Panda

Hello I'm coming at this issue from the other end, I have 2 LHD here in the UK that I need to sell.  I was going to return them to France to sell but having had a route around I have a nice man from the London LHD company coming up on the train with a wad of cash.  He made me an offer which was less than I would get in France but not stupidly so (and more than the equiv RHD second hand price) and with the hassle of getting it back over there now that I have rejoined the ranks of the wage slave is too good to turn down.  So there are options on both sides of the water. Panda

Thanks Russethouse, I'll take a look at that.

[quote user="Steve"]To GD.... I'm with you GD, as are quite a few others. Dave21478 is a dreamer and has amused some, with very little else to do, over too longer period. He believes he is a legend in his own lifetime. This thread as he says is, from page one all about him and how he runs the Gites he manages for someone else. Earlier in the year he announced he was leaving his caretaker job to move to new pastures(a loud cheer was heard) but of course due to "popular" demand he didn't, as suddenly he was offered further "couldn't refuse it" work and we have to continue to suffer his brilliant style of sarcasm as he makes us "all laugh" with his boring fictional anecdotes The Gites he is caretaker for are always "full" just about all year round in spite of.........etc etc. Now, various people will come on  and say how wonderful Dave scribbles are and of course that's there opinion. Sarcasm grinds after a while so I'll kept this post short. Steve [/quote] Want some fish with those chips you're hauling around there Steve?![:P]

Hello My bank also allowed me a large ovedraft facility and large credit card limit during my time in France but in these credit crunch days getting a mortgage is much harder than it used to be.  I have been working for a UK based company during my 6 years of living in France so I have a good career history, all good so far.  When I applied for a mortgage after my recent move back to the UK,the fact that I had not lived in the UK for the past 6 years was a big issue so much so that despite having an income and  8 years continuos employment status, well in excess of that required for the amount of money I was borrowing led to some lenders saying no at the outset. I have managed to get a mortgage but it was tough and I only got it because my bank, who I've been with since my 20's knows I'm good for it. If anyone is consdiering a move back, has not held a good balance in a UK bank account and will be starting a new job on return I would venture will not get a mortgage and even in renting made find they are seen as a bad risk.  It was quite a shock for me really, I'm buying a small 3 bed house at less than half the value of the property I last owned in the UK so hardly asking for a huge mortage.  My credit rating is also poor apparently which I hate, I have never had any bad debt yet for my new BT line I will have to pay a deposit so get the line as due to my time in France I have no credit history which equals bad risk. Panda  

Hope all goes well with your new baby, I'm sure she will be fine now that the vet has given her the required yukky stuff. I'm thinking of getting a cat or kitten as my house is due to complete very soon and I miss my old girl who died last year in France at the ripe old age of 21.  I then had the cat that adopted me  a couple of months back and then came her kitttens, sadly I couldn't bring any back to the UK as they were not passported of course but made sure they were neutuered and all found good homes.  I feel it's my turn to do the same for a new moggy(or ies). I adore cats and can't wait for my trip to France in a couple of weeks to visit the mum who adopted me who now lives with my friend, I do hope she recognises me....[:)] Do put a pic up F1    

Hello ChezShells It's a bit odd in every property market at the moment which is leading to some equally odd behavour.  For my part I'm about to complete on a house at a really good price so I'm not complaining, the agent nearly bit my hand off!  I've kept my places in France on long term rental so still have to deal with incompetent agents, I've resorted to doing everything by registered post now after having 5 emails, 2 faxes and numerous phone calls ignored!  It really annoys me that they are saying unless you can prove we have read something we can ignore you, drives me mad.  I think the current dreadful state of the market will sort out the bad french agents from the good (as it will in the UK too).  Panda  

[quote user="ChezShells"] And the way some estate agents and solicitors (amongst others) treat you here is unbelievable. [/quote] It's funny how different people see things, well differently!  I had a nightmare with estate agents, rental agents and notaires during my time in France but find the Brit equivalent treat me as a customer with the required service element thrown in, not to mention, they reply to phone calls and even emails.  In France I always feel like I am asking them to do me a favour for which I should be eternally grateful and you may as well email the wall as email anyone in France, if it's not avis de reception they pretend it does not exist.

Hello Teapot You see to be answering and defending comments made by Andrew, is there a reasons for this? Do we have a forum romance, should we all go buy a hat?? The irony of your post in large letters is hilarious BTW - no really it is!

Hello I've never heard of the above before and certainly do not do this for any of my rentals which are all to french renters via a french agency who advised me on who pays for what. I only pay tax fonciere, all other charges, water, elec, gas, rubbish collection are all in the tenants name paid directly Panda

QUOTE Panda Why on earth would I take the time to post on a subject I am not interested in - really!!!! Do you ? - Andrew Andrew, we are talking not talking interest here though Andrew, we are talking business interest where the advice is always I am the only one who knows about these things. My sugesstion was that you post on more general subjects for a change not just those that try to gain buisness for you. On the qualified front, how are we to know whether someones qualifications are in solar or door to door selling, this is a forum where anyone can claim expert in a subject. We all know someone I'm sure who left a job in sales or IT to take up one in a very specialist subject over in France claiming past experience, it's not difficult, doesn;t mean we all have to bow to their opinion on a forum!

It's horrific, how could they do such a thing? There was a similar story in the UK press last week where some evil kids did the same thing to a small friendly pony in a field, it makes me so upset to think that they could do this for a joke.

Hello PG Are you saying then that these shops are using installers that are not qualified to do the job? No one said the tax department are stupid although you are suggesting that the large chain DIY shops are by engaging non qulified installers to installl solar. NB. Why don't you shock us all by posting on a thread that isn't something you have a vested interest in! Panda

When a DIY store offers installation the whole cost can normally be credited against impots. The installation is done by a specialist not a Brico Depot shelf filler after all.. ...And the costs can be on the same bill, mine were not solar but other items, can't see why it would be dffierent for solar.

