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POST SCRIPT After you have bought your house many questions will arise and these notes are to offer some guidance! These notes are for general guidance only and where appropriate you should take expert advice to avoid costly mistakes. These notes are offered as a public service, without charge, and while I have made my best efforts to ensure these notes are accurate I can accept no liability where action is taken or not taken based on these notes.
If you have any comments on your experiences...good or bad...with any of the recommended services, please let me know...06.81.74.98.46 There is no financial relationship between the author and any of the recommended artisans or professionals ...they are recommended because their work is good.
Accountant For tax advice in Blake Lapthorn are qualified English solicitors and French Notaires with offices in London and Portsmouth, and offer advice regarding the purchase of French property, tax planning, wills and inheritance, and other legal and commercial matters. Their website is www.bllaw.co.uk, and they can be contacted on 0044.20.7421.1632. Philippe Piedon-Lavaux writes the monthly legal column for the "French Property News" magazine, is the only lawyer in the For advice encompassing the Jean-Paul BIAIS is a bilingual Notaire (French solicitor) and can assist you with any legal/estate and tax matters in Activities in the south-west Charente-Maritime... ...also please see the monthly activities calendar of the "Association Franco Anglaise" below www.charente-maritime.org is the départmental website for activities and lots of other information about the Charente-Maritime. Administration The main Préfecture is at
If you need help with administration issues, Debbie Bradbury is first class. I have known Debbie for 9 years and give her my strongest recommendation. Her company is "A La Carte Consultancy Services" on 05.45.38.73.76, www.alacarte-consult.com , e-mail: debbie@alacarte-consult.com
Here are some of the areas Debbie can help you with:
Liaison with French administration and tax authorities for British clients who have come across problems managing their own business; AGA Cookers AGA has now arrived in Ambulance services In the yellow pages you will find these listed under “Ambulances”! In Brie-sous-Mortagne is: Ambulances Verdon on 05.46.94.12.03 and in Gémozac Ambulances Fauconnet on 05.46.94.60.60 or in Cozes 05.46.90.81.54 Anglo-French Information www.angloinfo.com ...a vast information network web-site, in English, which has very recently opened a site for Poitou-Charentes and offers very useful information on every aspect of life in our region and with forums for posing questions or just making friends! Click on Poitou-Charentes site. Paul McMahon works with a team of 4 architects, 2 technicians, a clerk of works and a secretary and has worked as an architect in Paul and his team have worked for a number of my clients and it is because of their positive comments regarding the quality of Paul's work that I recommend his company. The McMahon team can prepare individual jobs or act as supervisors on a complete project coordinating the various trades people. McMahon Architectes is located at 7 Rue Cuvilliers, Saintes, near the church and pedestrian shopping centre, across the river from the Roman Arch, 05.46.97.76.62 Badminton
BADMINTON Gémozac, Gymnasium, Monday 20.00 to 22.00 and Saturday 10.00 to 12.00, call Adelin on 06.78.52.25.53 or Karen on 06.83.97.94.59
BADMINTON CLUB ST. GEORGEAIS, at the Colette Besson Complex, rue du Docteur Maudet, St. Georges-de-Didonne, meeting on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings, except for July and August when there are no meetings, and you can find out more information by e-mailing Jean-Luc and Pascal Maurice on bcsg17@wanadoo.fr
Bad workmanship in construction.
As a consumer, you are entitled to a year's guarantee of perfect functioning of the construction and 10 year's guarantee against major problems affecting its solidarity or ability to perform the job it was built for and this should apply even if no 'paper guarantee' exists although it will be much harder to prove if there is no paper contract. If the customer arranged for insurance on the job ("assurance dommages ouvrages") then he would simply claim from the insurance and they would deal with the builder however if this is not the case and the builder refuses to fix the problem then it will be necessary to sue in court at a "tribunal d'instance" for damages between 4,000 and 10,000€uros and a "tribunal de grande instance" for amounts over 10,000€uros. In all cases seek the help of an avocat/Notaire...
...and this again underlines the importance of dealing with properly registeded workmen where everything is documented including the quote and the insurance and NOTHING is 'under the table'.
