Minouette

Thanks Shimble [:)] I saw this last night and have passed it on.  Tried to reply to you then but the server was overloaded! [8-)]  Must have been a busy night........

I'm trying to help a friend.....   Does anybody know in which Yellow Pages section a reflexologist would be listed? Or can anybody recommend one in either 83 or 13?   Thanks    

Yes, I know.... and luckily the people in my local tax office are incredibly helpful. I posted that 'shock' more as a warning to other people who might be in the same position as me, ie renting elsewhere during the initial major renovation phase and then finding they have to sell. The second 'shock' is much the worse of the two and could stop the sale going through. [:(]  Having a holiday weekend is not helping either as the guy who did the inspection report - and from whom I am trying to get a devis for rectifying the situation - seems to have taken advantage of it and gone away for a few days.

I 'thought' I had sold without my house going onto the market at all! But see my post titled Two Days, Two Shocks a bit further down........ [:(] I live next door to a lady who works for an agence d'immobilier though.... and she seems to have quite a few sales going through, with both English buyers and French. I remember when I was looking for a house to buyI used to look firstly in the local freesheet, and on all the noticeboards (supermarkets, tabacs, epicerie etc) that I could find.  Maybe you could extend your reach into the market in that way? And good luck!

I should have known it was all too good to be true! [:(] In February 2004, having lived in France for nearly two years, I bought a house for renovation.  Circumstances changed drastically shortly thereafter and, a few months ago, sadly I decided I had to sell the house.  I do not live there - no kitchen or bathroom - and rent a small apartment nearby. I spent several weeks touring the property with various agents and had just got to the point of signing non-exclusive mandates (in fact one was already signed) when my landlord's brother-in-law approached me, saying he knew a potential buyer.  The lady visited the house, fell in love with it, made me an offer, we negotiated and all seemed hunky dory.  Shock One:  I thought I would be exempt from CGT because it is the only house I own, and I am a tax resident.  Not so, according to the tax office.  The place that I rent is considered to be my residence principale and CGT will be payable on the sale of the house that I cannot inhabit.  I dropped the price quite considerably because there was no agent involved, so there should be minimal tax to pay but even so...... Shock Two: This afternoon we were all assembled at the Notaire's office to sign the first papers.  I was informed that a new law had come into force on (I think) Monday.  Now, due to the plombe that had been discovered, there were two choices: a) Either I paid for its removal, in which case this would have to be done before signing of the Acte, or b) the buyer could agree to do it and would have a period of grace after the purchase in which to carry out the work and produce a certificate. At this point I am not prepared to carry out the work (and we have no idea what it will cost yet) unless I can increase the price accordingly.  The Notaire is trying to tell me that by increasing the price, I will increase the CGT that I will pay.  The buyer is not happy to pay for it because it would take her over the amount the bank has agreed she can borrow. Stalemate.  Both parties left the Notaire's office most unhappy and now await a plombe removal devis before 'maybe' going back to sign. I feel a hangover coming on....... [:(]    

Thanks again Ron   The email is still sitting, unopened, in my OE inbox, so I will hang onto it just in case.   And I would certainly never reply.    As soon as I saw the Subject line this morning I opened it via back-door (right click) and then cut/pasted the header into the Abuse emails to Hotmail, Wanadoo and Spamcop.    There was no body text but I would have still instantly dismissed it as yet another piece of spam except that a study of the header revealed I was the only recipient.  And, given the Subject, that spooked me.   I’m very grateful for your help, Minou.

Sorry... one more thing.  Once I have reported the abuse email to all the 'powers that be' is it ok to delete it, from my Inbox and my Deleted Items box?  Or do I need to keep it for any reason? Thanks again, Minou    

Thank you both so much for your incredibly prompt replies.  I have now reported the abuse directly to Hotmail.com, where the author resides, and to Spamcop.  I am just about to report to Wanadoo.fr as well but the email really upset me and translation is taking a bit longer than it normally would.    Or could I just send it in English? (she said hopefully).  Thanks again, Minou.

Hi I've just spent ages trawling around the Wanadoo.fr site trying to find an address to which I can report unwanted (and rather nasty) emails.   No joy though.  Can anyone help or advise? Thanks, Minou

[quote]Hi there, The best place to advertise in France is the magazine "de Particulier à Particulier". They have a website www.pap.fr where you can find lot of properties (and other goods) for sale. Hope...[/quote] Thanks Sabine but do you think this is something widely read by Brits, either resident in UK or France?   As explained in my first post, my friend prefers to sell to a Brit basically because he thinks they will pay a higher price than a French person would.   It may be cynical, it may be two-faced but I think he is probably right.  And as the sale is due to his divorce (ie he will only realise part of the value) he needs to sell at highest possible price in order for both he and his ex-wife to be able to buy new properties.  Thanks.

