Panda

I really want to use the tunnel for my next trip ot the Uk but it expensive, are there sites with offers for the service anywhere does anyone know?

Except that if we consider the property market has gone bang in the UK it's gone Kerboom in southern ireland!

There is less hysteria here IMO than in the UK, I had a totally asbestos sheet roof (yes very attractive) which was no issue.  The local dechetterie took some of the early sheets that were removed and told me that as long as you make them aware of it and you don't just run up with a truck load most take them.  The remainder was removed by the roofing contractor as part of the job as is described above.   In the UK I had a neighbour with an asbestos garage and the men in white suits had to take that down, it's all down to the asbsestos content and type I understand but I still think the UK would be a worse place to have asbestos to deal with. So don't worry unduly about it, if you are having the roof done be sure to include it in the job.

And what a nightmare applying for planning for a shed is these days.  This the first one I've done for a couple of years and the new forms are horrendous.  I also had to take pictures of the site had 4 different types of plan showing the structure.  Completely OTT for a shed.

Hello Mine (Charente) only turned up today so perhaps they are all running a bit late. Panda

For me in the last 5 years of being in France the run up to Christmas has got increasingly commercialised and shopping in Bordeaux could be any city in the UK.  I went to Toys R Us last weekend and it was full on Xmas and absolutely packed .  When we first moved here I was shocked (in a good way) at how the shops didn't seem to change much and there were no queues and no 'grabbiness' as JK described above but I do feel that those days are ending and certainly in the bigger towns it is no different to the UK. I'm off to the Alps for Christmas for the first time, anyone know what that's like at Christmas??

Odd time to start in that line of work right now Jon.  I know an agent near to me in the Charente who has not sold a single house in a year!  The shame of it is that immo's tend to employ on commission only she's been crippled by huge cotisations payments not to mention the amount spent on diesel and all for nothing. 

[quote user="caro"] So, Panda, if you've used an agency in the past, why do you think it's so strange for me to want to do the same. Just curious. [/quote] Hi Caro Sorry only just saw this, I saw a property I liked the look of on the internet (about 4 years ago) and it was with VEF, I didn't know they were an intermediary at that time so went for the viewing where, as I said before, I was dragged around all manner of rubbish which did not suit me and when I asked even the simplest question about the property they had to call the agent to check.  I then found out about the 'additional charges' which to me are just a waste of money, I knew more about life in France than the person who took me around. I have since bought privately and via a french based agent but as I said before I would not use an intermediary that charges extra for what  a good french based agent would do any way. In the current market you need to be able speak with the person who ieither is the seller or someone who knows the seller personally so that deals can be negotiated, it's a buyers market and everyone will be falling over to help you with what ever you need if you will buy their house I can assure you. Panda

Thanks!!!  [:D] Don't know why it's annoying me at the moment, it just is.

[quote user="grandjean"] Thanks for the replies. I'll try and briefly outline the problem to perhaps get more expansive answers. Three years ago two attached properties shared the same fosse as they were originally one large house. When the bigger of the two was sold in 2006 access to the fosse for the smaller house was cut-off as the fosse sat on the land belonging to the larger property. This meant that the smaller property now had no waste disposal facility whatsoever. It's completely land-locked so the current owner cannot install her own fosse. What is more sad is that she is terminally-ill and because of the fosse problem cannot sell and it seems as if the property is now worthless. Any suggestions much appreciated. [/quote] How awful for the owner.  The issue is that whilst it is of course possible and you do see properties for sale that share a fosse, her problem is that the neighbour would have to agree to the arrangement and that doesn't sound very likely. I would get SPANC in and ask them to come up with a solution, they might assist in convincing the neighbour if no other option is open to her.

The over use of the exclamation mark raises it's head again, I find it annoying, does anyone else?  I guess someone who writes for the Times must be using it correctly and it's just me...

I'm going to Bergerac airport (again) which I absolutely hate doing, it is a nightmare to get to for me and a hideously arranged airport generally.  Im waiting for confirmation from my friend so have not made any arrangements yet.

To add to this, my lake often has a film on it at this time of year.  If the lake was receiving no water at all surely you would have seen a large drop in the water level during the summer months, how much has it gone down by?  This time of year is generally the low point for any lake, after the summer and before the very rainiest weather so perhaps it is just your perception. Having a chat with your neighbours does seem the way to go though.

I'll be down in that direction this weekend and will be eating out.  I must say things seem pretty dead here in the Charente, will be good to compare, I'll let you know how it goes. Forgot to say of course on market day everywhere seems busier, here included.  I can never see the draw of the market myself but it seems everyone feels the need to turnout every week.

