Ursula123 Posted February 20, 2017 Share Posted February 20, 2017 Last week we had our offer on a house in France accepted We have been house hunting since selling our house in September and finally found the house last weekend, surprisingly completely opposite to what we were looking for, felt like I should have been on one of those TV programmes where you tell them what you want and end up buying the wildcard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapdragon Posted February 20, 2017 Share Posted February 20, 2017 Congratulations! Really good news Where is it - just wondering if you are within hailing distance of Cinnamon?! Will you have to do much work on it? Do you have a schedule for moving in? Here's hoping that everything goes smoothly for you (mind you, I'd be happy to move from South Oxfordshire to North Devon.......... ) Keep us posted! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted February 20, 2017 Share Posted February 20, 2017 Congratulations How exciting Which bit of France will you be off to? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursula123 Posted February 20, 2017 Author Share Posted February 20, 2017 Thank you. Soap dragon, I have just looked and we will be just over an hour from Cinnamon. The house we have bought will need a new kitchen at some stage but the one there is usable, good job we are in the kitchen business otherwise it is liveable, having had a recent new roof, septic tank, gas central heating, decoration and a pellet woodburner stove thingy. It sits in 3acres of land with walnuts, nectarine, hazelnut, cherry amongst other trees. The best bit is that it was a third of our budget. Behind the house is the original farmhouse but the roof has collapsed in, maybe at some stage we will reinstate the house, could always rent out as a gite in the future. There was also a barn but the current owners have changed this to a garage. It is at the end of a lane with no passing traffic but there is a neighbour about 159 meters away. Daphne, it is near a town called Duras in the Lot et Garrone region, so southwest France. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted February 20, 2017 Share Posted February 20, 2017 Congratulations! Wow! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancing cloud Posted February 21, 2017 Share Posted February 21, 2017 Sounds amazing Well done you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted February 21, 2017 Share Posted February 21, 2017 How exciting I'm so pleased for you and hope everything goes well. Can you speak French ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted February 24, 2017 Share Posted February 24, 2017 Fantastic! We know the area you will be in actually. If you need any advice on where to buy building & garden supplies, please ask......we know all the best places now. French interiors are just hideous (IMHO), but Next & M&S deliver so all is not lost. And don't worry if your French is not up to scratch - we muddle along with VERY limited French, and its absolutely fine. So long as you make a bit of an effort most people are very accommodating. STILL trying to get us onto the French healthcare system though - absolute nightmare. The French love their paperwork, & all in triplicate too You should have see the file we had when we registered the car over here! Just let me know if you need to find out if something is not available here in France too. We have a full & comprehensive list of what we need to shop for when back in the UK! Good luck - hope it all goes through smoothly xxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursula123 Posted February 24, 2017 Author Share Posted February 24, 2017 Thanks Cinnamon, I am sure I will have plenty of questions in the fullness of time. The estate agent is English and very helpful, he has phoned a couple of times this week just to update us on progress. The diagnostic tests should be completed today. The property is empty and the owners have offered to have the gas boiler and hot water solar panels serviced, which is kind of them. I have O level French from the 80's but can muddle along if needs be. I have 2200 tea bags already . Just got to organise cat food and syringes as she is diabetic. My vet has said he will give me a six month insulin prescription before I go so at least i will have a stock to get me through the first few months. The estate agent has put me in touch with a vet specialising in cats and only 15 mins away. Pet passports done this week. Good to know Next and M & S deliver, apparently so do screwfix, can always fall back on Amazon. It is all very exciting but daunting at the same time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapdragon Posted February 24, 2017 Share Posted February 24, 2017 I have 2200 tea bags already . Sorted then Seriously, you sound very organised! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted February 24, 2017 Share Posted February 24, 2017 I do quite envy you, although we have our own adventures in Portugal, we were looking at France to start with, and I realised that the Lot et Garonne was extremely good value, so despite never having been there, it was top of the list to investigate! Some french interiors make me laugh - you still get wallpaper on the ceiling and doors in some places, and lots of heavy wood furniture, and the bathrooms often leave something to be desired, but despite all that I think the proportions of many houses are stunning, and I love the windows. I figure you can do something about the rest of it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursula123 Posted February 24, 2017 Author Share Posted February 24, 2017 We viewed one house and the lounge was in the middle of the property, once you were in there you couldn't see any doors, you had to pull or push paintings on the wall as they were secret doors, quite bazaar! owner was English, designed after a boozy lunch I imagine. I think wall paper is the decor of choice as it is a lot cheaper than paint. I get my priorities right Soapdragon, got to have a cup of tea. Also stocking up on Gin for when tea just doesn't cut it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapdragon Posted February 24, 2017 Share Posted February 24, 2017 I get my priorities right Soapdragon, got to have a cup of tea. Also stocking up on Gin for when tea just doesn't cut it A girl after my own heart - on both fronts!!!! We have taken tea bags to Egypt (where we were the envy of the other Brits in the breakfast room!) Amsterdam, Venice, Spain and, more recently, Prague. Don't forget the Marmite too Do you have any pics of your new home? Will you need to do lots to it? Are you going to take it easy or do you have plans for gites/B and B etc? