Stan Streason
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Posts posted by Stan Streason
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[quote user="Stan Streason"]
Thanks for the origional post for this together with the link to beekeepers.
My son got to our house yesterday (been empty 3 weeks) and there is a big swarm between a bedroom window and the shutter.
From the link found someone 15km away, sent an email last night and they will be round this evening.
Not quite sure how I would have sorted it otherwise.
Thanks again
[/quote]
Update - bees enticed into a hive overnight and taken away the next morning. All very easy (for me at least). About 5,000 in the swarm.
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If you are doing this again you need decent clothing. Have a look at the Nosilife range on the Craghoppers website. These are supposed to be insect repellant clothes. They probably dont work as well as they say but if the work 90% better than nothing at all its a hell of a lot fewer bites.
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I have an escape card purchased from Phones4U. It is a prepaid mastercard and I have already saved quite a bit using it for Ryanair flights.
I think its the sort of card that would be handy to give your child when they go off travelling for 6 months, (rather than a high limit credit card which is what I did). You can control how much you top it up but can also add big amounts for the emergency.
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Please take this as a big thank you to everyone who posts advice on here.
Yesterday was a case in point.
My son arrives at our house (it has been vacant 3 weeks) and discovers a big swarm of bees between a bedroom window and the shutter.
He phones me in England and this is something I have never come across before.
Onto this forum and there someone has thoughtfully posted a link to a list of people who will collect bee swarms. Found someone 15km from my house. Quick email last night - reply this morning - they are going to come round this evening.
There is so much good advice here on many things - thank you to you all - I may not have needed your advice yet but I may do sometime in the future.
Whilst considering the various bits of advice I have recieved it got me thinking about those subjects that get the most reaction. I sometimes feel one could be a bit mischievous and post a question about moving to France and not learning the language; working on the black; how easy it is to just open a gite or any question about pool chemicals and just sit back and watch sparks fly.
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Thanks for the origional post for this together with the link to beekeepers.
My son got to our house yesterday (been empty 3 weeks) and there is a big swarm between a bedroom window and the shutter.
From the link found someone 15km away, sent an email last night and they will be round this evening.
Not quite sure how I would have sorted it otherwise.
Thanks again
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From what I understand the bigest single income source is the kickback from Hertz.
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I have done it and I used a UK solicitor.
As the purchaser as long as you dont release the funds till the Notaire says the property is yours then as far as I can see the risk is with the seller.
However the Notaire did need to be comfortable that the funds were available and the fact we had a solicitors confirmation a couple of days in advance that they had cleared funds ready to make the trasnsfer made the Notaire happier that he had properly discharged his responsibilities. Not quite sure how the notaire can confirm funds are available otherwise.
Remember as you dont have to use any particular notaire you can shop around till you find one willing to act on this basis. Fortunately the first one I asked said yes.
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Linking this post into your earlier one when you said you were coming from Canada for a visit it looks as though it may have been successful despite many of us sceptical doom merchants doubting that the property would be all you hoped for in your research.
Resding between the lines I assume that you were quite upbeat about the property and the agent had decent reason for thinking that you would make an offer. Maybe he was adding 2+2 and getting 6 but he would need the paperwork at some time.
My agent asked for all my certificates. Perfectly normal I think. I waited till I was home and PDF'd them all. Gave me an extra couple of days contemplation.
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Swiss dont fly from my nearest airport to the places I want to fly so who cares. Routes and prices are the only things that matter
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We had about 5 viewing trips (only from England) and even that was very few compared to many peoples experience.
Each trip we based around one house that looked a possibility of being "the one". We then filled in the weekend with visits to another 3 or 4 "possibles"
I am a bit OCD on these things and badgered the agent for exact position of my "preferred" house so I could google earth etc. I looked at other agents sites and found extra photos of the same house. I spoke to the agent in detail before I even travelled, even "tell me the bad points now so I can prepare myself rather than be disappointed on the day".
In short, none of the 5 lived up to expectations.
The house we eventually bought was one the agent forced us to see - yes we saw some rubbish early on on these trips but the agent gradually got to know what we wanted (at about the same time as we worked it out as well).
The house wasnt initially even on his books at first. I have no idea how he squared that side of it. He knew our cast iron total sterling limit, arranged a sterling deal with the vendor (took a fairly small sellers fee to help the deal work).
So in summary, based on my extensive experience of one purchase:
- the things you expect to be perfect, wont be
- sometimes the agent pressing you to view something is not a bad idea
- you are not going to get something sorted in one trip unless you are very very lucky.
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I did it in Feb 2009. It was relatively straight forward.
Its always easy to think of things that make it difficult. The rules may have changed but if you are legit its not much of a hoop to go through to prove where the cash comes from. I had to show my latest tax assessment to prove my cash was legit (cant remember who I had to show it to).
For the amount to be saved from not changing a large amount of currency in and out again with the rate risk involved its well worth a little bit of hassle.
As my kids got tired of me saying when they were growing up "I'm not interested in reasons why you cant do something - go and find out ways you can"
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When we started looking the first house we saw had 3 fairly small bedrooms. Lovely house, great location and fully renovated - just what I had wanted. Although I put an offer in I am ultimately glad it was rejected.
