Gardengirl

I understand that  there is meant to be a month between receipt of final contract and the official signing at the notaire's office. This time being necessary for reading/understanding the document and maybe seeking help from a qualified person who can read it for legal matters and for a translation.We have not yet received our contract from the notaire, and are meant to be signing towards the end of the month for our new-build apartment, when we are to fly out. Can anyone confirm that a month is a legal requirement. We are told that the notaire can speak English and will translate parts of the document. However, I am now wondering if we should have paid out £lots and lots for the services Is there anything else we should be aware of concerning the final contract that anyone can think of? Thanks a lot, Jo     

I suffer badly from bites, and they can really swell up and go a bit nasty, as well as itching like mad. I already take a daily anti-histamine capsule (prescribed by my GP) throughout most of the year for rhinitis (hay fever is one form of this, but is usually confined to springtime); I get rhinitis at many times of year. I use Avon Skin So thingy, (recommended to me years ago by my niece who was living in India, and found it worked for her), vitamin B, lemon-scented and other Deet-free remedies, citronella candles and plug-in electric thingies, depending where I am at the time - in/out-doors & which part of the world. I have also used Deet when absolutely necessary, but am very dubious about its effects -it shouldn't touch various materials, and I'm not sure in my own mind that it's totally safe for me or the environment - but it can be very effective. I also regularly use those little plastic clickers on bites; these are very effective at reducing itching, and can be bought all over the place including Boots. Even my dubious husband has agreed that they work! A couple of years ago we were on an Australian island, probably Dunk (yes, really!), and bought an anti-midge remedy. It was in a small round tin, and you rubbed the soap-type tablet on the skin. It smelled lovely - eucalyptus etc, and was amazingly good. I continued to use it up till last summer, when it was becoming very small, and have since lost it. It was wonderfully effective on all the nasties in Australia and all over Europe. I'd love more of it. On the subject of some of us being more of a target than others, my husband and elder son don't get bitten much, whereas our younger son and I are usually targetted. Younger son has been known to be targetted on the head very badly, whilst others around him have not had a single bite. I do wonder if sweat has something to do with this, as he is a very sweaty mortal, as am I to a lesser extent.

Does anyone know if this exists in the Gard (30)? It sounds really good!

We are in the process of buying an apartment off-plan. There is a toilet in a small room on its own, and a bathroom with no toilet in it. We are having a small wash hand basin installed in the former, and a toilet in the latter, in place of the planned washing machine, which is going in the kitchen! So, yes, in answer to the question, it would appear that the French still go in for having the separate toilet not located in the bathroom! (Apparently at least half of the buyers are French) A further question - why do washing machines generally go in the bathrooms? 

We have been trying to find a particular line in baths and WCs, without success. The names are Allia and Perline. Has anyone heard of these? Otherwise, can anyone help with a site for finding bathroom manufacturers, please?

Can't help on compost you want.Here in England we have 3 compost heaps, so all our waste from copious amounts of fruit/veg we get through is used.We are to move to an apartment for about half the year, and wondered what we can usefully do with it then. Any ideas? Thanks, Jo

Many thanks for such helpful replies. Jo

Hope someone can help with this. We are buying an apartment in Uzes, and won't understand the French contract. We thought if we could find one who speaks English, we'd do a lot better; the one already working on the contract doesn't. We've heard that it doesn't cost any more to have 2 notaires involved, as they share the fee. Is that right? We will also want to have a community marriage contract, and assume he/she would sort this out for us as well. This is all very new to us, so feeling very much at sea. Thanks for any help you can give. Jo

We are just starting out to buy our first property in France, and are realising by the day how much we have to learn. Having followed this forum for a while, I'm hoping some of you can help with some of our queries. We are buying an apartment to use for up to 5 months a year; it's not our dream house, but it's very practical for us at this time. Is it necessary to have a solicitor to check over the contract? We are buying from a large French developer. We have approached a firm of solicitors recommended to us, and it would appear we are looking at over £1,000 without extras. Does anyone know how co- propriete  rules are arrived at? I wondered if there is a basic list, to which individual groups add to, to cover their particular circumstances. We think we would like to rent out our apartment during the summer months, as it is in a pretty town, near to lots of attractions and not that far from the Med. We wonder if that sort of thing is covered by co-propriete rules.   Thanks, Jo