Polly

If you're not sure, go to the tax office (hotel des impots) and ask, taking all your bills with you. As they will be closed until Tuesday, and you have ages anyway to fill in the forms, try this route for some solid 'horse's mouth' info: Go to the impots website http://www.impots.gouv.fr Click on 'particuliers' On the next page, in the green band at the top, choose 'vos préoccupations' Choose 'logement' from the drop-down menu Next page, under résidence principale, choose 'Les crédits d'impôt pour dépenses d'équipements dans la résidence principale' Keep going, we're nearly there..... this page gives you general info, then at the bottom choose "Le crédit d'impôt en faveur du développement durable" Phew. Scroll down to the table and you'll see the rates for 2009 expenses and those incurred in 2010 (so choose the right column!) and more info below including the statement you are after that the crédit d'impot applies to the total price TTC i.e. including TVA.

[quote user="Jazzer"]I just wonder where we stand with the law. The other point is if someone with an allergy became ill after a visit are we liable? With the best cleaning systems it's not always possible to guarantee 100% hair removal.As with a lot of laws I don't think this one has been thought through.[/quote] Someone with an allergy could become ill after visiting a property whether or not pets had been allowed in the place. How many gite owners wash the bedding at high temperature to kill dust mites (all of it, blankets, duvets, bedcovers, cushions, pillows) after every let? And what about cushions, curtains & rugs? How many thoroughly vacuum all the mattresses (both sides) and soft furnishings after every let? How could an allergy sufferer prove that staying in your house had given him/her a problem? Perhaps they had a bad reaction to something whilst out sightseeing? What the 'eck do all these allergy sufferers do in normal life, go around with a face mask on when out in the street? Not go shopping? Not go anywhere?

Thanks for that, saves me hunting !

[quote user="Jazzer"]Having today read an article in FPN, reminded me of the need to update our advertising for next year. The article mentions that we should ensure that pets are treated for fleas and worms ahead of their visit. Thought struck me-do we have to check the animal to the pet passport to ensure it is the same animal or do we take the customer's word? I don;t fancy buying a reader.[/quote] It's up to you how far you want to check things

Beris, are you saying that 3 of you are working full-time to keep one gite running?

I would say that the OP's main worry is that he's 20 years too late, an awful lot of other people have been down the same route over those 20 years! Some are still going, some went to the wall, and some went back to the UK. In Brittany, the Les Bons Voisins network seems to have got many areas covered. Check out the opposition, OP before you jump in!

If you care to tell us roughly where in the Lot I'm sure some of us will be able to give you the details of a decent vet

Well, I never thought I'd be castigated on this forum for raising an issue of animal welfare.

[quote user="Russethouse"]Since 5.47 am this morning?......... I'm not sure what you mean - perhaps it has happened before and arrangements didn't work out and Punch is looking at other options - I don't know any more than you or Polly, and I think its pretty clear from other responses that is a far from perfect solution. If Punch hadn't asked and his arrangements had fallen down, and the cat had gone hungry there would be some clever clogs saying 'you could have got one of those automatic feeders' [Www] Honestly - why not give the benefit of the doubt ?   [/quote] So all a cat needs, Russethouse, in your opinion is a bit of nosh and all will be ticketyboo? There's more to owning a pet than feeding it.

I'm not assuming anything, I'm thinking of an animal's wellbeing. I suggested he must know someone who could check on the animal's welfare. If the OP's circumstances have changed then maybe he should change his web reference, as given on his post, or perhaps have told us why he feels it's OK to abandon a pet for a week. Maybe he should think of putting the cat in a cattery whilst he's away, if he has no-one nearby? OP, I see you have posted in the meantime and I'm glad your cat will be looked after, and I hope things turn out OK for you.

Have you taught the cat how to call the vet? Can the cat drive, or would it have to take a bus/taxi to get to the surgery? Will you leave it a cheque or credit card? What happens if this wonder-feeder suddenly doesn't work? Surely someone like you, who runs a thriving business with an 'established local reputation' and who has been in the area for 17 years knows someone locally who could see to your cat twice a day? And you could surely afford to pay them a few bob too if it's not just a friendly neighbour calling in?  

Lisa, try Bugsy's suggestion of the dog's bed by your bed, then move it gradually away once the dogs are used to it. I often have to do this with new puppies from guide dog school for the first week or so. When we dogsat for friends whose dogs are allowed on beds and settees it was a nightmare, our year-old youngster picked up the idea straight away and it took a fortnight of loud NOs to get him back to normal when we got home. Our older dog just looked bemused as if thinking 'dogs don't go up there, ever, it gets shouty if you try it'.