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyRoo Posted February 24, 2017 Share Posted February 24, 2017 WOW! YAY! Very, very jealous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted February 24, 2017 Share Posted February 24, 2017 All sounds very exciting, congratulations! Look forward to hearing about your adventures. I was going to say that as M&S deliver you're sorted for home comfort foods (chocolate digestives for me!) but I was reading a few weeks ago that they're pulling out of Europe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapdragon Posted February 25, 2017 Share Posted February 25, 2017 I know its not quite as nice as M&S but is there a Tesco in the vacinity for home comforts and more familiar things? We were just wandering round Prague recently and there, right before our eyes, was a huge Tesco right in the middle of the town How far will you be from the nearest town? All the French markets that are an the cookery programmes look absolutley amazing and the breads....wow! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted February 27, 2017 Share Posted February 27, 2017 All of my local supermarkets have an ethnic section, where you can find British stuff such as Colemans mustard, Marmite, Tea Bags, Custard creams, Marmalade etc. BUT there is very little in the way of Indian food - a bit of Chinese & Mexican though. We just found proper cheddar in a supermarket near us too...right result!!! Things I miss......Big Tom juice, Bakers Dog Food, Ryvita, Tinned soup (French soup is like water),Crumpets, Decent sliced white bread (although one supermarket does have it frozen),Twiglets and Lamb mince to make shepherds pies. And Greggs sausage rolls. And Hot cross buns. There are a few Expat delivery services, which I did make use of at Christmas. Hubby got a tin of Spam & a Fray Bentos pie in a tin in his stocking We also can't get Danish Oil for our new oak windows or nice door furniture (its all very '80's here) And paint is hugely expensive too. Still, small prices to pay for living in a beautiful country with a glorious climate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted February 27, 2017 Share Posted February 27, 2017 Bakers dog food Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted February 27, 2017 Share Posted February 27, 2017 Bakers dog food Could be nice with a bit of gravy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beantree Posted February 28, 2017 Share Posted February 28, 2017 Congratulations Ursula123. Just looked up your location and will be so close to Begerac it might be simplest to fly to England with a large empty suitcase, which is what our friend does when getting clothes? The simplest way to get into the French Healthcare system was with an S1 from a dependant tax resident in England, but that system has finished after Brexit. There is apparently a new French system called 'Puma' which gets you in if you are over 60 or own property I think, but you will still need top-up cover. You may find that your tastes change and you lose the desire for English style food. Not sure about doing without tea though? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursula123 Posted February 28, 2017 Author Share Posted February 28, 2017 Thank you all for the replies. I suppose I won't know what foods I will miss until I am faced with not having them, except teabags. I am looking forward to being able to shop at the markets, our nearest town has one twice a week ( only 5mins by car), fresh produce is a must. Thank you for the info on healthcare Beantree. I can always put some Danish oil in the removal lorry for you Cinnamon, hoping to be over end of April early May if you can wait that long. Although IKEA do a type of Danish oil so you may be able to pick it up there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted February 28, 2017 Share Posted February 28, 2017 hoping to be over end of April early May Oooh, I wonder what address you will have for the Easter swap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted March 1, 2017 Share Posted March 1, 2017 I can always put some Danish oil in the removal lorry for you Cinnamon, hoping to be over end of April early May if you can wait that long. Although IKEA do a type of Danish oil so you may be able to pick it up there. No need - its now on its way via a visiting friend, but many thanks. I have just discovered a fantastic website called Angloinfo Dordogne - well worth a browse through for lots of info on moving & living here. We were over 'your way' just yesterday actually - got caught in the mother of all electric storms with massive hail! Re the healthcare. The European card covers you for 3 months for treatment here, then you can apply to the CPAM via PUMA....but this process takes months, so there is a sort of grey crossover period where you have no proper status or cover. This is what we are in the midst of now. Its very unsettling actually, & if it were not for the Healthcare English speaking helpline reassuring me I think I would have gone quite mad with the red tape involved. Hope the house tests went well - we were lucky as ours had already been done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beantree Posted March 1, 2017 Share Posted March 1, 2017 Beware of Anglo (mis)info everyone. Many articles are out of date or completely wrong. You need the house diagnostic tests completed (takes a few days) before signing the Compromis. After that they do checks on criminal records, as you can't buy in France with one. They also offer the property to the SAFER, which is the local farming union. They have the option to buy at your agreed price, strip the land to farm it and then sell the house themselves. The rules have recently change to make it easier for them, but it doesn't happen often, although it very much depends on the area and the price. Those processes take at least two months after which time the Acte can be signed. Whilst it is a drawn out process it is far more detailed than the sloppy English system which can leave you uncertain of a sale/ purchase until the very last minute. Regards your level of spoken French Ursula. What you can get away with depends very much on the area. A touristy zone and school French will be OK but in rural France it can be a real struggle. Problem is what you are taught is decades out of date and basically unspoken: la plume de ma tante……… plume is a feather or quill ink pen! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandmashazzie Posted March 1, 2017 Share Posted March 1, 2017 And also Zut Alors I can remember that from O level French and we go to France every year and I have never heard anyone say it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