My current house sleeps 12 in 4 bedrooms (2x4 + 2x2) and last week my son and daughter-in-law had to put up 2 extra beds for another couple so maybe its never big enough.
Of course it all depends upon family and visitors but with only 2 bedrooms you could never have a "family" to visit or even non cohabiting friends - only singles or couples. My personality is that not being able to do something would just make me frustrated about it more and more.
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[quote user="nitnat"]
Are LD lines ok really for families to travel on, especially having read someone was suprised theirs did not sink!! I feel a little cautious now!
[/quote]The gist of my original post was that the crossings were pretty devoid of people. I would have thought it was great for families with plenty of space. There is a kids playroom to the front, reclining seats upstairs and even a sleeper seats room at no extra cost. Plenty of room in the rear bar and even the outside decks.
The ship does look a bit tired but is certainly not dirty. As I said the only drawback was that it puts about 2.5 hours onto my total journey compared with the tunnel.
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We are with Seolis and it looks like I can submit readings on their site. I still think it will be a battle.
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Had my place for about 18 months now, merrily pay my electricity by standing order, its not horrendus and I have no history to guage it on.
Just got my quarters bill of €225 and thought it was a bit harsh given the house probably has only had a maximum of 6 days use in that period. But this was before the log burner and insulation so we were running a lot of electric radiators full time.
Then I thought "how do they read the meter" as they are in our kitchen. Checked at the weekend and our current readings are below the opening readings from 2 quarters ago.
I suppose I was expecting a little e next to the reading but there is not one of course.
Getting this sorted may be interesting
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Normally use the tunnel but have had to use LD lines Dover-Bologne a couple of times recently so I can take a van down with some furniture.
On each journey the ferries have been virtually empty, there is tons of space onboard including full recliner seats, the trips, loading and unloading have been pleasant relaxed and hassel free.
Its just a pity it turns my 9 hour door to door via the tunnel into a 12 hour (and of course no extra ferry half an hour later if I am delayed).
Based on the number of passengers they cannot be making much money on this route.
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I am assuming the "live off capital" bit in the OP would increase disposable cash above 10K pa.
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[quote user="Richard51"]So much for French cuisine!
[/quote]Whilst on the subject - am I the only one who finds the ubiquitous rolls and sandwiches on sale in French motorway service stations, completely unedible pap?
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[quote user="Bob T"]Not sure what you are trying to achieve, apart from running a business in France without paying French tax on that business.
[/quote]Cant help feeling that comment was a bit unfair.If he is UK resident for tax purposes running a business in UK selling French golf holidays to Brits I am sure HM Revenue & Customs will believe whole heartedly that its a UK business not a French one.
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I would have no problems with Moneycorp - they have been trading for over 30 years and their last audited accounts show net assets of some £50+m. You have to be very very unlucky if they go but the day you do a transfer - probably far more likely to get run over crossing the road (in that to my knowledge one of these companies has never gone down owing its customers money).
I tend to use 4xcc and their website says they keep all clients funds in designated accounts with ABN Amro and dont mix them with their own funds which are with Barclays. I could not see aimiklar statement on Monet Corps website but I would phone and ask a question if you were worried. EDIT - actually they say what they do if you follow Will's link a couple of posts ago
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Rouen is not difficult. Calais is well signposted before you get there. The Calais signs follow the industrial estate route everyone was talking about earlier. (Drove through on the middle of Easter Sunday and I was the only one there).
I join the N10 north of Angouleme and do Poitiers, Tours, Le Mans, Rouen and apart from the 10 miles or so at Rouen its easy peage or dual carriageway for the whole trip - very easy.
Calais about 450 miles from Angouleme and keeping close to the speed limit all the way its about 6.5 hours driving time. I can average 75mph on the whole trip.
Toll costs from joining the motorway at Poitiers about €47 one way.
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We have a Voporetto (which is pretty much top of the range as far as domestic machines go) and like most things on the shopping channels it is ok but does not really live up to the hype. I wanted it to clean the barbecue etc which it does sort of ok but nowhere near as well as the adverts.
Would I buy another? Probably not.
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Only 2 choices as far as I am concernerd.
Play to everyones predjudices and go for roast beef. As big a rib joint as you can get your hands on and supervise the cooking so its not overcooked. Cut it in front of people like a carvery. Yorkshire puddings (next time someone is coming from England get them to bring a ton of Aunt Bessies (other makes are available!) they are cheap and easy). Proper roast potatoes cooked in duck fat (see any Jamie Oliver recipe), roast parsnips in honey. broccolli and swede.
Steamed jam or syrup pudding and custard. (I prefer jam).
Or
Steak and kidney pudding, onion mash and 2 veg.
Apple and blackberry pie with custard, cream or ice cream.
Bottle gas cooker
in House Renovations
Posted
Boy this thread has me confused.
I have a small cooker with a 13kg butane gas bottle inside one half. What is the difference between me being competent to change the gas bottle when it needs a new one or to connect a half full bottle to a new cooker if I bought one?