If anyone thinks the market has recovered in the Lot they are not on planet earth. Some eejits are still asking stupid prices, whilst others have dropped theirs to a more reasonable level but there are not many buyers around. Agents are giving very low valuations on properties people are thinking of selling. Hmm, who is that member?

Our car club (I'm the sec and treasurer) runs with just a few elected officers on the conseil d'administration. Your satuts should state how folk can become members (so you can weed out people you don't want to join, by them having to be approved by the conseil), and what happens if they don't pay their cotisations. Don't forget to include procedures for what happens if the club folds, especially how any money is shared out. If you'd like to send me your email address I'll happily scan our statuts over to you as an attachment. They only run to 2 pages, but they do the biz.

Switch your subscription to French Property News, it's much more use! OK there are rosy articles, but also hard-nosed stuff and lots of useful references.

LD Lines do 5-day returns which are much cheaper than longer-term returns, and a good excuse for not spending so much time at the in-laws! Another tip is to compare prices in euros and in £s to check the best deals. I booked a ticket for car plus one adult on the Le Havre-Portsmouth route next week, £80 return for the fare plus optional £16 for a sleeper seat on the overnight leg home. There's no booking fee if you use a debit card. The shorter routes may be cheaper, but they make the journey OH needs to do much longer, with him needing a night in a hotel each way plus loads more fuel.

Wasn't there a time in the 80s when, if you added together the advertised effects of all the fuel-saving additives and devices on the market, you ended up with no need for any fuel at all? They are all a con.

The Centre Aliénor school for guide dogs for the blind is in urgent need of more volunteer puppy-walkers, 'familles d'acceuil'. Puppy walkers take the puppies home at 2 months and teach them all their basic training until, at around a year old, the dogs go into full training. The feeling when one of 'your' puppies strides out in harness with his new master/mistress is amazing! You get great support and advice from the school's experienced staff, and of course all food is supplied and vets fees covered. When the dogs and bitches are neutered, or when the bitches are on heat you have no worries as they are cared for in school at those 'difficult' times. It doesn't matter if your French isn't brilliant, it's not a problem if you already have you own dogs/cats/hamsters and if you need to go away the school will place the puppy with another family temporarily. If you/one of you is at home most of the day and you love dogs why not give it a try? The school's website is http://www.chiensguides-alienor.com and their blog appealing for help is at http://centrealienor.unblog.fr (sorry, you'll have to cut & paste the links into your browser) You can also pm me with your phone number if you'd like more information and I'll call you

That post should have come with a Kleenex warning. Sniff.

[quote user="BJSLIV"]I believe the way it works is ERDF group together all the meters in the area that haven't been read for 12 months and write to say that they want to read the meter on , say, 17th March. If that isn't suitable and you arrange a new date to suit you then you will have to pay for the special visit.[/quote] No, you don't have to pay if you arrange a day which is more convenient for you.

[quote user="brummie phil"]No I want a fair price . Not living in the country I have no idea what that is. If you said what a fair price for the same in the Uk then I would say minimum wage is too cheap.But that is what I would get paid at the local travel lodge.Their standards are so high. They don't allow one hair to be left anywhere,measure the covers on the bed so many cms wrong and you start again.They have regular inspections by the boss.They say their standards are as high as the Hilton in London.I know this because my wife went for a job there.[/quote] Well, Phil: how clean and precise do you want your property to be? I have responsibility for a fleet of second homes, some let out commercially, others only used by owners. The standards of cleaning required from us vary, even between the commerical lets. I have one lady who is as precise as your example, yet another client doesn't think the windows ever need cleaning during the season and he won't pay to have them done; so they don't get done (repeat bookings are not common there). Your cleaner will need a full schedule of work to be able to give you a devis (quote) eg is cleaning the BBQ and garden furniture lumped in with the cleaning, or in with gardening - or not done at all? Our price for a total clean will be the appropriate hourly rate times the N° of hours, plus in some cases a set travel to work charge. Our hourly rates have to cover our 'wages' and our costs which include social charges and, with petrol costs rising, travel charges may have to go up this summer.

Watch out Steve, 'they' have been down this route umpteen times before !!

pachapapa, I've just checked : my link works on 2 different browsers, try it again http://www2.equipement.gouv.fr/formulaires/docassocies/51190.pdf

Poppy I have pm'd you

Not if Marc 'took over' the supplier's liability, which is an option!