Banks Any bank you choose should be able to communicate in English or your banking will be difficult. A foreigner in A current account (‘compte courente’) allows full banking facilities and a savings account (‘compte d’épargne) is more limited. If you are opening a joint account be careful how you register the account…if the account is opened in ‘M et Mme’ (‘Mr. and Mrs.') or ‘M ou Mme’ ('Mr. or Mrs.'). With the former the instructions/cheques have to be signed by both parties while the latter requires either one. Clearly the second one is the more efficient, but also if either dies then with the first one the account is ‘frozen’ pending probate but this is not the case with the latter and so can avoid a lot of problems. Statements are sent monthly. You will require a French bank account to open an account for electricity or water or a mobile phone, make French mortgage payments, direct debits and to pay occasional bills. For those with second homes in France it is necessary to arrange for this automatic debit from your French bank account or these services will not be connected...this is a result of the supplying companies often having difficulty billing people who are not resident in the country. Do not write a cheque unless you are sure there are funds in the account to cover the cheque...if you do write such a cheque it could result in you losing the right to banking service in France...and don't ever send a post dated cheque in anticipation of the money being in your account at the appropriate future date and the cheque being cashed on this date as it will be cashed in the normal fashion when received and not held to the future date, and so hold on to the cheque until the actual time to pay arrives. The Carte Bleue is a cash/debit card with a pin number and automatically debits your account. This is accepted almost everywhere. Nowadays these have access to VISA or MASTERCHARGE and cash withdrawals. If your French bank cards are lost or stolen call the CENTRE NATIONAL DES OPPOSITIONS on 0892.705.705 to stop the card and to declare a chequebook lost or stolen call 0892.683.208. You will also need to make a declaration at the police station about the loss or theft. A receipt will be provided and the bank will require this. Commonly used banking terms. caisse...cashier Writing a cheque: On the first (and possibly second lines) write the amount in words If you need help either with writing the 'French numbers' or just writing a cheque you can go to www.euro-cheque.com The Equipage banking service package from Banque Populaire This customized banking service package is designed to answer all the banking needs of an English person living in the south Charente-Maritime. The package deals with: - the opening of your bank account, including chequebook, debit card - insurance for your cheque book and cards in case of loss or theft - a variety of savings accounts - the transfer of funds - overdraft facilities - automatic direct debit for utility payments - internet banking access - bridging loans registered against the French property on an interest- The Equipage package is customized to your individual requirements and charged on a quarterly basis. In addition to the Equipage package the Banque Populaire can offer mortgage facilities and insurance for property, health or auto. Catalina Chevalier is the bilingual banker in charge of this programme for the Banque Populaire and in addition to meeting you for the initial discussions of the package tailored to your requirements, is responsible for introducing you to the English speaking banker at your local branch of the Banque Populaire and being available to discuss any banking matters at any time thereafter. There are 26 Banque Populaire branches in the Charente Maritime, at Pons, Saintes, Jonzac, Royan, Rochefort (2), St. Jean D’Angély, Saujon, Surgeres, Matha, Ars-en Ré, Aytré, Chatelaillon, Fouras, La Rochelle (5), La Tremblade, Le Bois Plage, Marennes, Montguyon, Nieul-sur-Mer, Périgny, and St-Pierre-D’Oléron.
