Bonny Lass

Thanks again for all responses. This week a technician came out from Atlantic and fitted a new burner!  Hope I don't tempt fate here, but it has been running now for five days and has stayed on, so hopefully that is the solution to the problem, whatever the problem might have been. Fingers crossed, and thanks again.

Thanks for replies so far. The boiler is brand new, the first one installed last November, which had a leak inside, then another model the same installed in about February, so it's still under guarantee, and they are a reputable company! Our plumber/electrician installed it and he has been great, coming out whenever we call, and spending hours on the phone to the company.  He is as fed up as we are.  When the boiler goes off, it usually says there's a problem with the burner.  It's been sooting up on some little control, which my husband then cleans, then it will restart.  People in other parts of France have had the same problem, and it's the burner which Atlantic are now saying they're going to replace.  There should be adequate ventilation, but another contributory factor, according to the plumber, could be the height of our chimney (it's a two storey-house with quite a high roof)??? The woodburner, by the way, we use to heat our large living room, as this saves on the oil central heating we find. Thanks again for replies.

Last year shortly after moving in, we discovered that we needed a new boiler, and were recommended an Atlantic Axeo Condens, either model 5025 or 5032, I'm not sure which. The boiler was installed and had a water leak, this was then removed and replaced with another, and we have had nothing but problems with this replacement.  We wake in the morning to a cold house and find the boiler has gone off during the night.  Two engineers have been out on three separate occasions, the last time in July. Because it was so hot during the summer and autumn we had not ran the boiler for any length of time, but now the winter weather is here and we are running it most of the time, we are back to the same old problem.  Our plumber/installer has been great, especially since he officially retired two months ago, and he is as fed up as we are.  he has been coming out whenever we call to clean the 'gicleur' and generally try to rectify the problem.  Apparently people in other areas of France (we are in the Limousin) have experienced the same problems with this particular model. Another engineer is coming next Tuesday 11 December, but today the boiler has gone off four times and as I type this has gone off again.  So, although we have a woodburner, another cold night and a cold morning await us. I'm posting this to ask two questions:  1)  has anyone else experienced this problem with an Atlantic boiler over the past few months (we hear that we aren't the only ones)   2)  any idea how we stand as far as compensation might be concerned - with the first 'new' boiler, we used what we now know to be huge quantities of oil, plus we have had to put the woodburner on when if things had worked properly, that probably wouldn't have been the case.  We've also been reluctant to go out in case the boiler has gone off in the meantime and pipes have frozen. We'll contact our plumber tomorrow, but then he'll do whatever he does, then we have the same situation until Tuesday with constant checking and resetting of the boiler, and minus temperatures and winter now in full swing and Christma mornings looming.  The boiler installation also was not easy - it's quite a size and had to be manoeuvred down our outside cellar stairs, around a tight 90 degree bend, across one cellar room, then into another.  The second installatiion involved men with ropes to anchor themselves at the top of the steep cellar stairs.  The whole thing a nightmare! Sorry this is so long, but needs explanation and any replies would be much appreciated.  Thank you.

Has anyone installed a kitchen (for a permanent home, not holiday home) from Brico Depot?  Their prices seem very cheap, but maybe the quality of the carcasses, etc isn't very good? Any information or recommendations welcome. Many thanks

Our recently purchased house is painted in crepi, with brickwork around doors and windows.  The brickwork paint is peeling, and we need to renew.  Has anyone any recommendations? Would prefer it not to be brilliant white. Also, we like the eggshell-type finish of indoor paintwork, also external (it might just be that the gloss has completely gone on external shutters and woodwork!), so would welcome any help so that we can get on with jobs before the winter sets in! Thanks in anticipation.

I'd be grateful if anyone could point me in the direction of a lab or asbestos removal company in Correze, or Creuse or Haute Vienne. The diagnostic identified it in the lino in the kitchen (revetement pvc cartonne), which is backed with a layer of asbestos apparently, according to the diagnostic ( it looks like a very thin layer of cement, completely dried and stuck to the floorboards)? This is in the kitchen, which has parquet flooring - the house has not been lived in for a couple of years, and not properly aired, which has caused the flooring to lift up in places. the lifting of the floorboards isn't the problem as we know an artisan who can deal with that. We thought we might try to remove the asbestos ourselves, but it seems to be well and truly stuck to the floorboards. The lino is quite brittle in places, leaving the asbestos behind, stuck to the floorboards. The local dechetterie will accept the lino once removed. I've had various pieces of advice on other forums, but trying to gather as much info as possible. We believe reading specialist advice mainly on American websites that we can remove the lino ourselves (with dust masks, etc), but are wondering if anyone has any recent experience of having this job done and what the cost was? Apparently, because it's a wooden floor any sanding that was done after removal might also release fibres. Thanks in advance for any help or advice.

