So there we were, hoping against hope that we could enjoy a couple of weeks of hard but enthusiastic work getting the place all set up for summer. So much for that idea when we arrived at the end of our 820 mile trip to find some b.......s had stolen the generator - all 350 kgs of it! It made clearing out the layer of mud left by the winter flood, at 40 cms the water had been much higher than usual, a totally depressing task. The new boiler hadn't been fitted either. Is it all worth it ?
The plumber arrived full of apologies and fitted the boiler promptly and once more we spent the first day of the holiday acquiring the vocabulary required and gaining first hand experience of a visit to the local gendarmerie.
Our small back up generator did mean we at least had lighting and could charge the batteries for the gas fridge but its not big enough for the washing machine and it now feels a stage nearer camping. We have identified a great replacement - quiet, movable so we can put it inside when we go and able to run on gas the only problem is it's out of stock everywhere in this country and will cost over £1000 more in France so the story continues......
Suffice to say we were pleased that we had arranged visits to 10 properties to check out the market and find out what sort of place is available in our price range. The weather was dreadful and certainly saw places at their worst which no doubt is a good idea. We did not find the dream property which is just as well as we are not yet in a position to make an offer but we did see some interesting places and have been able to fine tune details of what we are looking for. It certainly seems to be a buyers market at the moment and prices in France are still falling, it seems that this may have slowed a bit here and the exchange rate has improved from its worst level.
We returned to France at the start of June determined to enjoy a more relaxing time - after cutting the two foot high grass we kept jobs to the minimum and went out and about. We spent a few days exploring Aveyron (Dept12) and did like the area around Villefranche de Rouergue - will I need to change the title of my blog I wonder?
So back home again we carry on dreaming. TC is determined to work until the end of the year so we have 6 months left. The house has had a touch of love and attention ( well some windows, pointing and painting) and we are ready to organise getting the HIP with our chosen estate agent now all we need is someone who recognises what a lovely house it is (it can't help being in Stoke on Trent) and makes us an offer we can't refuse.
Wednesday, 17 June 2009
Monday, 30 March 2009
What next?!?!
For the last 3 years, since we bought our little holiday house in south west France, Easter has seen us driving down armed with new paintbrushes and the power washer to get the house spruced up after the ravages of a winter of neglect.
Arrival is always an anxious time as we never know what we will find and what problems we will have to deal with. The anxiety seems to be getting worse with the passing years as three years have taught us there is always something else you haven't thought of to go wrong! The last visit was dominated by finding the shed had been broken into and we had lost every tool, the lawn mower, bikes and the gas bottles - not to mention the decaying bodies of the two loirs trapped in the bath. we did have to work quite hard to persuade ourselves that it was all worth it!
This time we have our fingers crossed that the boiler has been repaired so we will have hot water (unlike our previous stay) and the generator works after the flooding in January.
Whatever else awaits us preparations this year have an extra measure of excitement as we have three days of serious househunting planned. We have three estate agents lined up and a total of 10 properties to visit. Although it is unlikely that any house we see on this trip will still be on the market when we are in a position to buy this will be our opportunity to think really seriously about the type of house and location that will suit us. It will also hopefully galvanise us in to action regarding getting our current house on the market.
So Tarn et Garonne here we come again, full of hope that all our problems will be little ones, that the weather will be kind and we are inspired by the property opportunites within our grasp.
Arrival is always an anxious time as we never know what we will find and what problems we will have to deal with. The anxiety seems to be getting worse with the passing years as three years have taught us there is always something else you haven't thought of to go wrong! The last visit was dominated by finding the shed had been broken into and we had lost every tool, the lawn mower, bikes and the gas bottles - not to mention the decaying bodies of the two loirs trapped in the bath. we did have to work quite hard to persuade ourselves that it was all worth it!
This time we have our fingers crossed that the boiler has been repaired so we will have hot water (unlike our previous stay) and the generator works after the flooding in January.
Whatever else awaits us preparations this year have an extra measure of excitement as we have three days of serious househunting planned. We have three estate agents lined up and a total of 10 properties to visit. Although it is unlikely that any house we see on this trip will still be on the market when we are in a position to buy this will be our opportunity to think really seriously about the type of house and location that will suit us. It will also hopefully galvanise us in to action regarding getting our current house on the market.
So Tarn et Garonne here we come again, full of hope that all our problems will be little ones, that the weather will be kind and we are inspired by the property opportunites within our grasp.
Sunday, 8 February 2009
'snow use worrying
It's been a bad week all round but not without little glimmers of relief.
The bad weather meant every plan for the week had to be cancelled so I spent far too much time in front of the computer searching the internet sites of immobilier for likely properties.
Normally here we have snow each winter with one heavy fall which causes major disruption for a day. This year we haven't really had any chaos ( despite neighbouring counties suffering) but the snow is continuing to fall and it is causing just enough problems to keep people in. First of all on Monday my French class was cancelled as the tutor's daughter's school shut, I couldn't get to a planned lunch with friends on Thursday and we had to postpone a visit to my parents in Bristol and our plans to take them to London to go on the London Eye. It's snowing heavily again now and we have been promised blizzards tomorrow night - so it goes on.