and catalina.chevalier@centreatlantique.banquepopulaire.fr
Barber I recommend CREATIF COIFFURE at 6 rue de la Libération in Gémozac, next to my office at the traffic lights at the post office, 05.46.94.52.52
Bargains on the internet See:
www.vide-grenier.org - dates for carboot sales and fleamarkets throughout France...in French
www.pointsdechine.com - dates for antique fairs throughout France...in French
www.la-brocante.info - tips on what to buy and how to bag a bargain at a brocante sale...in French
www.leboncoin.fr ... this is a little like e-bay but without the auction aspect
www.freecycle.org/group/FR/ - List of freecycle groups throughout France (homepage in English, group pages in French)
www.ebay.fr - auction sites for new and second-hand goods
www.angloxchange.com - online second-hand shop in English. Members advertise goods for sale throughout France
www.getsafeonline.org - tips on how to protect yourself from online fraud Bees Bees used to be dealt with by the Pompiers or fire department but now have to be removed by an "apiculture" and you will find your closest one in the yellow pages...and a tip is that once the bees have been removed close up the wall immediately or else they will 'recolonize' again! Bilingual help and advice Andrew Harrison on 05.46.96.44.11, or 06.66.60.19.04, or e-mail car registration etc!!!! "A Votre Service" offers a similar service...contact Damien HERVE on 06.63.93.38.66, Bottled gas You will need this for your gas cooker. The necessary attachments can be purchased from Balthazar Poupelain and the gas can be bought from a lot of petrol stations or supermarkets. When you buy your first bottle you will have to register but after that it is simply a matter of exchanging the bottle. British Embassy Consular Services The website of the Embassy is comprehensive... www.amb-grandebretagne.fr The British Embassy The British Consulate General in Passport enquiries to the passport helpline (08.92.23.01.75) require a credit card and are charged at 1.60€ per minute including any 'on hold'/"your call is important to us and you will be dealt with by the next available operator" time...(in the Paris passport office these calls are 'outsourced' to a private company!)...this only applies to passport enquiries and you would not face these costs if you dealt with your passport enquiries while visiting the UK The five British Consulates General in Consulate-General in 353 boulevard du president Wilson, BROADBAND/ADSL/HIGH SPEED INTERNET To ascertain whether your line works on ADSL high-speed internet ("Broadband") go to
For my internet/broadband (really ADSL) I use Wanadoo through France Telecom and it is excellent with practically no problems however when I have had problems I have had to sort these out with French speaking technicians and so an advertisement I saw recently in "The Connexion" newspaper for "ANGLOPACK" may be of interest...it offered high-speed ADSL for 29.90€uros (about the price I pay to Wanadoo) with unlimited 24 hour use, free phone calls to the UK, USA, Ireland, Australia, the USA and Canada, free number in the UK so you can receive calls, English bills and technical help in English...0805.02.4000 www.teleconnectfrance.com Brocantes
...and how to bag a bargain!
- arrive early - be prepared - bring a tape measure, pen and paper as well as all important measurements for your house, not to mention a pair of comfortable shoes and a collection of bags to cart your plunder home - bring plenty of cash in small denominations - you won't be able to nip to the cashpoint and you won't get a discount if you are flashing 50€ notes around! - do a preliminary circuit to take note of what is for sale at each stall and to guage prices - look for items with potential - you can always restore an old chair with a fresh lick of paint - be creative - most furniture can be put to alternate uses with a little imagination. - don't dither - if you see something you are interested in, pounce and don't let go until you have decided - haggle - it's perfectly acceptable to bargain. (These notes are taken from an article written by Georgina Caldwell in the June 2008 edition of French Property News, p.60)
For useful web-addresses see "Bargains on the internet" (above)
Builders The Musseau Brothers of 2 Le Breuil, Floirac, 17120, 05.46.90.51.71 are 3 brothers, one a builder, the second an carpenter and the third a plumber and whose endeavours are coordinated by their mother so that if you have a job involving one or more of these skills, because they work as a team, the work can be completed efficiently as one will be scheduled to begin work as the other finishes. In Mortagne-sur-Gironde Patrick Castincaud is a mason, tiler and general builder at Le bois Bricoux, 9 rte Epargnes, 05.46.90.62.99. M. Castincaud has an excellent reputation and does fine work. Benoît Joly is a general builder at "La Viauderie", 2 rue de l'Anglade, 17260 Cravans, 05.46.90.02.06 or 06.88.87.79.06. also see "Mason" below
To claim against capital gains tax when you sell a property it is necessary to have proper documentation/receipts of the work completed by registered artisans specifying when the work was completed on the property with its address. I recently encountered a case where the receipts had been mailed to another address without stating where the work was actually done and these were disallowed for the purpose of reducing the capital gains tax on the property.
