dr orloff

The gite is clearly very poor. We wouldn't dream of dangling giant stars from the ceiling at face height!!!

[quote user="Rose"]maybe all you good owners should insist on some kind of quality standard and ensure that the bad guys cant get it![/quote] Can't do that, unfortunately. But what we can do: We advertise on a Dutch site - it has a guestbook where guests can post their comments directly and independently - so they can give you negative feedback if they want. You then have a right to reply to their comment. We're new to this game so we have only had one comment posted so far - fortunately it is high praise. We have a website and shortly I will be posting our guests comments. Naturally, I will select the most positive comments as I wish the website to remain succinct, but I do also intend to link to a blog where I will post absolutely all the feedback we receive, warts and all. I will do this because I have every confidence in our gite and in the way in which we portray it to potential customers. And if any justified criticism is raised then we will rectify things.

This is our first year running our gite. I think much of what the OP requires is a matter of common sense and I hope we provide it. We try to furnish the cottage to a good standard - the furniture is mainly sollid oak. We provide a full pack of basics at the start of each stay and we thoroughly clean the gite each Saturday, including under the beds. I must admit though we do provide green plastic chairs and a green plastic table. We'll upgrade when we can but we do think that the facilities and standard are already very fair for the prices we charge. We try to advertise honestly and provide as much useful information as possible. I'm sure there are many excellent gites to choose from, but if you leave your booking decision late then they probably won't be available to you. We try to treat our gites reasonably. We want children to stay with us so we don't mind a few breakages. We won't deduct for any reasonable wear and tear, but please understand that this may lead to a few mismatched glasses. But we too have a few simple requests of guests, most of which are fantastic. 1) Please be considerate of the property - For example, we provided a chopping board - so why cut directly on (and into) the brand new worktop? 2) We don't charge you any extra for electricity but please don't leave all the lights on all the time. 3) We understand that times are tough for you but please don't ask for enormous discounts - we need to make a living too. 4) If you request a booking then please pay your deposit as soon as you can - we don't want to appear rude by chasing your money and we are not psychic so please tell us if you change your mind.

If income is moderate then the tax on it will be too.  So I would say move whenever you want to.  When you do your income will no longer be taxable in the UK and will be taxable in France.  Until the red tape catches up and tax is no longer deducted at source in the UK then you can always reclaim tax by submitting a UK tax return, so cutting down on the repayments. Aren't considerations such as when is best to sell or let your house more important?   But fiscally speaking you will be entitled to a full year's allowance in the UK and in France, so move to France after you have accumulated enough post 6th April income to absorb the lower bands of tax.          

Drive it to the suburbs and wait for a riot.

UK does not levy CGT on non-residents.

[quote user="bubbles"]good on diagnosis. bedside manner? ........er. well, who cares? brilliant replies.[/quote]   I've got a sore throat.

[quote user="Cathy"] Thank you Dr O.  A couple of supplementaries (hope this is the spelling), if I may: 1. Do you know have any information about when the treaty may be brought into force? 2. Does the start point to qualify for the 6 - 15 year rule apply from the date you become a French resident or does it apply from the date you bought the UK property (if this is before you became resident)?   [/quote]   1.No.  Neither does anyone else.   2. The latter.

1.No 2.Yes

[quote user="Benjamin"]It may just be me but does anyone else feel that there's a sort of toilet or naughty school boy sense of humout insidiously creeping onto the forum? [/quote]   I don't think so - I'll think you'll find just the ususal, bog standard responses.

[quote user="Dog"] [quote user="Benjamin"]It may just be me but does anyone else feel that there's a sort of toilet or naughty school boy sense of humout insidiously creeping onto the forum? [/quote]   Did you mean humous? [/quote]    or tzatziki?

[quote user="Rich1972"]Thanks for the replies. The wall is just your standard pale cream limestone, and it's the exterior walls I'm doing. I used a dark brown sand with LeFarge white lime to do some running repairs and, as I said before, after I'd brushed down the mortar I was left with a VERY white residue on the stones. I've talked to my French builder/roofer about this a lot and he said that he never uses white lime, as it's too blinding in direct sunlight, but prefers grey lime with red sand and a small bit of cement. I'm not using the cement and I can't get 'red' sand, only the brown sand and the only grey lime I can find is NHL 5. I'm looking for something that is going to give me a golden mortar, sort of the colour of a light demerara sugar. Rich [/quote] There shouldn't be any residue at all on the stones.  The Lafarge NHL3.5z and NHL5z limes contain cement which makes them set quickly (too quickly imho).  Maybe try a pure lime - NHL 3.5 and see if it gives different results.  My pointing comes out a nice off white and I don't use dark sand - just ordinary goldeny river sand (sharp sand).  Some friends used very yellow sand and the result was extremely creamy looking pointing.  Brushing back should remove all the unwanted mortar from the stones.  If you wish I'll try and post a photo of my pointing (internal so far but should give a good idea).  