Our local supermarket shelves are pretty low and there is no salt to be had even for ready money. I have visions of everyone out there sprinkling their salt cellars on the drive!
But it wasn't all bad news - we heard from our neighbour in France that the flood level a few weeks back had been very high and had very likely breached the floodgates! Panic! We searched for a flight and were making plans for an emergency trip ( snow permitting of course), this weekend. Then to our great relief we managed to get hold of the plumber who has the keys to the house and he was able to reassure us that he has visited the house and been inside and although there is some mud on the floor the level of the water did not get high inside the house and has not caused any damage and most of all there was not a swimming pool trapped behind the floodgates.
Then amongst the continuing news coverage of the "downturn" and pages of reports about returning expat pensioners I was pleased to hear Halifax reporting a 1%INCREASE in house prices last month and the euro returning below 90p for the first time in ages to 87p. Perhaps this is a sign that things are at least going to stabilise a bit over the next few months and we 'll able to start our househunting with a better idea of what's possible.
The bad weather meant every plan for the week had to be cancelled so I spent far too much time in front of the computer searching the internet sites of immobilier for likely properties.
Normally here we have snow each winter with one heavy fall which causes major disruption for a day. This year we haven't really had any chaos ( despite neighbouring counties suffering) but the snow is continuing to fall and it is causing just enough problems to keep people in. First of all on Monday my French class was cancelled as the tutor's daughter's school shut, I couldn't get to a planned lunch with friends on Thursday and we had to postpone a visit to my parents in Bristol and our plans to take them to London to go on the London Eye. It's snowing heavily again now and we have been promised blizzards tomorrow night - so it goes on.
Our local supermarket shelves are pretty low and there is no salt to be had even for ready money. I have visions of everyone out there sprinkling their salt cellars on the drive!
But it wasn't all bad news - we heard from our neighbour in France that the flood level a few weeks back had been very high and had very likely breached the floodgates! Panic! We searched for a flight and were making plans for an emergency trip ( snow permitting of course), this weekend. Then to our great relief we managed to get hold of the plumber who has the keys to the house and he was able to reassure us that he has visited the house and been inside and although there is some mud on the floor the level of the water did not get high inside the house and has not caused any damage and most of all there was not a swimming pool trapped behind the floodgates.
Then amongst the continuing news coverage of the "downturn" and pages of reports about returning expat pensioners I was pleased to hear Halifax reporting a 1%INCREASE in house prices last month and the euro returning below 90p for the first time in ages to 87p. Perhaps this is a sign that things are at least going to stabilise a bit over the next few months and we 'll able to start our househunting with a better idea of what's possible.
Monday, 26 January 2009
Trop d'eau
All is well - a week later the wall is repaired and we have a pristine driveway even if it has taken over a week instead of the promised two days!
Our current worries centre around the recent weather in Tarn et Garonne. The river past our little holiday home is the Vere and it flows into the Aveyron. River reports on the internet show that the Aveyron is at its highest level since 2004 which inevitably means the water is lapping around the walls of our house and at a higher level than we have experienced before. We have installed floodgates across our doorways which are brilliant for "normal" floods but a really high flood will go over the top of these and worse still the water won't be able to escape when the water level goes down. We are awaiting a reply to an email to the owner of the neighbouring property with great trepidation. How much more simple life would be if we lived nearby!
Our current worries centre around the recent weather in Tarn et Garonne. The river past our little holiday home is the Vere and it flows into the Aveyron. River reports on the internet show that the Aveyron is at its highest level since 2004 which inevitably means the water is lapping around the walls of our house and at a higher level than we have experienced before. We have installed floodgates across our doorways which are brilliant for "normal" floods but a really high flood will go over the top of these and worse still the water won't be able to escape when the water level goes down. We are awaiting a reply to an email to the owner of the neighbouring property with great trepidation. How much more simple life would be if we lived nearby!
Monday, 19 January 2009
Running repairs
As the year gets under way we are continuing to declutter our house and decide what jobs need to be done to maximise our chances of selling at a good price. Number 82 is an old Victorian Villa which we bought very cheaply 25 years ago and rescued from a crumbling state of disrepair. If it were almost anywhere but in Stoke on Trent it would be worth a lot more than what we can hope to be able to sell it for this year.
You can never think you've done everything to an old house - take a breath and something will crumble or leak or fall off - it's called character! At this stage we are trying to look at the place through a strangers eyes and see where we can make sure the "character" doesn't just look like a load of hard work for potential purchasers.
We do most things ourselves and I hate having to get work done, I always expect total incompetence or to be ripped off, but there are a few things which we will need to get done by someone else this year and they need to be done before the house goes on the market.
Today work has started on repairing the retaining wall to the front garden - well its been powerwashed and degrouted now the builders have disappeared - I hope it doesn't fall down completely now!
I thought this was supposed to be the problem with French workmen - we have had a few things fixed in France already with little problem, except for the work done by the English builder who was working on the place when we bought it. He cut many corners leaving many little "character traits" behind. He also kept a loir he found in the roof as a pet over the winter and released it next to the house just before we moved in. By the end of that breeding season we had caught 8 and eventually resorted to poison to keep them out of the house!
