to the end of its renovations so it wouldn't be as bad as when we bought the shop which was living in a nightmare while we were turning the busines around we lived in the bedroom for 3 months there was water running down the inside of the sitting room walls and the avacado bath had a crack in it so showers had to be real quick!! it made some old french style of decorating look quite tasteful!
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4 months of our 5 year plan for the shop and then move to France, need to find a buyer 1st[:(] but had 2 viewings[:D] but can they afford it[:P]
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When we started to look for an area to buy we started in the North , hovered arround the Loire and Samur for a bit headed west to the coast, wasn't keen on the countryside so headed south east via the Dordogne found Provence too expensive and too windy but liked the better weather so then headed west again to Gers and found it to be just to our taste but it took 15 years to decide that!!! You just have to get out there and see whats important to you.
Edit that looks like we couldn't make are minds up, that wasn't the case we just didn't have the money[:)]
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So Did Henry Ford say all of that? or someone else add it on, anyway think like that and it will get you through the day, it will probably make the doom merchants on the forum grumpy (keep it topical!) but I don't think it makes me pink and fluffy, there must be another place on the forum that is neither doom and gloom or pink and fluffy and thats where I am[:)]
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As far as retail staff in the uk are concerned they have to opt in to work on Sundays and make themselves available thats a legal requirement of their contract, we run a convience store and post office in a lancashire village we have made it a thriving success (after 4 years) but only do it by being open when we are needed ( 6 am - 8pm 7 days) none of the staff work more than 5 days out of 7 and the local "youth" are glad of employment oportunities at on evenings and weekends when we bought the shop he opened office hours and made a loss, RH is correct Sunday is the second biggest shopping day now in the UK and I do think that large stores only being able to open 6 hours does help protect the staff. It's great being idealist about not shopping on unsocialble hours to help the workers but often college students and people who need second jobs for financial reasons only are available to work at those times, the reality of retail is that its very hard to find good staff in a lot of cities so in fact its often its the staff who call the shots when it comes to availability to work, but saying all that I love the limited hours in France and people eating at the same time etc etc who really needs everything available 24 / 7.
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Just thought I should correct it as it had been pointed out to me before someone else gets on my case (I didn't know my mother was on the forum , she always corrects my spelling[:'(] and normally in red pen! and made me grumpy, keeping it on topic)
Anyway one of my managers told me the tag line I'm using at the moment and its a quote from somebody but I've no idea who, anyone any clues? but I love the sentiment of it who ever said it[:)]
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I never was any good at spelling but I have got other talents[;-)]
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It might be off topic but it put a smile on my face[:)]
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Logan, at last some sense is spoken
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Does this now mean that everyone is going to move on , and have a bit more of the wit and humour we're used to[:)]
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Should have been a bit clearer , I meant east of Toulouse to house hunt (doh) there is of course some very stylish sand dunes west of Bordeaux but not much classic french housing[;-)] I was still thinking of how awful Liverpool Airport is, I lose all sense of reasoning oh and then if I think of Toulouse's ring road I always seem to get dreadfully lost as I fast head for the Spanish border as MOH says am I safe to be let loose in SW France on my own in a hire car. keep it simple, Manchester to Bordeaux I know where I'm going then!
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Panda, great to hear someone having a success story with French property development, Hats off to you[:D] where abouts in France are you ? I would certainly be keen to hear more about your expereince of property development in France, keep posting and don't let the grumps get to you[:P]
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Really interesting link, as our holiday (one day our real) home is on the border of Gers and Lot & Garrone it is interesting to see how differently each dept perform as some items are at opposite ends of the rankings, I suppose the sensible thing would be for me to rank the criteria in importance to us and then look at the rankings.
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Bmi Baby should have started there summer timetable, pending on where abouts your looking for houses consider Bordeaux, lovely airport good motorway links and tends to be cheaper than Toulouse but no good if your heading East, from personal experience avoid Liverpool Airport like the plague [:P] really slow in getting through customs with all the cheap flights, 2 hours of waiting in hell!!!!!!!!!! even if the flights are cheap (but no cheaper then Bmi Baby)
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Just looked at Jet2 prices are competitive if you pick the right days but you arrive a 10pm at night which is alright if you know where your going but a bit of a pain if you don't so on balance I'd stick with Bmi Baby
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I would look for a morgage broker to do the negoiating for you as there are so many different products out there, we're self employed and it didn't prove to be a stumbling block to getting a mortgage for our second home, see if there isonyone local to you who might have a recomendation.
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I believe that there is a group of Americans who are quite active in Toulouse, but I don't know if they work for Airbus or the related industries or if Brits are welcome [;-)] but as its a bigger cultural step from the US to France than from the UK I too wonder how they get on. When I lived in the States there was no news on regular TV on Europe and it all felt very "small town" with no interest and very little knowledge of what was happening in Europe. I always assume that if you are going to work in a foriegn country you would be interested in it culturally but who knows.
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Suze , Thanks for the link, I was out to lunch last week with some people wo had very opposing views which made for an interesting lunch but I still didn't feel that I would really be able to make an informed choice if I had to, so a bit more knowledge helps[;-)]
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We've abandonded the idea of a built in Rockpool type spa as the cost was astronomical so are now looking at the freestanding route, we want quite a simple round one in stone or marble colour thats tasteful looking (not blue, millions of jets, strange seating arrangements etc etc ) We looked at the Aquilus Spa "Nacre" which looks a bit like it would fit the bill, has anyone any experience of a Aquilus Spa and how reliable they are, I don't know much about Spas but I do know that automated water treatment is a good idea but don't know if this model has that (they'ed run out of leaflets) and if it doesn't what do I need to do to maintain it? Or is there something better out there that would meet the bill, the biggest issue is finding a simple design thats of reasonable build quality.
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We've had some of those really large shower heads in the new bathrooms, don't expect them to be like power showers more like rain, they use a lot less water get you really wet so are better for the enviroment , but if it is just a trickle there probably is something not quite right, are they heated via a combi boiler or a hot water tank as if the latter the pressure is greater.[:)]
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I've got the copy you need, pm me and we can sort it out [:)]
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PM me, I use a lovely Lady in North Gers, about 1/2 hour from Agen who can act as a legal translator, she acted thoughout our sale and throughout our recent Fosse issues with the Notaire we also used another translator who is French who actually writes letters for french people he's that good!
A red Handle ?
in The Lighter Side
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