caroline

I am putting in a wood burning stove, an old one - there is a chimney breast and an aluminium pipe already there, and it goes up through two floors to the chimney in the roof. A builder told me that I would need to have a double pipe now, that regulations have changed, and I read on the internet that this is a requirement if the pipe goes through a wooden floor (which it does) However as the pipe is already in a chimney breast, is it necessary to change the pipe. Does anyone have some experience with this, that you can help me with some advice ? thank you

Thank you for your messages - lots of useful advice. I can see the appeal of taking it bit by bit - and I am not expecting to move everything all at once, it's not exactly a one-way move at this stage. I'd love to take a horse, but will probably go for the trailer idea if possible.  Good to hear everyone's experiences.

Hello I am not sure how to send a private message, so sorry if this appears in the general listing, but please could you let me know which companies might do a part load thank you

Can someone please advise me of how they moved some belongings to France, if they did it themselves ? I am toying between ideas: whether to buy a small French van and take it from London to the Dordogne Whether to hire a van drive it there and leave it at a nearby city - not have to do a return drive Whether to pay someone else to do this I am just taking useful things, like sewing machine, clothes, loudspeakers - not furniture I need to be there by end of August, so - there will be tourist traffic on some routes Thank you, I appreciate all replies  

Hello I would like to ask a 'damp' expert to look at the basement in my little house - Dordogne area, near Les Eyzies . The house is on a slope with the front of the basement below the road level, and there is also a stream that runs down the road, and what was a spring that is in one corner of the garage. There is a lot of damp, and recently when it rained some water appeared. I have only owned the house for a short time, and the last owner was not clear about having seen water come in before. If someone has some experience of this situation or knows of somebody who could advise and who could see if it is a serious problem or not, please can you let me know ? thank you  

Hello Does anyone know about allottments in France ? I am buying a tiny house with a small terrace and would like an area to grow vegetables and fruit trees, or to keep chickens, does anyone know whether such things exist ? thank you

Hello I have just noticed your message. I am buying a house and have been told by a builder that I need a new roof. As it is in the same area,  I would be very interested to contact someone else who could tell me if the tiles are worth something. thank you

Hello I know someone who has a house in France, has been resident there and now is considering selling up and returning to the UK.  The house is in her name but was originally bought by her partner who has now passed on.  There are some funds tied up in investment accounts as well.  I understand that the law is changing, and that there are some changes in the next financial year. Can you point me in the direction of who to contact to get some sound advice, in order to not lose a lot in taxation. Sometimes people can be in a vulnerable position and I feel that certain financial advisors may well have taken advantage in the recent past as a lot of money seems to have been lost many thanks for all your replies

Hello I am buying a house in France and I still have a flat in the UK. I know I will have to pay Tax D'Habitation, House Insurance, Utilities - but are there other costs. I was talking recently to someone who said she had friends from the USA who had bought but were now forced to put the property back on the market because of unforeseen taxes. Also is there any sign of Sarkozy trying to extract more money from the 'so-called' wealthy Brits trying to find a peaceful life ? thank you for all your replies

Does anyone know about teaching English in France, either to adults or children ? I have got a Pgce for teaching secondary school kids, but not a 'Teaching English as a Foreign Language' one. I was wondering if it may be needed in France, if it's worth doing the course basically - has anyone any ideas or experience in this area please ?  All your comments are appreciated.  

Thanks !

Hello Colin I recently read the thread about obtaining a bridging loan, and the advice which was mostly not to do it, and to wait until the house is sold, before finding one to buy. Well, I decided to focus on making my house sell, and I kept ringing up the Estate Agent asking what I could do to make mine more attractive than others.  I also went to a second agent. I got an offer about a week later - from a couple and the woman is pregnant so they want to move fast. I have also got information about a bridging loan, and I am hoping to have the paperwork for this in place, just incase there are any delays with the house sale. Of course it is a risk, however, for me, I had a flat and a much cheaper house, and I am selling the house - so if I can always let out the flat to bring in extra income if suddenly I am also paying for a bridging loan. I do think that there is some control over when your house sells, but - if you need to hold out to obtain the highest purchase price, then of course, it could take a long time, and that then is not financially practical, even if it is in the interests of your wellbeing !

