Housesitters

Thanks Le Bon Coin has..lots of other useful stuff too!

[quote user="AnOther"]As Housesitters already has a serviceable Sky box and what would seem to be perfectly usable dish which simply needs realigning to Astra 2 why would he/she want to buy a new system [blink] Dishpointer.com will assist in alignment. [/quote] Hi. The existing dish on the roof is aligned for the owners, which they told me was ASTRA 2. However, it looks like it's ASTRA 1. However, we don't wish to disturb their Dish. We will most probably put a dish in the garden on a sturdy pole which means we can leave their property intact when we leave. LOVE the green dot link..actually helped me determine which way the existing dish was pointed. Isn't technology superb at times?

[quote user="Fridgeman"]Dear All I posted my little write-up on setting up a system for that reason "how to set up a system" I think people are intellegent enough to take the information they need from my post and use it. Now I remember why I stopped posting on here, trying to help people with correct information.[/quote] Hi Fridgeman.. I appreciated your info and instructions, Please don't stop posting good stuff such as yours. Very informative and valuable Thanks again.

Some great info there. Thanks and will look for the systems you recommend. Good instructions too...cheers!

That's exactly what we have been doing for people Stan. Living in a house whilst the owners return to the UK, go on holiday or in one case visit a dying relative. In some cases we have been asked to feed the dogs/cats/horses and even African Snails. Unfortunately the snails (named Nigel & Nippy!) died after only 3 days under our care. That's another story! Sometimes, if the stay is longer than a couple of weeks, the owners have also asked if we mind cutting the grass, etc. No payment has ever changed hands by ourselves or the owners and we certainly don't consider it slavery. LOL Now we are friends with the owners, they ask us back over and over again. The only thing I can spot with the recent previous links that have been posted, are that the people concerned were from outside the EU.

Hi....Thanks for the link. The snails we have are a LOT smaller than those. Looks like our blue pellets are working too!

Et voila! Moi aussi.

Thanks for the links Idun. I have read them both and see no similarities to what we are and have been doing. In fact, both articles (one of which refers to Francs and not Euros!) seems to be about people working "on the black" and bucking the system. Both of which are not recommended or advised. I sincerely hope you are not implying we are doing anything of the sort! Perhaps a read of the Living France article from 2 years (ish) ago encouraging Housesitting as a good way to see France might enlighten you? To think we come here to get away from this sort of stuff. LOL Quel dommage encore.

Hi Tony. Thanks for your reply. I have looked morguettes up on the Internet and they seem a little too big, unless they grow into that size. However, I willl keep an eye out for the packets you mention and see if it helps. Failing that I will take one of the little blighters into the shop and see what they say. Thanks again. Regards

Hi... Have read the links and it seems aimed at Wwoofers. Not sure if that includes us. Main thing seems to be making sure you are insured, etc. Must add that Living France did an article on Housesitting in France about a year back (maybe more as my memory is failing!) and I don't remember any serious issues raised then. In fact it was a positive article. They also printed one of my pictures near the time showing one of our housesits. Lastly, having been members and contributors to this Forum for several years (in different guises) I am surprised at the apparent "negative" reaction shown by some here for what is quite an innocent, helpful and obviously needy service which is all above board with no alternative fraud or getting around any laws (UK or otherwise) agenda. I think our past acquaintances, who have invariably become our friends, have all been very grateful for our help. Quel dommage!

Hi all... Not sure where all this is coming from. Let me answer the 1st point. What happens if someone gets hurt? I have visited French hospitals twice in the past 2 years. Once for a cut foot and it required 5 stitches and an injection. Cost to me €77. My last visit was 4 weeks ago when I collapsed. Spent 5 hours in Urgence being checked out. We are still waiting for the facture. We both have travel insurance and an EHIC. Car is insured/taxed and MOT'd in the UK, all above board. Last time I was stopped by the Gendarmes...nothing was confiscated. My tax accountant tells me my Tax situation is all above board too. Still not sure what we are doing which is illegal, but always willing to learn. Can someone elighten me/us what we are doing that is wrong/illegal and why? Might be wrong here, but there seems to be a lot of hostility when all we are doing is having an extended holiday in exchange for turning the lights on and off in someone elses house for a few weeks? LOL

Hmmmm. an interesting take on this. We have never considered looking after someones house, gite business, chateau, farm in return for a bit of gardening, feeding the animals and putting a lick of paint on the shutters as illegal. But hey...maybe you are right? In the meantime, life is zooming past and we will cross that bridge should it arise. Thanks for your reply.

Thanks Tim & Martin for your replies. The previous occupants were French and had some sort of decoder they plugged in to which they use in Paris. Don't know if it was a Satellite ot Terrestial decoder. However, we received some "junk mail" for them recently which suggests they subscribe to CanalSat. That fits in with your explanations. Looks like a re-alignement may be required? You mention Eurobird? Is this in the same "box" in the sky as Astra? Sorry to be a novice at this... and thanks again. Appreciated.