I'm pleased to say that this little worry has now been solved, and we signed the acte de vente on 5 August, just a few days after the original deadline of 29 July.  There probably wouldn't have been any worries if the estate agent had kept us informed, but all's well that ends well. Thanks to everyone who took the time to respond.

Thanks for this. My feelings exactly re payment to the estate agent.  I've sent her another email, so will hopefully get a decent response from her this time.

I should also have added to this topic query - is it "the done thing" for us to approach the Notaire direct with any queries, or should we go via the estate agent? Many thanks.

We recently signed the compromis de vente on a house on which the estate agent had power of attorney, as the elderly owner had Alzheimer's and no family, other than a nephew, who was happy for the sale to go ahead. I've contacted the estate agent as the date we had agreed for the acte de vente was 29 July 2011.  She has notified me that the sale is delayed because of the owner's death. Has anyone had a similar experience?  Any idea what happens as we had agreed the 29 July for the signing of the acte de vente?  Any idea of how long this might take (dreading the answer to that one). Many thanks for any help or advice.

Dear all Thanks again for all advice and comments. We have had lots of contacts, and have managed to find three separate properties not too far above the budget, I'm pleased to say. thanks again and Happy Easter!  (in the 20s in the North East, I'm pleased to say)

Thanks for all replies so far.  I had started looking at private owners' sites and have found a couple of places within our price range.  Gites de France and Cle Vacances have offers and promotions also at the moment. I am aware that the price I said we'd like to pay is low, but we are also renting here, and want to keep as much of our income as possible for our move to France.  We do not have any illusions about the cost of living in France! Thanks once again - any further suggestions still welcome!

We are coming to house-hunt in a couple of weeks time and would like to rent somewhere from about 5/6 May for three weeks, for 2 adults, preferably with not too much driving to Saint Germain les Belles, St Leonard de Noblat, St Dizier Leyrenne.  We are on a very limited budget and our top price would be maximum 300 euros for 3 weeks (total cost).  Can anyone help?  Is your gite unoccupied for even one or two weeks? All offers considered and replied to!  Thanks in advance.

Thanks to everyone for their responses. When we come over there shortly, and hopefully find the dream, that will help us make final decisions on what to keep and what to get rid of.  All the different advice has given food for thought, so thanks again. Will keep you posted!

I'd be grateful for any advice that anyone could offer us on our forthcoming move to France: Last year we put our house on the market to fund buying a house in France. The house sold after six weeks! Not for mega bucks I must say, as it needed loads doing to it, and we live in the North East of England, where house prices are nothing like other parts of the country. We hadn't moved for 30 years, and had expanded from a two-up, two-down terrace into the house next door, so had a lot of space. With a move to France planned, but not for another year for work reasons, we moved into a tiny cottage and have put lots of stuff in storage. With no mortgage previously, we are now paying out for rent and storage. So lots, of stress, and expenditure for the past year! We have been looking seriously in France for a few years now (just during two-week holiday breaks), and had hoped to find something last September but unfortunately didn't. It was however useful in firming up where we do and don't want to live in the Limousin though. So, now our move is imminent – we did hope to rent for year, as advised on various forums, magazines, etc, but really couldn't afford to do that as what savings we have are whittling rapidly away. My question for advice finally is: we plan to come on an intensive house search, and hope to find something fairly quickly. We'll need to find somewhere to stay in the Limousin, but all our furniture and possessions will need to be in storage here, so we'll have two lots of rental to pay for a little while anyway. We'll be buying with cash so I believe the whole buying process might take two months, rather than the standard three. So, I'm wondering what other people's experience is – ie have you sold your house here before moving and had to store either here or in France? Has anyone shipped their 'stuff' out to France while waiting for a house purchase to go through? If so, where have they stored it, and what were the costs like? With unlimited or more funds, the logistics wouldn't be so mind-boggling, so any help would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.