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Carly

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Posts posted by Carly

    how do i sell handmade products?

    in Earning a Living

    Posted

    Isn't there a rule that you can do three or so markets a year without registering, or have I imagined that? I'd like to do a couple of craft markets before Christmas (as a hobby I make silver jewellery)... would I have to go through all the rigmarole and expense of registering as a trader and a business just to do a couple of markets?

    Any advice gratefully received!

    Carly

    Do I need to complete a tax return?

    in French Finance

    Posted

    Please excuse what is - almost certainly - a very stupid question.

    Since I arrived in France a year ago I have been picking up part-time work via Manpower and being paid by them on a contract basis. I'd assumed that, as I'm not self-employed, I wouldn't have to complete a tax return, but doubt has just crept up on me... Could someone kindly clarify, should I be expecting to receive, and complete, a tax form?

    Many thanks,

    Caroline

    Hourly rates for cleaning/garden maintenance/gite changeovers

    in South West (Aquitaine, Midi-Pyrénées)

    Posted

    A very big thanks to all of you for taking the time to reply to my question. I think that we reached a consensus. The reason that I ask is that I am thinking of offering a domestic cleaning service in this area (there seems to be an un-met demand), and I wanted to ascertain what would be a reasonable rate to charge. I don't expect to make much of a living (before you say it!) - but I am an odd fish that actually thoroughly enjoys cleaning and figure that this would be a good way to get to know people.

    My experience is similar to yours, Smiley: since we have lived here we have encountered a couple of workmen that have tried it on, but the positive experiences vastly outweigh the negative.

    THANKS AGAIN,

    Carly

    Apprenticeship sought: seeking to trade labour for learning

    in South West (Aquitaine, Midi-Pyrénées)

    Posted

    Good morning,

    I wonder if you might be able to help?
     
    I'm a 31 year-old ex-corporate treasurer, and have recently moved to the northern Lot (Dordogne border) with my family.
     
    I am extremely keen to learn a trade and would be happy to (legally) accept a minimum wage in return for experience and the opportunity to learn. In return, I can offer you enthusiasm, energy, dedication and a strong pair of arms! I am a keen DIY-er and have experience and good-amateur skills in construction, plumbing, electrics, carpentry, plastering, tiling and decorating.
     
    If you would like a keen and able apprentice, please send me an email at [email protected]

    MANY THANKS,
    Paul

    Where to buy a bike?

    in Sport, Leisure and Pastimes

    Posted

    I wonder if anyone might be able to help?

    Could you tell me - are there any retail chains in France that sell bicycles? I'm wanting (as a surprise present) to buy a bike for my father who lives in France (SW) and so wondered whether I might be able to buy one on line from a retail chain???

    Any advice would be greatfully received.

    Thanks a lot,

    Carly

    Saturnisme clauses in compromis

    in French Legal Issues

    Posted

    Is it standard, do you know, for a compromis on a pre-1948 house to have a large section (4 pages, in my case) regarding lead-poisoning related public health codes. I know that it is standard to have lead searches on older properties now, but the detail that my compromis goes into on these matters makes me slightly nervous (albeit this all seems to be generic with no specific references to this particular house).

    Is this normal?

    Many thanks,
    Carly

    Timing of taking house off market / inventories / adapter plugs

    in Finding/Owning French Property

    Posted

    ... can I draw once again on your collective wisdom? (and also just say what a wonderful resource this site is: it is like having an oracle on-hand 24/7. Beats the AA as the 4th emergency service!)

    A few of issues that I was wondering about, as I'm about to sign my compromis:

    - at what stage is it normal for a house to be taken off the market? Presumably upon signature of the compromis, yes?

    - is it the convention now in France (as in the UK) for the seller to draw up an inventory (what is staying/what is being left)? Is it the custom to leave/take built-in white-goods, do you know? I'm guessing that this varies sale-by-sale, but wanted to get an idea of what was normal.

    and on a slightly more banal note...

    - is there an alternative to conventional adapter plugs (by that I mean the sort that we normally take on holiday) i.e. is there something more permanent available? If so, do you know where said items can be purchased?

    MANY THANKS in anticipation.

    Carly

    White powder?

    in House Renovations

    Posted

    Sounds like saltpeter (potassium nitrate, I think? But someone will no doubt correct me). Fairly harmless and common in older houses (especially damp outhouses), but I think that you can by solutions from DIY stores to dissolve/suppress it... otherwise you can mix it with charcoal and make gunpowder out of it, perform voodoo rituals with it, or use it as a fertiliser or as a food preservative. They also used to put it in army rations because it, erm, suppresses male virility! What was I saying about it being harmless...?

    Carly
    (absolutely full of useless facts)

    Old terracotta floor tiles.

    in House Renovations

    Posted

    I guess that there are may be specialised products in france, but I'd say just feed them the old-fashioned way - give them a nice dose of linseed oil (let a generous application soak in) and then polish in a couple of good layers of heavy duty wax floor polish applied a couple of days apart.

    A tiler incidentally gave me a great tip for polishing terracotta tiles - buy a car bodywork polisher from Halfords or the equivalent... works a treat!

    Best of luck,
    Carly

    Caretaking/keyholding service in Lot (46)?

    in Gite Owners Forum

    Posted

    Wonder if you might be able to help me?

    I'm conducting a bit of a straw-poll to see if an idea has legs (excuse me mixing my metaphors)...

    My husband and I are thinking of setting up a business in the Lot/Dordogne offering gite caretaking/keyholding services (cleaning, garden maintenance, changeovers, renovation/decorating, pool-maintenance services etc) to supplement a chambre d'hote income.

    I know that lots of people are already offering these services in various locations, but wondered, is this something - in your opinion - that there would be a market for?

    Appreciate your guidance.
    Carly

    Caretaking/keyholding - advice sought

    in Earning a Living

    Posted

    Hello folks - I'm seeking some advice...

    My husband and I are thinking of perhaps setting up a business in the Lot/Dordogne offering gite caretaking/keyholding services (cleaning, garden maintenance, changeovers, renovation/decorating, pool-maintenance services etc) to supplement a chambre d'hote income. Can anyone that is already operating one of these enterprises (and I see from the classified sections that there are lots of these businesses out there), give me some guidance as to whether this brings in enough to keep food on the table?

    Any advice would be very greatly appreciated!

    Many thanks,
    Carly
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