Renovation project - Buying a range cooker in France

Renovation project - Buying a range cooker in France

The kitchen has been emptied and it looks so much bigger, John has spent time looking at how to put it back together for as low cost as possible. The house does not warrant a big posh kitchen plus it wouldn't suit this little house, it has to have something that is in keeping.

The owners have asked for a new cooker, as the one currently there is one step up from a calor camping stove and it blows up every time I try to light it (and this time the bad food is not down to my poor cooking skills it really is because of the tools available!)

Once measured there is enough room to put a traditional sink, a cooker and a fridge with 4 cupboards. It will run from one end of the kitchen to the other and show off the new (old) stone wall.

Now that the old hardboard wall has been removed the smell of damp is getting less, the house is breathing again, and still smiling.

John is going to build the cupboards and make doors and put on a work top. This may sound like a very expensive kitchen, but if you have the skills and expertise, it is actually less expensive than buying a cheap shop bought one, and much sturdier, plus you can tell all of your friends you have a hand built bespoke kitchen.

It will be easier to hire a van and collect everything in one go.

We collect the van and go to pick up the supplies, at the shops though we see a small range cooker, very similar to the one we used to have and I talk John in to getting this rather than a small free standing cooker, I cannot understand why John is not keen.

We have everything on the list and head home, we realise that we are rapidly running short of time and it is at this point I understand why John was not keen on getting the bigger cooker,, how are we going to get it out of the van? I am reasonably strong but there is no chance I can lift this.

We have just enough time to get back and unload, but how???

I have no option but to phone a friend, but we are driving through the forest and the signal keeps disappearing, 4 phone calls later we have managed to get across we need you to meet us at the house in about 10 minutes.

Simon is great, he turns up with no complaints and helps unload the van, I say nothing as I watch them try to get the big cooker out, they manage with much sweating, heaving and a little swearing and I watch the time tick by (but have the sense not to mention this)

Everything is unloaded and we now have 10 minutes to fill it with diesel and return it, the shop is not happy and say we are too late but we point out that they are not shut and we have returned it in time.

This was not taken well and I am glad that my French is now of a standard to have this discussion, they agree to take it back with much banging and clattering of emptying of tills and pointing out that one of the staff members should now be on their way home, at this point I can play ignorant and pretend that my French is not of the required standard!

Tomorrow will be a busy day for John, he has to finish it quickly as we are now eating out most nights, which is very nicce for us but not for our waistlines.