Polly

Thanks for fixing the links! Your memory of a 20sqm limit for a chalet comes from the general building rule enshrined in the current French planning regulations which say that under 2sqm no need for applications, 2 - 20sqm you need a déclaration préalable, over 20sqm you need to apply for full planning permission

Here you are, the ref re parking caravans in a simple easy-to-follow diagram. Copy & paste it if the link won't work on a click http://www.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/caravanes.pdf Please note the text in the box which says that if your land lies in any sort of protected area, eg near an historic monument or in a national park you must check with your Mairie as special rules may well apply. Now for a mobile home in your garden.... the answer is at http://www.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/residence_mobile.pdf It's NO. Howver, you seem to be planning some sort of mobile home site.... would you care to elaborate?

[quote user="steve"]Not as much as 'hunting' oops thread drift! Steve [/quote] or the hourly rate for a gardener!

Even worse than bed rest for a 12 year old.... we had a 10 week old chocolate looney who broke a front leg! The train is FANTASTIC, the views are stunning on a clear day, but do take jumpers if you're going to sit in the open carriages.

My OH doesn't read this forum, nor do any of our classic biker mates but then they are all French. I don't think OH would take kindly to my offering to sell any of his 'ongoing projects'!

hmm, I have vague memories of adverts for bourses in Chalais but I can't remember where Just looked in LVM, and there's a bourse at Lalande-de-Fronsac nr Saint André de Cubzac on the 9 &10 October

[quote user="Konrad"]We are in the Dordogne. I have been buying la vie de la moto fairly regularly but there never seems to be a Bourse near us. We seem to have the odd scooter rally but that is not for me. I will just have to keep looking. [/quote] That surprises me, OH is up that way quite often. Roughly where in the Dordogne are you?  The club 'Autrefois les Motards' near Sarlat is a good bunch of people AUTREFOIS LES MOTARDS Le Landers 24200 Sarlat mail : [email protected] Their website http://www.autrefoislesmotards.com/ is undergoing work, but they have got an outing on 25th & 26th September so it could be worth your going along to the meet-up point and having a chat Otherwise there are bourses at Perigueuex and Bergerac every year, and at Brive. THE best bike bourse is at Sesquières on the outskirts of Toulouse, in March. People come from all over Europe. Aiguillon (47) on the first weekend of January is good too. See also http://www.motocollection.com/calendrier.htm for some dates.

It would help if you said where you are..... There is a vibrant old bikes scene in many parts of France, and the magazine to buy is la Vie de la Moto

Deborah, in theory it is possible to change the line of a right of way in France if all parties (landowners, users of the track & the local authorities) are in agreement, but in practice it takes a long time to do so, and some diehards may still insist on using the old route. Only you can decide how much the use of the track by third parties would upset your enjoyment of the property, we can't tell you here. However, for what it's worth (not much!) I wouldn't like a right of way used by hunters within 1 metre of my house. pm me if you wish for more detailed info

If your underactive thyroid is being treated with thyroxin supplements you won't normally have a problem with high chloresterol due to low thyroid activity, because the low natural level is being corrected. That's not to say you won't have high chloresterol, you might have that due to other factors.

I can, using those refs! Lucky little mutt, he looks SO lovely and just a wee bit confused at all his good fortune

I can't see the pic either, it asks me to log in to the site

You don't say how old he is, but it sounds like you & he are on the right track, you just need lots of patience and plenty of kitchen roll. A change of circumstance can be v stressful for a dog or a bitch. Either he is marking, or he's reverting to puppyhood until he feels 'safe'. What a lucky dog to have found folk who care enough to post the question here, not just thwack him and kick him out. Courage, mon brave! And do let us know how you all get on, and a pic of the tribe to cheer us all up? We all like doggy pics! 'scuse me, just done a 'view the post' check and my word for a female dog has come out in asterisks!!!!!!