The 10 year guarantee on building work In When you accept a quote ask the artisan to provide a copy of: 1. An attestation to prove his 10 year guarantee/insurance is up to date; 2. The actual policy which lists the work he us insured for…and make sure you check this against the work described in the quotation to ensure that the artisan’s insurance covers the work for which he is quoting! Make it absolutely clear that these are important to you and that the job will not begin until you have them…and stick by this!... …and if you don’t understand the documents have them translated, and if you still don’t understand them because of ‘jargon’/technical terms, seek professional help. When the work is completed you should keep this quote, the invoice for the work, the attestation, and the insurance policy together so that if you need them you can find them easily, as they are your safeguard if anything goes wrong in the next 10 years; if you sell your property you should pass these on to the new owner. So how do you claim? The first step is to contact the artisan by telephone or letter to explain the problem and ask him to come and view it…the gentle approach! Be polite! If this does not work then send a letter by recorded delivery to the artisan politely describing the problem and asking that he contact you to discuss it by a certain date…say 7 days after receipt of the letter. If this does not work then a ‘stronger’ letter should be sent demanding a response by a certain date, and advising him that your next step will be to contact his insurance company if he does not respond properly. If this does not work then send a recorded letter to the insurance company of the artisan with copies of the quote, policy, attestation and invoice, details of the complaint with any photographs, and a copy of your other correspondence to date. You should also contact the company which provided the insurance for your house as in this policy will be a "protection juridique" and so they will become involved to help with this...this is where it helps to have an insurer who speaks English such as Jean-Christophe Vallein of AXA in Montendre, see "Insurance" below. The insurance company will appoint a local building expert to act on its behalf and he will arrange a meeting with the artisan ‘on-site’ to discuss the problem…if necessary the representative of the insurance company will arrange for the relevant experts to attend. At this meeting it is decided if there is a problem, who is responsible and who does the rectification work…either the original artisan or another, and the expert appointed by the insurance company makes sure the work is done properly and to a defined timescale. If the job you are doing requires a number of artisans you might consider having a bilingual project manager. (These notes are taken from an article published in “French Property News”, February 2008, p.82 by John Rainforth of Construction Cavaillonnaise, 04.90.06.10.54, johnrainforth.buildfrance@wanadoo.fr ) The Quotation The quotation or estimation (“devis”) you receive for any work is of fundamental importance and so should be handled with great care to see it is correct and comprehensive…(the less accurate the request, the less accurate the devis!) You should obtain 2 or 3 quotations on the same facts and note that quotes are often valid only until a specified date. What should the devis cover? 1. The fixed start-up date…certainty of this is all the more important if you are trying to coordinate different types of specialists…e.g. an electrician can’t start his work until the walls are up, a plumber cannot do his work until the bathroom has been built, a tiler cannot do his work until the walls are completed etc.; 2. The anticipated date for completion; 3. The precise itemised details of the work to be done…it is helpful if it includes at the beginning a summary of the work to be done; 4. It should also be clear what is and what is not included…for example kitchen fixtures, white goods, bathroom fittings etc.; 5. The devis should also cover, if required, connections of water and electricity including renewing where necessary, and the number of sockets, switches, lights and plugs. The golden rule is to try and think of and include everything that needs to be done, even if it requires more than one or two meetings with the builder ‘on-site’ to complete this. And remember, a devis is an estimate…‘life happens’, and unforeseen things happen subsequent to the devis and so allow 25% for ‘extras’ which should be the subject of a separate devis. The devis should also include written confirmation that the works will be covered by the builder’s 10 year building insurance. Finally, remember, a signed devis is a legally binding contract and may be held against you one day, if you do not get it right in the first place. (These notes were taken from an article in “French Property News”, February 2008, p. 84, written by Ian Blackshaw, international lawyer, cblackshawg@aol.com)
Cadastral Plans
You can check your cadastral plan at the mairie or online (in English) at www.cadastre.gouv.fr
Cakes, pies and pasties "Markey's Cakes, Pies and Pasties" make traditional pork pies, pasties, meat and vegetarian pies and traditional English cakes. You can contact them on 05.46.01.54.65 or markey.cakes@wanadoo.fr, and you can find them on Friday mornings at Melle market, Saturday mornings at In December you can expect visits from the postperson, the garbagemen and the firemen offering you their annual calendars. As calendars go, they are not very good, usually with poor and uninteresting graphics and small printing, however it is not the quality of the calendar that is important but the fact that it is a way of expressing your appreciation for their work and so I recommend you buy all 3!...HoHoHo!!!