Anyway still no sign of these builders so they have obviously given up for today- at least they've had no money yet! I think I'll sort out another cupboard.
You can never think you've done everything to an old house - take a breath and something will crumble or leak or fall off - it's called character! At this stage we are trying to look at the place through a strangers eyes and see where we can make sure the "character" doesn't just look like a load of hard work for potential purchasers.
We do most things ourselves and I hate having to get work done, I always expect total incompetence or to be ripped off, but there are a few things which we will need to get done by someone else this year and they need to be done before the house goes on the market.
Today work has started on repairing the retaining wall to the front garden - well its been powerwashed and degrouted now the builders have disappeared - I hope it doesn't fall down completely now!
I thought this was supposed to be the problem with French workmen - we have had a few things fixed in France already with little problem, except for the work done by the English builder who was working on the place when we bought it. He cut many corners leaving many little "character traits" behind. He also kept a loir he found in the roof as a pet over the winter and released it next to the house just before we moved in. By the end of that breeding season we had caught 8 and eventually resorted to poison to keep them out of the house!
Anyway still no sign of these builders so they have obviously given up for today- at least they've had no money yet! I think I'll sort out another cupboard.
Tuesday, 23 December 2008
Values
We had to brave some post Christmas shopping yesterday to buy some walking coats as we have discovered that we left our coats behind in France when we came back in November. It was a strangely depressing experience with 70% reduction posters all but obliterating most shop windows, Woolies selling off its shopfittings and a general air of desperation everywhere.
Today the news is of further drops in house values and another drop in the value of the euro - we can't help but feel that we are lucky not to have started a house purchase a few months ago - we might have found ourselves in double trouble now. Time for a sense of proportion before we start feeling sorry for ourselves!
I am brought face to face with REAL financial hardships on a regular basis in my role as a volunteer with the debt advice team at Stoke 's citizens advice bureau. As more people lose their jobs, businesses flounder, and house repossessions increase we can expect our appointments to fill even more quickly than usual at this time of the year. Although it is sometimes tempting to make judgements about those who allow debts to escalate my experience with this work convinces me that very often the initial trigger is something beyond the control of the individual and to be thankful for my own good health and secure employment which enabled me to make my own decision about when to stop working. Next Tuesday my first appointment is to help a family complete bankruptcy forms following the collapse of the husband's business which was linked to the building trade. This will inevitably lead to the loss of the family home and disruption of the childrens schooling - how can I even start to feel sorry for myself!
We have been watching the downs and downs of the pound against the euro over the last weeks and ever so slightly wavering over whether we will be able to make it happen.But as TC says there is no plan B - we NEED to live this dream and we will just have to enjoy helping someone out over the cost of their aperitives and buy somewhere at a great price. In the meantime TC will continue to work to fill the piggy bank under the mattress (best place we feel)
Today the news is of further drops in house values and another drop in the value of the euro - we can't help but feel that we are lucky not to have started a house purchase a few months ago - we might have found ourselves in double trouble now. Time for a sense of proportion before we start feeling sorry for ourselves!
I am brought face to face with REAL financial hardships on a regular basis in my role as a volunteer with the debt advice team at Stoke 's citizens advice bureau. As more people lose their jobs, businesses flounder, and house repossessions increase we can expect our appointments to fill even more quickly than usual at this time of the year. Although it is sometimes tempting to make judgements about those who allow debts to escalate my experience with this work convinces me that very often the initial trigger is something beyond the control of the individual and to be thankful for my own good health and secure employment which enabled me to make my own decision about when to stop working. Next Tuesday my first appointment is to help a family complete bankruptcy forms following the collapse of the husband's business which was linked to the building trade. This will inevitably lead to the loss of the family home and disruption of the childrens schooling - how can I even start to feel sorry for myself!
We have been watching the downs and downs of the pound against the euro over the last weeks and ever so slightly wavering over whether we will be able to make it happen.But as TC says there is no plan B - we NEED to live this dream and we will just have to enjoy helping someone out over the cost of their aperitives and buy somewhere at a great price. In the meantime TC will continue to work to fill the piggy bank under the mattress (best place we feel)
Monday, 8 December 2008
The train adds the strain
For TC's 60th birthday in February we are planning a railway trip to Nice for the Carnaval. We love Nice, out of season especially, and it seems like the perfect destination as there is a party arranged already! TC loves travelling by train so it will be a bonus to get there by rail. So far we have booked Eurostar to Paris from London, the hotel for an overnight stop in Paris, the TGV from Paris to Nice, a hotel in Nice for the week and the flight home. All very straighforward - there's just one missing link and that is the train from Stoke-on-Trent to London at the start of the whole expedition. This is turning out to be the most difficult part of the whole expedition to book or even see the timetable. It will also be the worst value for money ( pound per mile/hour) of the whole holiday.
We don't use trains very often in this country - I wonder why?
We don't use trains very often in this country - I wonder why?
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