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holliebabes

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Everything posted by holliebabes

  1. i have noticed when filling up my pool each day the level drops just below the skimmer level.i have filled it again today and within 2 hrs it has dropped 2 inches.do you think i have a problem with the skimmer pipework? i am unable to call back at the moment the guy who fitted the pool as we are fully booked with our gites and i cannot afford work around the pool.we have a 10 year guarantee.i don't think it can be the liner as i have checked as best as poss and cannot see a problem. would welcome poolguys opinion.or any other chaps who might have a solution
  2. well i am prepared to be honest.last year we did 34 weeks between 2 gites and we were gobsmacked at the response.this year we have done more marketing than we have ever done and this time last year we had 21 weeks booked.this year only 10. i keep getting told people are booking later and later,but i am not convinced.we are on dept 86 poitou charente which is very popular for visitors,so who knows. i will just wait and see.but don't lose hope.you are not the only one in the same boat. lets hope we both have a good year,and those that say they are fully booked already i will take that with a pinch of salt!!! all the best sharon
  3. thank-you all for your advice and comments.i will be in the garden and giving it all a try.
  4. hi guys, i am reasonably experienced at gardening,and know that to plant a wild flower meadow i need to do the preparation first.but i have a large area,very stoney and full of various grasses and it would be impossible to prepare.can i cover with membrane for the winter to starve the grass and then top with compost and then sow the wildflower seeds in spring????.it would be impossible to rotivate the area or dig over as it is too large. i am not looking to cheat,i know gardening is hard work,but i just want to make it look pretty for next year.any suggestions i would be grateful.also on a limit for time and money!!!!
  5. i don't think we are too far from you and i would love some chicken coups ready for getting my chicknes next year, can you send me some details and exactly where you are.happy new year.
  6. we have paid fonciéres since we have lived here approx 2 years,but have not paid any hab we have declared all savings and they have returned the hab request as nil to pay!! and we have an english advisor/accountant here and we have been told that  as we are living on savings until the gites start to generate an income then will not have any hab to pay,and poss will not pay hab after the first year of takings as they might be below the threshold. i have to say i get so many conflicting opinions that my head is swimming,but you sound like you know what you are talking about,thanks again
  7. sorry perhaps it was the way that i worded it.we are ready to start letting the 2 gites from jan 2007,so i presume from the other reply that it will be 2 years before i get hit with more money to pay. we will be reg for tax and have a siret number. lets hope that they feel like being kind!!!!as i have no idea how much money we will take as we all know or have been told that we have entered into a saturated market with gites,and that gites are dead in the water.(always somebody wants to put the dampners on your dream!!) we are realistic,but did not come and live in france with a fortune saved in the bank,so need to make things work.i have already received a bill for 1500euros which is payable in two instalments that i understand is for converting the outbuildings into habitable space. i am just worried that there are some more bills lurking around the corner! thanks for taking the time to give me some information.
  8. i am just about to be part of the health care system,and have been told that the top up insurance is compulsory? if anybody can give me any details would be grateful thanks in advance
  9. can anybody tell me now that i have finnished 2 gites and built a pool will my hab and fon bills increase? i understand that my hab will remain the same as myself and hubby are the only permanant residents all year round. any info would be grateful thanks in advance[8-)]
  10. i know this similar to to other threads and i might have missed the answers. english builder resident in the uk and still lives there permanantley,but has brought 2 second homes here. he wants to bring his workforce over that he employs to finnish his properties?,so can he just continue to pay tax in the uk or will he have to do something here for all the workers. i think i remember somebody talking about this ages ago and saying the french were not too happy with the brits doing this,i presume as they were not employing the french for the work. the above is a situation that i am aware of and i am just asking how it is possible for this person to do this? he is also offering work to brits here and paying them on his books in the uk,so that he has a huge workforce and then can get the jobs done quicker. i suppose if all is legal then good luck to him and the workers but i am sure that knowing what france is like re working i cannot imagine that they woiuld let him get away with it.i dont think that he is trying to be deceiptful,it just makes sense for him to bring over workers that he knows are good at the job. [8-)]
  11. thanks for that all suggestions welcome.i just think that there is a bigger market for rental than just advertising with english visitors. and as the name of the game is to stay in france i am looking at as many marketing avenues as possible. merry christmas as well to you all.heres to a good 2007!![:D]
  12. hi everybody, does anybody have some good websites that advertise to our dutch and belgium visitors? i think only advertising to our fellow brits is not making the best of the rental market. any ideas welcomed and if anybody uses any already that would be great if you can pass on the details. thanks in advance[:D]
  13. hi everybody, we are reg as non-proffessional for our gite buisness.we have been advised by an english speaking accountant that this was the best way with gites that we have no idea how much money we will take. can anybody give me some idea how much i will have to pay in contributions.i expect that these payments will be in advance as it seems that is normal with most charges? i am hoping that i do not get a really nasty shock!! any advice would be appreciated[:)]
  14. hi vickybear, we can help we are on the charente/vienne boder and we are pet friendly.you don't say how many humans you are but we have 2 properties that would suit you. our website is www.gitesdumarigne.com or you can pm or email me. if we don't see you have a good stay here in france, best wishes sharon
  15. hello i am new to the forum.i have read with interest all your comments re working brits in france. i totally agree that the situation is wrong.but sadley france does not encourage people french and english alike to work legally. i run a gite buisness and i am reg to pay all my social charges and if i hit the threshold the nessecary taxes i have been approched by people to do gardening and cleaning work and i will be happy to do so using the cheque employi system. i know of other people that have used this system for jobs like this,and they are happy to know that they are being paid their share and then sending off the same to ursef.i have a friend in the area (english)who has reg as a macon and he reckons that he needs to earn 30,000 euros per year and after all the deducations and the hefty insurances he will be lucky to clear 8,000!!! not much to live on with wife and 3 kids. i agree that if you knew somebody who was working totally on the black then i would be inclined to nod in the right direction, but we found that when we employed french artisans that they all wanted to be paid half cheque and half cash as they could not afford to declare all their earnings.. i think this is a very heated subject and i understand that if you are paying your way you would be hacked off at the person who is not.i would be grateful if anybody can tell me more about cheque employi as i would like to know that if i did some gardening that i was working legally,as i do not want to buck the system. i also hope being a newbie that i will not get ripped to shreds!!! or sworn at!!![:D]  
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