[Thoughts are welcomed please!]

Again thanks for the comments - all good stuff. Our house is right on the border of the Somme and Pas de Calais. Nearest biggish place Bapaume. Maybe I am getting old ( what do you mean maybe!!) bit I am of no doubt the weather there has got worse over the last 10 years. It rains a lot lot more plus in the summer its never hot for a period. The winters are not clever. House is mega insulated, problem is when you go out the house! Yup can put up with a cold winter if traded against warmer days in the rest of the year. In my humble opinion where we are does not get that. Bob

[Thoughts are welcomed please!]

Cheers to all for the debate - great stuff and really appreciated. We are talking in our head an area east of Tours, South of Orleans. Don't know - a village with a few shops ie baker, small bistro, grocer type, chemist and say within 10 miles to a town where there are more facilities. Based on Somme town sizes ie Albert, Peronne you are talking 10,000 inhabitants. Definitely short medium term to rent and take it from there. It has to be warmer than the Somme - the arctic is warmer than there! Cheers Bob

[Thoughts are welcomed please!]

Hi there,

All thoughts are welcomed. We own a small house on the Somme. Far too cold there so we are wanting to move to the Loire Valley. Anybody any views on nice villages on eastern side to retire too ie must have a few shops, within reach ish of a town etc. Anybody wanting us as neighbours?! - no chance!

[All suggestions welcomed!]

Evening all,

Thanks for your thoughts.

A few ideas to follow up here. We have to be realistic in that we would expect to have some sort of winter but hopefully it would not be drawn out and the summer would be longer and hotter than we would get in Picardie. We are located in the very north of the Somme.

I also think that initially we would rent very short term before firming up in an area. We are there in about 4 weeks so can continue the research then.

Thanks again for the thoughts

Bob

[All suggestions welcomed!]

We live in UK and own a house in Picardie.

Next year, we will move to France but being honest the weather in Picardie is not clever. That house will be sold and we will move south.

Suggestions welcomed therefore for areas and villages. More the merrier. There will be a gift for somebody if we end up in their suggested village - promise!! We have thoughts but you guys live there!

Some ideal world goal posts are:

must be within 2/3 hrs from a 'good' airport.

must be no more than say 6/7 hrs from Calais.

would prefer rural but within say 20 mins of a town with supermarket etc

must have some shops if a village. ideally add a bistro.

must be scenic etc  you know what i mean!

must be warm - am fed up of  two day UK summers and 6 month Picardie winters!

All suggestions welcomed! Who would want my wife and i as neighbours?  Guess there will be no replies now!

Thanks

Bob

[Copying French keys]

You are right - getting the blank is the problem.

The front door key bought in Mr Bricolage is like a yale but has identations both sides. The much smaller key for the roller door ( which pulls over the front door ) is the same.

My builder guy needs in - i'll just chance sending him the keys by recorded and pray the dont get lost. He can copy them i hope.

[Copying French keys]

Hi there

Not exactly building renovations but unless sorted will seriously disrupt the renovations !

Sorry if its been covered before does anybody know a firm in Uk preferably Scotland  that will copy a French front door key and French Roller shutter key for me.

Had a look on the internet - nothing. Locally in my home town tons of folk who'll copy keys but not French ones.

Your help as ever appreciated

Bob ( Dundee )

[Trade Accounts in France]

Hi all

Ta for the responses

Its not about trading freedom or avoiding vat etc. I have no problems paying vat. [:(]

Its all about trying to save wherever a few bob on the job and for example trying to avoid  buying supplies in the Uk because of price and bringing them all the way to France . These are just common sense when you are on a budget on larger expenditure which is of a one off type nature.

The company we are using has a multi million turnover in Uk - they are 100 % totally legit here but of course unknown in France.

It seems there may be an avenue or two to look at more fully so thanks again. If the French merchants are willing to give a discount to me ( rather than my builders ) if would be very rude to turn it down !!

[Trade Accounts in France]

Hi there from Dundee

My deepest apologies if this has been covered before. If yes please point me in the right direction.

I have a tradesman in Scotland who will be doing work for us in the Somme region - nearest bigger towns : Amiens, Arras, Albert and Peronne.