[quote user="teapot"][quote user="dr orloff"][quote user="teapot"][quote user="dr orloff"][quote user="teapot"] Hi Rich, yes the NHL5 grey will have cement in it to get it to the 5 grade. We discussed this at length on a forum the other day. http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/1539023/ShowPost.aspx   [/quote] That's not how it works.  The chemical composition of the source material and temperature variations in the production process will determine the hydraulic property of the lime so produced.  NHL5 should not contain cement.  NHL 5-z indicates the presence of a pozzolanic additive (normally cement). [/quote] That's not how it should be, True, however in real life the manufacturers do it the easy way and state cement added. Especially the grey which is the colour achieved when lime is taken to a higher temprature for cement production than for lime production   [/quote] I find that difficult to believe. Could you provide me of an example of an NHL 5 pure chaux with added cement. I use St Astier limes.  NHL 5 and NHL 3.5. They state that they are pure.  How do you know different.? [/quote] I use the same and they are pure, its the tradifarge style products that have the added cement,  and as you have said and I frequently forget to add to my typing the z branded bags. Please don't misunderstand me the thread was about the grey lime which is usually a mix and not pure. [/quote] I thought you were referring to the grey-ish St Astier NHL 5 mentioned by the op. To the Op:   You can get ready mixed lime/sand mixes in umpteen shades - Point P do them and try your local builders merchants.  St Astier do a range.  They are pricey though.  Alternatively you could try colouring the lime with natural pigments -eg ochre (mix in bulk to avoid colour variations). Personally I like the colour achieved by lime and golden river sand.      

[quote user="teapot"][quote user="dr orloff"][quote user="teapot"] Hi Rich, yes the NHL5 grey will have cement in it to get it to the 5 grade. We discussed this at length on a forum the other day. http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/1539023/ShowPost.aspx   [/quote] That's not how it works.  The chemical composition of the source material and temperature variations in the production process will determine the hydraulic property of the lime so produced.  NHL5 should not contain cement.  NHL 5-z indicates the presence of a pozzolanic additive (normally cement). [/quote] That's not how it should be, True, however in real life the manufacturers do it the easy way and state cement added. Especially the grey which is the colour achieved when lime is taken to a higher temprature for cement production than for lime production   [/quote] I find that difficult to believe. Could you provide me of an example of an NHL 5 pure chaux with added cement. I use St Astier limes.  NHL 5 and NHL 3.5. They state that they are pure.  How do you know different.?    

[quote user="teapot"] Hi Rich, yes the NHL5 grey will have cement in it to get it to the 5 grade. We discussed this at length on a forum the other day. http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/1539023/ShowPost.aspx   [/quote] That's not how it works.  The chemical composition of the source material and temperature variations in the production process will determine the hydraulic property of the lime so produced.  NHL5 should not contain cement.  NHL 5-z indicates the presence of a pozzolanic additive (normally cement).    

Why not just try them?

Only one way to find out.

[quote user="bubbles"]But, what happens to these poor people if they bite the bullet and fill in a first tax form in france eventually, after say 6 years living there? do they get stung for 6 years' tax and then have to claim back the same from the Inland Revenue in England? they could have quite a wait for the refund!![/quote] Hard cheese.  How can they expect to live here for six years without fulfilling their obligations.  

acrylique and glycero. I had to travel two hours to the nearest Brico Depot, but worth it as I had a lot of painting to do.       

No, a bit more virtual where many of us have a second home.

Has anyone else found that the other place has become increasingly banal?  I think I'm migrating for good.

Ok cover blown.  Boob jobs a speciality. I have also hard very good reports about Sikkens - Dutch I believe but with branches in France.  Quite expensive - need to get trade prices. I agree but I think the Renaulac is the exception to the rule.  Inexpensive and excellent quality.  If I were decorating in the UK I might consider importing it from France.

I  recommend Renaulac from Brico Depot.  Euros 59 for 15 litres.  It is pretty good paint (roller better than brush) and no different to the price of most UK paint.  I would go for the ordinary stuff not the monocouche.

Aka ironwood.  One of the very best firewoods.

We have a pool - not salt water.  It has a security cover and we keep the pump running all winter.  There hasn't been any ice in the pool - not even on the first of the roman steps where the depth is only a cm or two.  The pump is in a box below ground and I have insulated on top.  Lowest temperature of the winter so far is -11C.