Richard

Thank you everyone for such great advice. There is so, so much to learn; all whilst doing everything possible to NOT get burnt. We're meeting with the potential builder for the third time later today; this time at his home he has renovated. We've already asked to see his paperwork and to provide us with referrals, both present and past. What a mine field this is becoming.... Many thanks! Richard

Hi Everyone! We're in the process of engaging with a tradesman/general builder in our area of Brittany. We have met with them face-to-face on a couple of occasions, and get an overall positive "gut feeling" about them. However, I don't feel that is enough to start handing over several thousand euro's; and would like to do a bit more "research" on them. Not sure if I can mention the name of the company here on this forum, but they have "horse" as the first part of their company name. I have followed the link provided in the FAQ in this section of the forum, and looked up their Siret No. which matches their company name. However, the address provided on the Siret No. is their UK address; albeit they have been living in France for 7+ years. We plan to ask for several references of clients they have provided services to recently, as well as in the past, and will definitely contact those references. We also have given them a small job to complete, and based on the satisfaction of that delivery we will make a final decision. From all of this, is there anything else we can do in order to find out if they are legitimate/reputable? Many thanks in advance! Richard

I agree.... however, ALL of BF are on winter timetables. We enquired earlier, and the normal timetable resumes 1st March, 2013, as several of their boats are currnetly in for refurbishment/maintenance.

Hi Mike, We bit the bullet and joined Club Voyage immediately after we completed on the purchase of our home in Brittany. Yes, I agree the initial £130 to join was nearly a show-stopper (£70 Admin Fee??? ) However, we are VERY glad we did. In the two trips we have already taken we have saved nearly all of that cost just in the tickets alone; plus you get free breakfasts, discounts on other goodies on-board. They even let us watch a movie in the cinema for free. Year on year, it costs £60 to renew. That cost is immediately recovered on the first trip after that is paid. From then on, we're quids-in... Now, keep in mind that our circumstances are a bit different from yours, in that we travel from Portsmouth to St. Malo (or Caen if the ferry is not running on that route due to winter schedules). Hope that helps... Cheers! Richard

Hi All, We'll be bringing our dogs over to France for the first time in a few weeks time, and are searching for a Vet in the Rostrenen or Carhaix Plouguer areas; not only to have them as regular vets, but for the return treatments? I understand that vets cannot be specifically named on an open forum. So, if you would like to provide such information please IM me. I have seen mentioned "The Vet at the InterMarche round about"... anyone familiar? Many thanks! Richard

Hello, Thank you for your quick responses. Sid, that's the same make/model I have to bring over so it's good to hear we can use it. My question about the RJ-45 connector was around the wall socket. I've heard that the "new" wall sockets in France are an RJ-45 type; whereas the "old" style are completely different. What I'm hoping won't be the case is that all of the wall telephone sockets having to be replaced with the new style. Are converters available? Cheers! Richard

Hi All, We have recently placed our order with Orange for our internet service for our home in Brittany. When I was speaking with the agent, he informed me that I could use an ADSL wireless router from the UK. So, my questions are: 1) Is this true? 2) Our home has the "old style" connection points. Are there converters available to the new RJ-45 connectors? 3) Is there anything out of the ordinary for setting up ADSL service in France? 4) Any "gotchas" that I should be aware of with the Orange service and/or setup? Many thanks in advance! Richard

Thank you All!!!! That's exactly what we're looking for....

Hello! We would like to purchase one of the car stickers of the Brittany Dancing Girl that you see on loads of cars. I believe it is to represent the various hats that are customary around the different regions of Brittany. We have been searching and searching for them, but due to not knowing exactly what they're called, makes the search a bit difficult. They look like a cartoon drawing. Many thanks! Richard

Ok.... so, will a UK telephone work in France or not?

Apologies everyone, for taking this long to respond. Thank you ALL for your great feedback. Alex, that's exactly what I'm trying to acheive. Debra, I'll have a look into the stone you suggested in your link.... might be a bit of a faff to get done, but it would look nice! Cheers! Richard

Hi Folks, We have a work in progress whereby the outside of the house needs it's finishing touches. Currently, the original part of the house is rendered (well, almost) and the extension is still breezeblock. Are there any products available that would allow me to have the entire outside of the house look like the old stone cottages/buildings? I know, probably stone itself; but that would be gastly expensive and would change the shape of the house. I don't want to have the entire house rendered, as it would make the house look too close to new-build; would like to keep some/most of the character. Many thanks in advance! Richard

Hi All, I may have posted this in the wrong section, so Mods feel free to move it if appropriate... As we are actively looking for our French property, we were wondering what impact to ExPats there might be should Hollande get elected??? With such a potential shift in French politics, we feel like we should "put the breaks on" and wait to see what happens.... It's anybody's guess really, but we're quite concerned. Should we keep on with our plans to move to France? Wait a while? Cheers Everyone! Richard

Hi All, Well, we're full steam ahead in our property search. We're heading to France over the May bank holiday and have 6 properties to view. Quick question.... when the measurements for the habitable area of the house is provided, what is included in that measurement? For example, what rooms are included? Are hallway spaces include? Garage? Bathrooms? En Suites? Many thanks! Richard

Thank you everyone! Very valuable information... Much appreciated! Richard