connolls

HI nessy, No help to you whatsoever on the questions you've asked.............but PLEASE come to the Haute Vienne in Limousin !!!!!!!!! We are personally desperate for someone skilled in this area to fit Lino flooring for us in bathrooms and toilets. Hope you get some of the answers you want. Best wishes Mel.

Hi, Thanks for the correction Sweet17. We haven't started living in the property or France as yet. Just been going back and forth for periods of time to do the renovations (hence the 4 years of work). We hope to become "permanant" early next year. Does that make a difference ? Thanks Mel

Thank you Cooperlola, I will have a look at the info in your thread. We have met with the Mairie a couple of times who is very eager for us to open as soon as possible (she keeps getting enquiries about places to stay in our village.), so hopefully she wil be able to give us some more help. Thanks again, Mel,

Hi all, We have nearly finished a long winded (but enjoyable) renovation on our house and hope to open up our small B&B next year. We are going to register with AE as letting rooms and have read most of the threads about this and found them very useful. My question is "what do we have to do to register as french residents ?" Do we have to do this before we join the AE scheme or will we be "automatically" registered by joining the AE ? Any well informed information (and practical steps) would be gratefully received. Thanks in advance. Mel.

Lidl - Luxury !!!!! It is compared with the Netto !!!!! You should have tried their range of faux fur underpants......or did you miss them !! (L.O.L) Or was that another shop !!! :( Happy Christmas. Mel

Hi all, Merry christmas to everyone who has time to read this over the festive period. We are back in the UK for chrimbo, because of the rising prices in France before we left we started shopping at the Lidl. On our return to the UK we are finding the exact same products in the UK Lidl, (brands, packaging etc) at more than HALF the price of the French Lidl shops...............and they are exported from europe to the UK !!!!!! How can this be justified ? No wonder the French don't buy many luxury items. Best whises Mel.

Thank you very much for that Albert the IG Just been having a good look through it and the information is really useful. I will check out about the "joint" entitlement to health and social benefits for both of us, but I am presuming they are now the same as a "married couple" as France updated their laws in may of this year to recognise UK civil partners into French law. Thanks once again. Mel.

Hi, We are hoping to return to france early next year and register with AE for the business of our chambre d'hote. We don't anticipate a huge income but wonder what percentage of our earnings will be deducted for taxes and health and social charges. Is there a "set amount" that we could work on ? We don't want to get a huge bill at the end of tax year if things aren't filled out properly and would also be a useful bit of info to work on what we would be left with. I apologise if this has been covered before. P.S. We are a couple in a civil partnership so will we both be covered by our contributions to the health and social charges system. I know a very long question............but thought i'd get them all in one go. Thanks to anyone that can help. Happy Christmas to all !!!! Best wishes Mel.

Oh my god.................everything is cheaper !! Just come back to the UK for winter and to earn some pennies. Been to the shops for the first time today and everything is cheaper. Food, Electrical goods,Cloths, Shoes, household stuff, Luxury items,Christmas presents etc etc etc. Still loooking forward to coming back to France but could be really tempted back by the cost of living over here at the minute. No wonder people are doing their food shopping online and getting it delivered to France !! Mel,

No need to gloat Scooby !! LOL. PS. Could you send us a nice shredded chicken with garlic and chilli over from your nearest chinese.........Oh to dream.......... until a week on wednesday !!! Mel.

I know it's frustrating and annoying and does wind me up sometimes..............but we could go back and live in the UK if we want to. Mel

Hi, Sorry can't help with the damp issue but we have used the "gel recepical things" in our house that is shut up for long periods of time, with a friend who goes to empty and refill if necessary. We don't really have a damp problem as such but they do extract any excess moisture that may hang around and we certainly find that they help with keeping any problems occuring with furniture, bedding and fabrics. Give them a go they're only cheap and the refills currently selling at only a euro each at a lot of the brico's and especially hyper-u. Hope it gets sorted out for you. Best wishes Mel.

Hi, Thanks for the info.........very useful and will pass on to relevant friends. Mel.

Hi Jay Could anyone clarify for me if it's 60 or 70 that you get a reduction/exemption as another thread on this subject seems to suggest 70. Confused.com ??? Thanks Mel.

Hi, Thanks for that info......will expect the next bill shortly then. Best wishes Mel.

Hi, Please don't shout !! Paid 1 house tax bill earlier this year but can't remember which one it was ?? TdH or TF. How thick am I this year !! I think another one is due about now but don't know which one and when they are supposed to arrive ????? Any info welcome. Thanks Mel.

Hi, Only ever rented from Limoges airport............it used to be cheap but like most things now the last time we rented it had gone up from 90 euro's for the week to 149 euro's for the week !! Hope you find a reasonably priced hire, and if you do let us know. Good luck. Mel.

Thanks for the reply GG it sounds like I was about right, so thanks for the info and confirmation. When mine get to 50 years old don't think I will be around !!!!! Thanks Mel

Hi, Had a message from a man in another dept and emailed him back but no more contact as yet, does your men cover dept 87 ? Hope you got yours done ok. best wishes Mel.

Hello, I wonder if anyone can give me a bit of advice ? I have some hardy fushia's bushes that have done really well this year (first year in) I'm afraid last week the hard frost got them and now they look a little sick, I think I read somewhere that they should be left like this until March time next year and THEN cut back. Is this right ? Hope someone can help with this. Thanks Mel.

Hi, I know this is probably really lazy, but to save me trawling through the brico catalogue, does anyone know if the brico's sell the hanging ceiling light fittings, (pendant fittings I think they're called) The type I can hang a lamp shade on, I can't recall seeing them when i've been looking around generally. Thanks for any help. Mel.

Hi, Thanks very much for the replies, all info is gratefully received. Think we will give the satin a go. Mel.

Sorry to hijack your message, but i'm the same in dept 87...............but need someone for Lino. Can anyone p.m. me too. Thanks Mel.

Hi, We are in the middle of doing some more decorating and wanted to know if anyone has used satin (satinee, I think) as opposed to gloss paint, I've used some of the french gloss paints in other parts of the house and find them very "cloggy". Thought satin might be a bit easier to work with. Any thoughts gratefully accepted. Thanks Mel .

I think we are "told" where a lot of our hard earned money goes enough while we are alive....taxes, inheritence, capital gains, V.A.T. etc. We should be able to decide to whom and what percentages of our money goes to when we die, if I want to leave it family friends or a charity it is up to me. I might be tempted to do a little haunting if someone decided to contest any decisions I made in my will. Mel.