pachapapa, my links never seem to work on a click but they do on a copy & paste. Maybe it's a mac or firefox glitch? I can't post smileys either. BTW it's the Royal INSTITUTION not Institute of Chartered Surveyors Quillan, the RICS has a French presence which accredits courses in France. Also, even if a surveyor did his/her initial training in another country, they (like many other professionals) have to rack up a certain amount of hours every year keeping their competences up to date. Thus there is the opportunity to learn about different techniques in a professional & structured manner. You can put anything in a clause suspensive, so long as the vendor agrees, so yes, subject to survey not finding x,y,z... (with the appropriate detailed wording) would be perfectly legal. re Peter's post: yes, all professional surveyors will carry PII to cover their work. It costs an arm and a leg, and still leaves them open to attack from clients who are miffed that they didn't see something as, sadly, for all their training they don't have x-ray eyes. Which is why there's always a long list of items excluded from their reports, with notes such as 'no fitted carpets were lifted, and no plasterboard removed and no comment can be made on X as the owner would not release keys to access that space'

[quote user="pachapapa"]There doesn't seem to be much on structural construction in the RICS Training.[:)] http://www.rics.org/site/download_feed.aspx?fileID=5829&fileExtension=PDF [/quote] My dear man, the brochure to which you refer is simply a list of some supplemementary courses offered to those working or training to be Chartered Surveyors. It is NOT a complete guide to RICS training! If you want more information on how to become a chartered surveyor go to http://www.rics.org/site/scripts/documents_info.aspx?documentID=358&pageNumber=2 Sweet is quite right, Chartered Building Surveyors in particular are schooled in building pathology and building defect analysis, and they have studied the mechanisms of structural failures. (No I'm not one BTW, nor am I married to one!)

For a structural survey, or simply for independent pre-purchase advice, there are Chartered Surveyors operating in France who will provide you with a survey to meet your requirements. You can't do better (though no doubt somebody will come laong and tell you otherwise!) You can find them for ex by searching the relevant section of the business directory at French Property News, at http://www.french-property-news.com/france-business-directory-directory-search--3972 As to cost: that will depend on the size and type of property you are looking at (a chateau will obviously cost more to survey than a 2-bed house) and what sort of detail you require. A Chartered Surveyor will always agree the fee with you in advance, and agree with you the terms of his/her appointment regarding what is to be included/excluded from their report.

Whilst they are at it, perhaps they will also design humans who don't drop sweet papers, spit out their chewing gum or empty their car ashtrays in public places? And could the anglers who use the ground behind their favourite spot as a public toilet please be cloned to either pick up their doodoos and pink loo paper, or not to need to do doodoos except when they are at home? It's not nice for us dog walkers to step in it.

A phoque is a seal Otarie is a sea-lion, otarie is the common or vernacular name for different species of the mammal Otarie à fourrure are known as fur seals Hope that helps!

The EDP report is interesting: http://www.edp24.co.uk/content/edp24/default/ (If clicking on the link doesn't work copy & paste it)

Bien sûr, but they may well be no cheaper. To find one, enter "Électricité pour automobiles" and your location into the search boxes on http://www.pagesjaunes.fr

I agree Alan, and cats do wriggle so

[quote user="nemltd"]We have a 3 bed house in the Gers and would like to know if this quote sounds sensible for Buildings and Contents Insurance. We have a quote for 30.50 euros per month, this includes 32,000 euros of contents. Does this sound about normal? [/quote] Is your house your home or a second home? It makes a difference!

I'm not being ridiculous Christine. You surely see it more than most: pets shoved off on to temporary carers so the owners can 'tick that box' and move on. Not much different to tossing them out of a car or tying them to the SPA gate unless they follow through the rehoming process. The OP has replied to my question so as far as I'm concerned that's the matter closed.

[quote user="Mr Coeur de Lion"]Find someone over here, get her on a plane and fly her over.[/quote] Fantastic!

OK, that's fine as far as it goes but what happens 2 months down the line if her 'temporary' carers run into problems (health, accident, family duties, money or whatever) and can't keep her? What would you do then? Come back to get her? Yes I AM being persistent!