Hello Please can I have some advice ? Everyone in the Dordogne has had a certificate for their drainage/sewarage arrangement. The house I want to buy has a cess pit, and the certificate says 'Acceptable with reservations' At some time it will go on mains drainage, and I dont know when or at what cost, but in the meantime - will this one be an expensive investment, or will it be manageable ? So down to practicalities, my french being not that good, and I write down the comments below.  Any views ? Has anyone got one of these ?? Suggestions d’interventions et commentaries: Le plateau absorbent a u n rendement épuratoire des très faible.  Son implantation n’était autorisée que dans des cas très rares et très particuliers.  Il a été supprimé de la réglementation.  En cas de problème, il sera important de metre en place une filière de traitement en  adéquation avec le type de sol et le nombre de pieces principales de l’habitation. Merci

Well at least I made someone laugh

Thank you for all this information, invaluable as it is, I shall now be able to ask a few questions of each to see which one makes most sense to me.  

I am just about to apply for a bridging loan - for the same reason, and now I've read these posts I'm thinking again. I had thought that I don't want to waste the time - having to look again, travelling to and fro between France and the UK, maybe not finding somewhere suitable for months, so I thought better to go for it and to do everything to improve the chances of selling my house here.   I was planning to speak to the Estate Agent about this. There must be ways to make ones house stand out above others - whether it's in the presentation or improvements or the selling price?   I think you can have some influence upon when you sell your house. However, having said this, it depends what it is worth to you, because every month there is a bridging loan, I think the house is France is effectively costing more.  I too want to move over in the Spring of 08 and it's a difficult choice. I am suprised reading the comments here, how weighted the advise is against taking out a bridging loan ! Personally I looked at the alternative and asked for a clause to be put into the contract that the house sale would go through when my house here sold, but they said NO !.    I think therefore, like you, I can either leave it to chance, and let the house in France go back on the market, and hope mine sells before it does - or I can pin this down.  Whatever choice I make, I don't think anything is likely to move now before January - so in a way there is no great need to make a decision quickly ?  I wish you luck and will be interested to know your decision.  

Hello Virginia ~Yes please can you pm me their details thank you

Hi No I havent signed anything, so that's not a problem - I just want to be able to sign and was hoping they would put in a clause about selling a house first - but things have since moved on, and I am now wondering how to transfer money, and if a bi-lingual lawyer would save me his fees by knowing all the ins and outs !

Hello I am hoping to buy a small house and need to find the best way to convert from sterling into euros, for the total sum. I read that currency convertors are the cheapest way to do this, but I dont know any, and I only read one article on the subject. Can someone with some experience please give me some ideas or direction ? thank you

Hello Thank you for your comments. I am trying to be positive that they might give me a five month extension, at the moment the contract says January 31st, and I was thinking March 31st - which is a risk. I can't imagine them accepting anything past this date, and having spoken to the owner I don't know that this will be possible, but let's hope so !  

Thank you for all these replies. I am borrowing a 10% deposit, so that is no problem. I have not signed anything, but the estate agent is pressurising me to proceed. I get the impression that she will not agree to put in a clause saying 'subject to the sale of my house' although I will definitly try it. However if I havent sold it by the date for completion, can they then remarket the house ? I do want to buy it, so I don't want them to put it back on the market, although they may be relying on this fact by trying to push through the contract quickly.  My French is basic, so I was also wondering about whether to use a bi-lingual lawyer who specialises in French property sales, to help me. And lastly  I was thinking of telephoning the notaire and discussing it with them ?  thank you !

Hello I am buying a house in France from a woman who has returned to Britain. The estate agents have told me that the money on the day has to be in Euros. However it will waste funds because I will have to have it converted to euros, and the seller will then convert it back. I was wondering if there is some way of having the money in an account, and showing the equivalence in euros on paper, but returning to its value before the conversion - for the seller ? Has anyone done this please - ? thank you for your comments

Hello I am hoping to buy a house in France, for the first time, and I have got the first contract papers through. I am learning about the process as I go along, and have at the moment a problem because I have to sell my house here first, before being able to complete - although the deposit is not a problem. So I was wondering if anyone uses bi-lingual lawyers who specialise in French property to help them to negotiate, and to unravel any snags ? many thanks for your comments

Hello I am hoping to buy a house in the Dordogne, and have had an offer accepted, but I want to complete when my house sale goes through here in Britain, and I dont have an offer yet -so it is difficult to predict when this will be. The Estate Agent is not happy about waiting, although I think the seller would be, so I am wondering what I could do?  Unfortunately I went to see the house with the estate agent rather than directly through the seller in the first place.      Has anyone been in this situation ?  The Compromis de Vente has just arrived with a date for 31st Jan - this was the first I knew that a completion date was expected to be given at this stage.   Has anyone any ideas please ? many thanks 

Hello Thank you for the information, I have been asked by my mother for your name, if you dont mind her using it when she speaks to the company, and I expect see if you can share a removals van. regards Carol