I think in the UK 2 years seems to be considered a time after which you would be considered an employee if you met a whole load of other cirteria. If you asked for a contract I would imagine the compnay would run a mile, they would have to almost double your pay as currently they are not paying any employeur contributions for you. Whether you could take them on to have your employment recognised as permenant at this stage would be doubtful in my opinion and would certainly end your relationship with a long battle afterwards as one would pressume they would have to pay all of the missed contributions to the state. As you said yourself it suits them that you are freelance...

Hello Mishtoon We are living in Gloucestershire and I want my son to be able to play with someone who can speak french, I'll pm you some contacts, if you are interested. Weare of course English and I am seeking French kids too but would be happy for an occasional meet up where the kids spoke in French to each other, go as a starting point. We lived for 6 years in France, my son is 9, 10 very soon. Panda

[quote user="Grimaud dreamer"]I keep reading about how expensive France is to work it - ie the taxes etc.  I am out of touch with things in this area and wonder if anyone could enlighten me?? for instance what is the basic rate of income tax? how much can you earn before a higher rate kicks in? any other information would be more than welcome.[/quote] Hello GD Tax is not an issue at all it is fairly low in France, the issue is with the social charges. These are very high and it's these that cause the problem. On an income of 32k self employed I paid around 10k in social charges, I paid pretty much no tax during my time in France. The new auto-entrpreneur scheme allows you to pay only on your earning which is an improvement and on those earnings you pay a max of around 24% in tax and charges. This is taken straight from the gross figure as allowances for expenses are already built in. The tax/charges situation is often painted blacker than I feel it actually is but this is because you get big bills rather than paye and everyone thinks 'jeeez that's a lot of money' when a bill for a few thousand lands. Panda

Hello I've never stayed in French self catered holiday accom without 'having' to clean within an inch in order to get your damage deposit back, on the other hand in the UK you are generally not expected to clean in the same manner when exiting as cleaning is usually included. This may account for your differences in attitude to how the place is left. Panda

Hey, hold on, I said leave it out on the mine bigger than yours comparisons!  I love France, I have said that many, many times.  I hate it though when people start quoting rubbish from the tabloids about how 'shocking' the UK is.  Come to France because you love it but come with your eyes open, not because of some idea that all is better than in the UK.

[quote user="Rose"][quote user="Gemonimo"]  he is a decent, respectful young man regardless of the passport he carries.  [/quote] I'd be very happy with that outcome... I can tell you are a very proud parent!  what more can you hope for really?  The best thing a teacher said about our son was that he was the kindest boy in the class... made me well up!  [:$] [/quote] You may know that my decision to move back to the UK was based around my sons happiness , my son was also the kindest (by a very long way) child in the school and I was often told this by teachers, this does of course mean the others were not kind and I saw this too often.  I think girls fair better in french school, girls tend to rally around new girls and take them under their wing, boys on the other hand do not, all very general statements of course.  My experience of rural french boys was not a good one, they were unruly and outright racist and nasty at times, again not all but enough in the last school to have my son in tears on a regular basis.  I complained and was told yes they are nasty boys but what can you do? If I had my time again I would chose a much larger school in an affluent area where kids have the sense of it being worthwhile going to school and there is a better pool of friends to chose from than the bully gendarmes sons and the gaggle of farmers sons.  You have the chance to chose well, take the advice given and go for it if that's your dream, no one is saying don't, not at all, just be careful. Panda  

Ian, give it it up. You sound like the scene from the monthy python film; Apart from the sewers, the roads - and so it goes on what have the romans ever done for us! So apart from the suicide rate, the murder rate.... . If you live in the middle of nowhere in the UK crime is low, the same goes for France, if you live in a large town or city again both will be quite high. I lived near a town in France with exactly the same number of peiople (10k ish) as the one I now live near in the UK, I read the local papers in the UK and did in FRance, both report thefts and the occasional assault, both I could walk through the town centre at 12am and not feel threatened in any way. You have to compare like with like. Anyone who goes to France to live a rural life could have found the same in the UK but it would have cost a lot more, that is the main reason people move in my experience. Panda

Hi Joy I'm sure your son will do really well.  My son is really enjoying the broad spectrum of activities now available to him in the holidays.  He has notched up a weeks sailing, a week in football camp and is this week receiving tennis coaching.  His social skills and confidence have improved a great deal now that he is mixing with new kids everyday, in France we could go weeks and not interact with another child in the holidays so life is more interesting for him.  We were too rural in France amd although I am living in rural England now there is a huge amount more for him to do on our doorstep.  He is a much happier child and at the end of the day that's what it's all about for me. Good luck and chin up it will all fall into place. Panda

Hello No I just completed the registration forms, they were not interested in previous schools, he is only in primary though. The certificate should I presume give attendance details. Panda

Hello Joy The french school will issue you with a certificate (de radiation) when you tell them you are taking him out but the UK have no use for this in my experience, it's more a administritive thing for the French school. Panda

Hello S17 The best insurance is usually available at the resort with the lift pass.  You can buy a carte blanche in France which gets you off the mountain and to a hosptial, refunds lost lesson payments etc.   You should find a similar insurance where you are going.  Panda

[quote user="AnOther"]How about 'dampsquib' ? Or maybe 'knackeredoldlady', referring to the UK of course not you personally [:D] [/quote] Well it's sunny today and has been for 3 days now!  That's summer gone then.  I've just booked a break in France for September so it better still be sunny there then. To confirm the point above the doctors are not concerned about your return and will sign you back up no problem.  Panda