StephenM

 Hi   I intend to return to the UK and buy a trailer to bring back some items that won’t fit in the car and then continue using it for carrying renovation materials here.  I have read conflicting information as to what is required to use it in France.  Does anyone have personal experience of this? It will only be a small 2 wheeled trailer.   Thanks

Hi   We need to fit a new fosse septique, we are near La Reole in the Gironde, 60 km south east Bordeaux can anyone please recommend a company there have used for this or who not to use!   Thanks

Will, hanks for your answer   Before we signed the Compromis at the estate agents office, we gave them a list of conditions, the fosse conforming was one of them.  The agent told us they would send our conditions to the Notaire.  We then signed.  I fear we were duped by the agent and that we have no conditions.  We have emails from the agent informing us that the conditions were passed to the notaire, but as these we not on the Compromis, I now assume are not included. When the problems arouse with the planning, or lack of it, the agent told us not to pay the deposit, but to wait first to see if the vendor would apply for retrospective planning, which they did, we then paid, but this was about a week later than it should have been paid.  The agent initially told us there would need to be a new Compromis, but then changed their mind.  We are using a different notaire to the vendor, this was suggested by the agent,  we also sent him our conditions but have heard nothing from him but we have been told it is normal for notaires to not respond !   Where do you think we stand in this ?  

Hi We signed the Compromis de Vente on our purchase some weeks ago, there have bewen problems with the purchase due to alot of work carried out without planning, this has now been applied for but as a result of this the fosse will need to be replaced,(the arcitect says they had to do this) the agent has told us this will be our cost, not the vendor, the arcitect has told us that because of the number of bedrooms the fosse will be expensive - at least 8000 € - something we had not budgeted for at this stage, the seven day period has long gone, but do we have any way now to get a reduction or insist that the fosse is replaced by the vendor? Could this be made a reason to not complete the purchase? Also on the Compromis de Vente, can someone please explain the significance of the section Propriete - Jouissance, the agent filled in Jour de l'acte authentique avant 3.03.2007, the agent is away on holiday and will not be back by this date so I can not clarify this with then Thanks for your help

Hi Will Thanks for quick relpy. Our agent has presentented us with these reports as part of out initial agreement, will the Notaire accept these or will he require new reports?  

Hi Our estate agent has show us a termite report for a house we intend to buy, the report is 7 months old, I thought I read some where that they are only valid for 3 months.  Can some one confirm this please   Thanks

I think the previous owners intended to do alot of B&B or just rent it out as a 7 bed /6 bathroom gite but it never got to that stage.  The cooker in the kitchen has never been used so I doubt if the loos have seen any action.  The agent says we would know if there was a problem with the drains, but because of the lack of use it probably hasn't happened yet, we do not want to be the ones to find the problem. It is bound to happen the week the familly arrive for a visit!!(there actually 7 loos at presant but we plan to take one out !) It seems the sensible route would be to insist on a C o C as we plan to apply to make some external changes, if we then needed to payout 6 - 7000€ for a new fosse, we couldn't afford to make the planed external changes.

Hi   We have been searching for a property in the north of the Gironde and have found a property we like located between La reole and Monsegur.  Before we commit to buy we would like to find out more about this area.  We have looked at facilities in the area but would like to know more “insider” detail.  Can anyone help with this please

Hi   We have been searching for a property in the north of the Gironde and have found a property we like located between La reole and Monsegur.  Before we commit to buy we would like to find out more about this area.  We have looked at facilities in the area but would like to know more “insider” detail.  Can anyone help with this please

Hi   We have been searching for a property in the north of the Gironde and have found a property we like located between La reole and Monsegur.  Before we commit to buy we would like to find out more about this area.  We have looked at facilities in the area but would like to know more “insider” detail.  Can anyone help with this please

Hi After reading and re reading all replies and links, it would appear that the best solution would be communaute universelle, as this would mean the surviving partner pays no tax.  Ultimately we would leave the property to our two nices, they could if they wished take out a policy to pay the taxes due! Thanks all for your advice and help

Hi   My wife and I are about to buy a house in France, the agent has suggested that we buy this en tontine, but this would appear to leave the surviving person liable for inheritance tax ?.    Neither of us have been married before, we have no children, I have one brother, my wife has one brother and one sister. Can someone please advise which method will result in neither partner being liable for inheritance tax   Thanks

Hi   We are just about to buy our fist house in France.  The heating is electric.  I have read and been told by numerous people that electricity is expensive in France.  I have looked at the French website of EDF and the costs appear to be HP €0.1074 kwh and HC € 0.0654 kwh, with a standing charge of about €270 for a 60 amp supply. I checked the cost of 14 UK suppliers and the average cost was 9.03 pence per kwh or €0.13.  This makes French electricity cheaper than the UK.   Have I missed something, or have I or the tariffs wrong?

Hi   My wife and I are thinking about living in France.  I intended to register as a sole but was horrified at the cost of this whether of not I made a profit.  A friend has told me that I should register as a mico enterprise but was not able to tell me much more.   Can anyone explain more about this and what the costs are   Thanks for your help