As like all tradesmen he has trade accounts with many well known firms in UK firstly to get credit and secondly to get discounted trade prices ie with Jewsons, Howdens, Wickes, Etc Etc

Does anyone know if these well known UK companies have branches or more likely associated companies in France where he could therefore be able to use his UK account terms re credits and discounts ?

many thanks

Bob Paterson

[Complaints Regarding an Estate Agent]

Hi there

We recently rented our house out long term to a local French lady using an Estate agent ( Immobilier ) in Bapaume, Pas De Calais as our Factor.

Bottom line we think the Agent has totally messed something up when the tenant left which has meant us losing a good few euros in terms of lost rent. Being honest its a catalogue of errors on their behalf.

A lawyer has looked at our case, says we will win but being honest we really do not have the spare cash to sue the Estate agent etc etc.

Does anybody know the Regulating body we could write to, complaining to them about their " member " hopefully hoping at the end of the day they have the clout to tell the Estate agent to pay us the lost revenue or come to a deal etc etc.

As ever your help is very welcome

Kind regards from Dundee

Bob

 

[Recycling Facilities in Pas De Calais / How do skips work]

Thanks for your help everybody - appreciated

 

Bob

[Exterior House Painting]

Thanks to you both - your help is appreciated

Bob

[Short term Letting in Pas De Calais]

Hi there

just bought a small house in Pas De Calais which we just might rent out very occasionally from UK - guess 6 weeks a year.

Do we have to register this fact anywhere locally or do we just get on with it etc - nearest big town is Arras.

Thanks as ever

Bob

[Exterior House Painting]

Hi all,

Hopefully simple !

My new house is painted externally cream and needs done up

I want to paint it a slight cream shade of white

Is this ok to just press on or for something this simple will i need permission ?

Many thanks

Bob

[Recycling Facilities in Pas De Calais / How do skips work]

Hi all,

Sorry if this has been covered before.

We will be renovating a house in Pas De Calais starting August this year - nearest biggish town being Bapaume and then Arras.

Means we'll be throwing quite a bit out.

Is it easy to hire a Skip in France similar to uk ?

Plus assuming there is recycling facilities in Bapaume do we simply turn up there and throw the stuff in a skip or whatever - or do we need to register etc

Any help would be greatly appreciated

Thanks

Bob

[French Wills ( Testaments ) - what do we need ?]

Good afternoon from Scotland.

I'm about to try and carry out some serious studying of the above however i trust you do not mind my inviting your help at the initial stages.

My wife and i and 2 kids live in Scotland. Normal circumstances, normal type family if thats possible !

Last month we bought a house in Pas De Calais ( 62 ). This house was rented and still is rented long term to a local. We have no short term intentions of moving to France. We are 3 years from that at least.

In Scotland we each have a will - pretty bog standard stuff ie estate goes to survivor or if no survivor to kids

I'm told though we now each need a French will which is probably fair enough. The price though done here by a French lawyer is mega scary.

Anybody any thoughts, advice on what we need. To me, maybe wrongly we need a pretty basic sort of will - our finances etc are not complicated.

Better done in Uk or in France ?

Whom do we lodge the Wills with when finished etc.

Is there a previous Forum thread which somebody could refer me to. A quick search did not reveal anything.

All pretty basic questions i know and i will study this fully but as above any help, guidance, thoughts etc would be truly welcomed.

Bob

[Obtaining plans of a house - Can anybody help ??]

Thanks all for your help.

I'll try all these options.

Only thing i would say is we left The Notaires office with nothing at all. Certainly no package.

Regards from Dundee

Bob

[Uk Tax on Letting - can anybody help]

Cheers Pickles - i'll have a look.

Your help is appreciated

Bob

[Uk Tax on Letting - can anybody help]

Hi there

Have just joined about 2 mins ago !

My wife and i bought a house in Pas De Calais ( 62 ) last month.

It was and still is on a long term rental to a local.

Anybody any ideas as to the best book, leaflets etc etc to read as for dealing with the UK tax implications of this rental income, mainly what can we claim as allowable expenses etc.

Kind regards and many thanks for your help

Bob

Dundee, Scotland

[Obtaining plans of a house - Can anybody help ??]

Good morning from Scotland.

I've just joined 2 minutes ago so if this is the wrong forum sincere apols.

Last month my wife and i bought a house in Pas De Calais ( 62 ).

It was and still is rented out to a local with 2 years remaining at least

Anybody any idea as to the best way i can get official plans of the layout, design of the house ?

They must be lodged somewhere i would have thought ie a planning office, registry office etc.

Thanks for your help

Bob