And you think the french are different, have you read any papers this week?

Going back to the OP, sometime ago on here someone wrote that those people who'd bought in the areas that have always seen good growth, beside the sea (La Rochelle, Royan etc.) or in the Alps won't see the same downturn.  This has always held out quite well but having just got involved in seeking property in the Alps I have seen an unprecedented move to drop prices and so I think no where will escape this downturn.  I viewed two properties 2 weeks ago and today the agents (2 different ones) have called and said the prices have been dropped by 50k, these are not ultra expensive properties and this accounts for a 20-25% drop before negotiations even start.  During my trip the agent had already said the prices are low and people were desperate, it seems the world is in panic mode but as someone said earlier in this thread to sit it out would be the best approach, all this panic just leads to ever lower prices, we are in very weird times!  

Hello On a slightly different note, I've taken out separate insurance for horse riding as I could imagine there could be some issues if I had a serious fall doing something considered dangerous, it's cheap and I wouldn't want to rish being without it. Panda

Agree with my giant counterpart, we need more info! In short though if he sits in France whilst doing his work he should not be paying tax and NI in the UK, he should be paying it here.  It is very clear cut particularly for work on the Internet, it's where you are physically that counts.  He will either have to set himself up as self employed or have his employer pay him plus employers contributions over here, something most employers won't do because it is very expensive.

I would agree with that except here, I'm an hour from Bordeaux, the past winter was pretty wet and cold.  I have a lake and it has only stopped over flowing for about a week or so in the last 18 months so pretty wet all round of late. You need to go way South for a warmish winter.  It has been nice here though for the last couple of weeks but really starting get cold in the  morning and evening, winter feels like it's on it's way!

Good luck Judith.  If you are anything like me you will wish you ditched most of it before coming.  I am about to move for the second time since coming to France and I doing a daily trip to the dechetterie/red cross/where ever  with all the stuff I bought over but have never used!

Working in the UK for any amount of time for a UK employer will not cause you any issues, you will simply pay Tax and NI on your earnings.  In France you will declare it on your annual tax return as foreign income already taxed.  Working as a teacher in school without a good level of french will be nigh on impossible, it's been discussed often on here.  I have a freind who works for a company that teaches english to business people, the problem is that if you have been a teacher all of your life then your knowledge of business terms (the main requirement) will likely be deemed not good enough, she also speaks near fluent french and it has taken her 4 years to find this job!

[quote user="odile"]Panda- from your experience- how do you think Clair's sister managed to het her kids into school (as well as kid's clubs, colonies de vacances, etc) without proof of vaccination? The Law if there to protect the majority - most health professionals in the UK envy the French system as the law requires all children to be vaccinated. [/quote] In my experience only when entering kids clubs are the vaccinations stated as required, at school the BCG was required and even that has been dropped around here.  When my son started school here no one asked about his vaccinations until he saw the school doctor about 6 months down the line even then she just noted any discrepancies, it was not a 'you must' situation.  I'm sure that if you are able to present a case for not wanting the vaccinations they could not refuse you entry into school.  

My son has been in french school for 4 years and I used to just give anyone who asked a copy of the page from his NHS health and vacinations book.  I got my doctor to check it when I came here and he needed just one vacination, I think second MMR type from memory.    I have asked often for a french equivalent book and certs for him but everyone I'ved asked says they are given at birth and what he's got is fine.  I do get odd looks and questions and so I've now  got  my doctor to complete a french form for submission to a holday club, this asked for all his vacinations and I present this in place of a certificate when asked, as it's in french and is signed by the doc everyone seems happy.. 

Please do keep us informed, hope Quillan loves him!  I have a rescue and my chickens got sent up a couple of times but no one got hurt and no stress just lots of correction at the right time, now they all ignore each other, in fact yesterday they were all asleep in a big heap, weird site on the terrace!

[quote user="XLeblanc"] . If there is any likely hood that I will be taxed in France then I will simply go back to being UK resident and fall under the UK ninety day rule it is that simple. I am not going to have anyone benfitting from me having to work in a dump if I can help it and why should I. As far as the health cover goes then I will simply take out private insurance for us all. We could open a B&B as our house in Brittany was operating as a B&B prior to us buying it. Cheers [/quote] Who do you think should foot the bill for your kids going to school here, that is what paying tax here will help to cover.  I don;t understand this train of thought at all, you are saying why should you pay yet your family are here and are receiving the benefit of the french system. Am I missing something.