Cancer screening At the age of 50 women should receive a letter from their CPAMS inviting them to go for a mamogram...if you do not receive such a letter check with your doctor. Women aged 50 to 74 should have a check every 2 years, and the cost is fully reimbursed. Both men and women of the same age are invited to have colorectal cancer tests every 2 years. For those with a family history, a colonoscopy should be performed every 5 years, again without charge. Cervical smear tests are recommended for women 18 or over who have had sex. This can be conducted by a GP and is reimbursed 70%. The Association Française d'Urologie recommends men have blood tests for prostate cancer every year from 50 to 75 or from age 45 if two close relatives have had the disease, or if you are black, and reimbursement is 70% (Connexion, p.30, April 2008). "Cancer Support France" has a website (in English!) at www.cancersupportfrance.info and the telephone number is 05.45.89.30.05. Jolly et Fils of Brie-sous-Mortagne are excellent and their number is 05.46.94.12.05...their 'showroom' can be seen on the road from the roundabout at Boutenac-Touvent going towards the A10, about half-a-mile or so from the roundabout, on the right. Central heating and plumbing As a 'rule of thumb' central heating costs about 1,000€uros per radiator plus 5,000€uros for the 'boiler'.
Confort 17, 39 Rue General LeClerc, Gémozac can be contacted on 05.46.94.24.68. The shop is located just down from the post office at the centre of the village and I have been very impressed with the quality and cost of their work. Claude Simon of SIMON ETS, 13 rte Royan, COZES, 05.46.90.81.12 has also received an excellent recommendation. Charente-Maritime The web site for the département can be found at www.charente-maritime.org with lots of info about the département. Cheap long distance telephone calls I use PRIMUS at www.primustel.fr and am always astonished at the monthly bill, always very low another option to consider is Phonexpat, www.phonexpat.com
Cheddar cheese Erica Hicks makes cheddar cheese at Chapelle Cheddar, La Chapelle, Trevinal, 35190 Treverien, (Brittany) 02.99.45.62.11 and will supply by mail. Erica is originally from In addition to cheddar, Erica supplies smoked cheese and 'Tomme' or French hard cheese. For more information you can contact Erica at the above telephone number. Chemists/Pharmacy Chemists are able to offer a wider service than chemists in the UK. They can prescribe for basic ailments too. It is not uncommon to find two chemists in a village and when closed you will find a sign indicating the nearest 'open' chemist..."pharmacie de garde" Chimney Sweep By law your chimney should be swept once or twice a year depending on the type of fuel you are burning/using. It should be carried out by a qualified professional who will give you a certificate ("certificat de ramonage") to confirm when it was done so that it is available if needed by your insurance. Chimneys must be swept once a year if ventilating gas appliances and twice a year for other fuel types such as wood, coal or heating oil...it is recommended that chimneys are swept once before the fires are lit and then again during winter. In practice this rule is rarely enforced. There are no inspections and the issue will only arise if your chimney emits too much smoke or there is a fire...if your chimney emits too much smoke you could be liable for a 450€ fine. All house insurance policies require that the chimney be swept, usually annually, however check your own policy. For chimney sweeping I recommend Balthazar Poupelain at 05.46.49.95.49...they are excellent and very clean...other firms are listed under "Ramonage" in the Yellow Pages. It is possible to buy a product to burn in the fireplace to clean the chimney and you send the signed and dated form from the packet to the supplying company and this validates your insurance...check with SuperU or a Bricolage/do it yourself company, however verify that this method is acceptable to your insurer.