Cheers Weedon,  you've got my brain started!  I've also found an old book of mine about house-buying now so I'll be able to put together a pretty comprehensive questionnaire for my mate to fill in.  My purchase was a complete impulse buy and I'm sure I did everything wrong.... but I'm learning!

Yes, Coco mentioned French Property News earlier so it's already on my list. Thanks anyway.

Once again my thanks, OpelFruit and Weedon.  I must admit I would never in a million years have thought of Exchange&Mart or Dalton's Weekly..... and me a London lass, as well! Weedon... could I ask another question?  It would be very helpful to know what sort of questions you asked both before visiting a property (in order to weed out the no-go stuff) and when viewing the ones you thought suitable.  I'm going to try and second-guess what these might be, in order that I can get the answers from my mate and have them ready translated for when the buyer calls start flooding in (!), but I'm sure there will be heaps of things that I won't think to check up on.  My method of buying was about the equivalent of sticking a pin in a map, but you were obviously much better organised!  Many thanks to everybody.

Thank you Val (twice! ) and Coco.  All good ideas.  My mate doesn't have a computer so I expect Muggins here will have to be involved in that side of it!  He also doesn't speak much English so I imagine asking me for advice was only the first stage of his plan!  Acting as translator for any prospective buyers hasn't been mentioned yet, but I can see it looming on the horizon!  Thank you.... and if anyone else has any thoughts, please keep them coming....... Minou

Hi I have a French mate who, due to divorce, needs to sell his house.   He is quite keen to sell privately, rather than pay commission to an immobilier or notaire, and even keener to find a Brit (or other ex-pat) buyer.  The French might moan like stink about the 'English invasion' but they change their tune when they have property to sell!  He is also savvy enough to realise that his mostly-renovated (he is a very good builder) house with all its pierre apparent would appeal more to a Brit than to a local.  He asked my advice on the best places to advertise, either in France or in the UK, but I have no idea what to suggest!  I bought my house privately but it was a case of being in the right place in the right time... I just happened to spot a guy doing some work on a house and it turned out he wanted to sell it.  So I bought it!  So, did anyone here buy their house privately and, if so, could you tell me where you saw the initial advertisement? Many thanks Minou

Thanks everybody. Well, I don't have the option of getting the paint from UK.  Ryanair is a tad strict on the weight limit, as I know only too well to my cost!   And, even if I did get the paint, I don't really have the time (or inclination!) to apply up to 4 coats (4!) as well as the actual 'colour' paint.  I'd still be doing it this time next year.  Mind you, with renovation, that's about par for the course..... I think I am just going to have to 'refresh' the colour with a couple of coats of standard paint and then resign myself to the fact that this will need to be done every five years or so.  Sigh. Minou

[quote]Are these flat ceilings with wooden strips 7/10 cm wide fixed over the joists above? The term in France is lambris and is widely used to hide a multitude of defects. Lambris is usually pine and does...[/quote] Hi Bob No, not lambris.  I know that word!  The rooms mentioned are on the ground floor.  When looking at the ceiling, it is like looking at the floorboards of the room above.  And then there are planks of wood fixed at right angles to the ceiling, running the whole width of the room.  They are almost like beams, but.... well, like planks!  Almost begging for a plasterboard ceiling to be attached to them but I dont want to do that. I've checked the rooms on the upper floor and it definitely does not look like water damage. Does that help you to help me more? Minou

Apologies if this topic has already been covered, but I couldnt find a way to 'search' beforehand. I have 'inherited' a couple of wooden ceilings with what look like planks of wood running underneath them.  Sorry, but I can't for the life of me think of the correct carpentry term!  The ceilings (and planks) are painted white but look very stained.  Sort of pale khaki blotches.  I have been told that this is because, prior to the first painting, the wood was not properly sealed and it's oils (?) are leaching through.  There is no way that I can afford to have all the paint stripped off in order to seal the wood but I have heard mutters that there is a type of paint that prevents these blotches when used as a primer.  Does anyone know whether it is available in France?  If so, it's name?  And are there any special precautions to be taken when using it.  I'm no DIY person so I'd rather have too much info than too little. Many thanks, Minou