We have done this sort of thing several times over several years. Never been a problem...so far.

Hi..looking for a ride on lawn mower to cut a grass area of about 1000m2 up to 1000€ in the Var (83) region. Any ideas appreciated. Thanks

Hi..we are being slowly invaded with hundreds of little white snails. We bought some snail/slug blue pellets and put them down, which seems to have curbed their activities, but having such a large area to cover, this was not cheap! Anyone any ideas how best to control these things or know of a cheaper alternative to expensive blue slug./snail pellets thingies? Thanks

Hi. We live in the Var region and have a satelite dish and terrestial ariel on the roof which the previous occupants used for French TV through some sort of decoder. NOt sure if the decoder was for Satelite or Terrestial? Anyway, I have plugged an old (serviceable) Sky Digibox into the cable from the dish and it still displays the message No Signal. Hmmm..on checking the signal strength, there is 50% + signal strength but ZERO quality. Sounds like me! I digress... So, could this be a simple dish realignment or something more sinister? We are looking at getting as many channels as poss for as little as poss. A friend in the UK suggested a different decoder and different Sat than Astra rather than Sky as it gives more choice. Not sure what that meant exactly, but any advice appreciated.

Hi We have a grass area of about 1000m2 to mow. Being an old fella now, my back will not take to walking around a lawn mower for hours on end, so a sit/ride on lawn mower is my solution. We are in the Var (83) and do not have a trailer or towbar and we are looking for something decent for no more than 1000€. Anyone any suggestions as to where is best to get one, ie shops, etc? Or maybe even 2nd hand shops. Do Troc do them? Any advice appreciated.

Excellent replies. Thanks guys. Looks like as well as house sitting, this could be a bus mans holiday too! Thanks again...superb!

I have connected my Laptop to the Live box via the red RJ-45 port and it connected to the Internet with no probs. No software loaded either. By the way, I am running Vista. So, as you say, hopefully it's a case of getting a hub and associated cables and sockets. Will post my results... Right then, where's a decent PC shop in Tours?

Hi. Thanks for the very quick reply. I did try connecting my Laptop to the Yellow port using a RJ-45 cable and my Laptop said "Unknown Network" so gave up I thought that I might be able to use a "switch" with the Red port and distributing, but am not sure if each visiting Guest might have to install Livebox software in order to access the Internet? Will try connecting my Laptop direct to the Red port and see if it works, as I have not loaded any Orange software to it yet. I have some spare "switches" (hubs) back at home in the UK, but have yet to see any here near Tours. Do they sell them in the PC section of any Supermarkets or will I have to go to a PC shop? Regards

Hi. We are currently looking after a Gite complex near Tours for some French owners. They currently have ADSL Internet using an Orange Live Box in thier main house and want to distribute it to their Gites. However, due to the thiickness of the walls, it has a very limited range and does not feed the Gites. The Live box has two Ethernet ports (red and yellow) The red one is currently used to supply their PC and the yellow port is free. Does anyone know if it's possible to use Cat 5 cable from the Livebox and distibute this around the site maybe with some sort of hub? The longest cable would be about 100 metres. I have tried connecting my Laptop to the free yellow port with a suitable cable (RJ45 Blinde Cat5 droit M/M) but my laptop shows "Unknown Network" when I do that. I was hoping that the Laptop would just see the Internet via the RJ45 cable and all I would need is the Livebox code or similar, but it appears not. I think I may have to install the Orange Livebox s/ware to my Laptop, which would not be very user friendly for clients. Anyone tried this or know how to do this for more than one connection via Cat 5 cable? All thoughts appreciated. One last thought, I have heard of aerial boosters. Anyone tried or heard of one? TIA.

Damn..sorry people, thought there might be a slim chance this might have worked for you. Thanks for trying.

Hi all. I have just been told about this FREE UK TV on the Internet which I think some of you might be interested in? It works here in the UK for sure as I have just logged on to it and am watching BBC2 on my PC as I type this, straight down my Internet connection. To be honest, I am not sure if this will work if you are in France, but there's only one way to find out...try it! Here's the link http://www.tvcatchup.com/?member=palwing Let me know if it works as I have several friends thoughout the world who would love to get UK TV too. Regards Houseitters  

Thanks for that Cerise. For those that aren't too hot on French (moi aussi!), here's an Internet translation.   Childcare, a patient or a dependent person, household, gardening odd jobs, tutoring… for carrying out this work, anyone can hire an employee at his home (or in his secondary residence), subject to a number of formalities: to declare themselves as an employer, check the status of the employee, particularly with regard to social security, its residence permits and work if it is a foreigner, write an employment contract… The rules contained in the Labour Code and the "national collective agreement for employees of the particular employer.