Choosing a builder/plumber/carpenter/electrician/pool man As a real-estate agent resident here in It has been my experience that French artisans are very dependable but it is important to recognize the differences when comparing them with their English counterparts. French artisans perform the work in the order it is received and while they usually provide a quotation or “devi” quickly, if you accept the quotation then you will be scheduled into their timetable, taking the next available slot, which could be several months later than the devi. Each community will have one or two carpenters/builders/electricians etc. and their reputation in the village depends completely on the quality of their work. They do not ‘hire and fire’ to reflect the workflow but simply do each job in turn. …if an artisan is able to do your work ‘the next week’ then you might be a little concerned that if he doesn’t have any ‘work on’ ‘how good is he?’ This system works well for specific ‘single’ jobs but problems can arise when you have a major piece of work involving several specialists such as builders, tilers, glaziers, carpenters, electricians, and plumbers. Each can give you an estimate, and in discussion with you agree to dates to do the job, however to a greater or lesser extent each is dependent on one (or more) of the others finishing his work on time. It is like a row of dominoes…if each completes his work on time then the job should proceed smoothly, but the first one who is late means that every subsequent workman cannot do his work at the planned time…and as he will have allocated ‘his’ time following that set aside for ‘your’ work to ‘another’ job it becomes a nightmare for the subsequent artisans to complete their part of the project at anything close to the scheduled time. Below are a few suggestions: 1. Recommendation, recommendation, recommendation…never choose an artisan by an ‘advertisement’ or ‘the lowest price’…anyone can place an ad. or offer a price to ‘get a job’…always work on recommendations, and the recommendations should be fairly recent, in fact it is a good idea to ask for the last 3 jobs the artisan has completed so that you know that there have been no significant changes in the company/employees which may have changed the quality of work...this will also prevent 'reference cherry picking' by the artisan of his best jobs; 2. Make sure your artisan completely understands what you want him to do, and write out your instructions, discuss these with him, make any amendments on the basis of these discussions and then give a copy to the artisan and have him sign your copy so that there is no misunderstanding and he realises the importance of following these instructions and as the job progresses you can refer to this. If it is a simple job then you may be able to use the free translation programmes which you will find in my PostScript section but if it is a more difficult/complicated job then you should use a translation company; 3. Only deal with artisans who will give you a numbered, dated, quotation on proper business letter-headed paper with a proper business address, and a SIRET number showing that they are properly registered; Deal with deadlines at this time…This cannot be overstressed! Obtain agreement on completion dates and explain to the artisan that these dates must be realistic as they are important to you, and once a deadline is agreed you expect it to be met. I often hear stories of workmen taking on far too much work and therefore not meeting deadlines, (they are 'OK' because they have the work, whereas you are the 'loser') but by the time the artisan fails to meet the deadline it is probably too difficult/too late to hire another artisan, or find one who can do the job without a protracted delay. When you obtain the recommendations, check how the artisan has met his deadlines on other work. Watch the progress of the job carefully and deal with any problems as soon as they develop...even if it means firing the artisan. If you have chosen carefully however there should not be a problem! 4. Never pay cash…always pay by cheque from a French bank (in €uros!) made out to the company…not to the individual; 5. Never pay ‘under the table’…any workman who is prepared to work in this fashion should not be trusted, and if you have no documentation how will you obtain any redress or guarantee?…in addition you will be breaking the law too. If you come to sell your property and capital gains tax becomes a consideration then any costs of improvements to the property will be deductible only if you have proper invoices/factures for the work done; 6. A financially stable artisan, paid by you on time and as agreed, would not normally make requests for prepayment however I suppose that on a rare occasion an artisan will need pre-payment to buy fittings or some other unusual expense, and will ask for an advance. Of course review each request in terms of the person asking, the reason, and the amount, but if you have any doubts, it is not unreasonable to tell the artisan that you will pay the invoices from the supplying company directly…and if he has any difficulty with this then ‘tuf’…it’s your project, your money! Only an artisan ‘working a fiddle’ would have any difficulty with this; 7. In a larger job involving a number of artisans have someone who is bilingual to supervise the whole project…probably the best person for this would be the architect or builder (because of their importance in the whole project), and if language is a problem retain an interpreter who is readily available as questions arise; 8. Once you have chosen the architect/builder, follow his recommendations about other tradesmen…because they have will have worked together before it is far more likely that they will respect deadlines and work together well; 9. Once you have obtained all of your quotations arrange for a meeting of all the chosen parties at the same place and time so that each knows the others |