Or, if your need is more urgent and you can travel a bit further, you could try: Bertrand RAMBOUR 32310 Valence-sur-Baïse 05 62 28 57 43 He is a 'kinésithérapeute' rather than an osteopath, but that didn't stop him putting my neck back into the right position.  And he has an English guy called John KEATING working with him, which makes both treatments and phone calls easier from the linguistic viewpoint. Bonne chance et bonne santé Minou  

Bonjour A London-based friend of mine owns a village house, with a couple of detached barn-like garages, in France.  Her neighbour has no storage space so my friend - who visits the house a few times a year - gave her permission to use one of the garages to store a few things in, including her wood supply.  No money changes hands but she can help herself to firewood if and when she needs some.  She rarely visits in the winter so this offer is not as good as it sounds.   I frequently visit the house, to keep an eye on it, and it strikes me that the neighbour is starting to take a few liberties.  Quite apart from using it for barbecues (which renders the ex-conseiller municipale apoplectic on account of the fire risk), she has now taken to storing huge quantities of books, on pallets, which are apparently in transit to N.Africa.    I have warned my friend that she needs to be very careful in case a loose, neighbourly arrangement such as this turns into something more serious.  I know quite a few people who have come unstuck by allowing a neighbouring farmer to use a field and then, after a few years, discovering that the farmer has rights.     Would this apply to garages as well?  Is she going to discover at some point that the neighbour can insist that the arrangement continues ad infinitum?  I have suggested to my friend that she asks the local Notaire to draft out a formal agreement regarding garage use, giving her the right to cancel the neighbour's access if/when it becomes inconvenient, but I am not sure if this is the correct course of action.   Naturally, she wants to maintain good neighbourly relations but she doesn’t want to be taken for a ride.   Any suggestions, advice, personal experiences??   Many thanks Minou  

[quote]ADSL: http://www.degrouptest.com/ ISDN: Virtually everywhere. Just ring 1014 and ask for Numeris.[/quote] Many thanks for the link... what a nifty little site.  And what a lot of 'Impossibles' I got!! I might try the ISDN thing when I've written myself a French script and I'm feeling strong.  Still, tonight I got a reminder that telecomms is not everything in life.... I watched a badger strolling across the road in the light of a huge full moon.  Bliss.  I bet you dont get that in the big ADSL-enabled towns!  And I know which I prefer.... even if I do have to resign myself to becoming nuttier than a fruitcake. Minou  

Hi Apologies if I'm repeating a question but I havent fathomed out how to search topics on this site yet! Does anyone know of a website link/s which will help me ascertain whether my area (deep dark rural hole in the SW) is covered by either ADSL or ISDN?  I currently have a France Telecom line but use One-Tel for calls, and Wanadoo for email/internet.  I am using the internet more and more for research and my low access speed is driving me nuts! Many thanks Minou  

Hi I've just been reading the thread re UK v. French paint.. very interesting/useful stuff.  Has anyone tried the Crown paint, available at Gedimat as Coronet?  Good, bad or indifferent? If buying a v.large quantity, ie sufficient for the whole interior of a 4-bed house, would it be OK to try and haggle in a DIY store or is this deemed to be very naff behaviour?! And does anyone know why paint is so expensive over here?  Surely the difference between UK and French prices for branded makes such as Crown and Dulux cannot only be attributable to transport costs?  Is the paint formulated differently to cope with the difference in building materials used here?  Is it the difference in taxes? Also, if a house is situated in a tiny village with a conseiller municipale rather than a maire is it OK to discuss exterior paint colours with the conseiller or is a trip to the nearest mairie in order? Thanks Minou

[quote]We think the ultra sonic repealers work. We had one small field mouse in this autumn which, much to Isabel's amazement, I caught with my bare hands. I walked it half a mile then let it go. We also fou...[/quote] Dont these ultra sonic gizmos have an adverse effect on felines as well?  I dont want my poor old Murphy suffering a crise cardiac as well as kidney disease.  And how come you caught the mouse... did the repealer sort of stun him immobile?  Minou

[quote]The ones I got (from Leclerc and Bricomarche) were dirt cheap, cheap plastic base with a wire mesh top and a few other bits of bent metal. Literally a few Euros and easy to find in the shops (so I re...[/quote] Well, they must have seen me coming then!  If the darn thing doesnt work I shall hang it on the wall as a piece of modern sculpture.  And if it does work I shall rent it out to fellow sufferers at a few euros a day until I recoup my outlay! Minou