Renovation project - 21st century fax

Renovation project - 21st century fax

picture courtesy of
http://www.quickmeme.com/meme/3sp15l

We have a date set for the completion and that date is now here, the completion and transfer will be completed at about 12 noon. I have spoken to the transfer company and they have said to contact the solicitor to arrange to have the money paid directly to them. I e-mail the UK solicitor and surprisingly get no reply. On the morning of the completion I telephone them and I think we are both surprised to actually speak to each other.

He asks his manager if the money can be split with the transfer company and the answer is no. This would’ve been better yesterday as today is Friday and the exchange rate is dropping daily.

I contact the bank in the UK and ask if the money can be transferred to the exchange company, As this is not a transaction I have done before I will need to pop into the bank, it is at this point I explain that I am in France. Why did I not think of this when I was actually in the UK?

The bank is very helpful and says as long as I can fax a letter to them with my signature they will accept it. OK, where do you find a fax machine in the 21^st century? Why can I not just scan it, surely that is the same thing, but no a fax is required.

It is funny we had always thought that France was so behind with technology and bureaucracy, but after selling a house in the UK and here in France, the UK seems very antiquated now.

I first go to my French bank; after all it is a bank transaction. They try to help and I think something got a little lost in translation as whether the fax machine was on holiday or the person that uses it? The teller then goes to a manager’s office to se if there is any other way to help, there isn’t so we stand and discuss where else he thinks we can go, we have the Mairie (town hall) or the Notiares office.

The Notaire is closest so we try that one, and luckily they do still have a fax machine, there are no questions asked as to why we want the document faxing, no questions as to what this has to do with their office just a smile and a reply of no problem.

The letter is faxed, it will now need  at least 2 hours to reach the correct department the exchange rate is booked at today’s rate, now we just need it all to go from solicitor, to bank to exchange company. What could possibly go wrong with such high level technology as a fax machine!

This is the bit I am going to miss most about France, how helpful and friendly everybody is, our fax had nothing to do with our French bank, the Notaire of the Mairie, but each was willing to help and when they couldn’t to take the time to think of somebody who could.

Are we doing the right thing leaving Huelgoat, can Portugal ever live up to our experience here?

But back to the wait for the money confirmations.

At almost 5 pm the bank confirm the money is with the exchange company. I could almost cry with relief and then a different emotion hits, it has gone, the UK house that we had always planned to be our pension is gone, we have to make Portugal work as there really is no back up now whatsoever, but the sad bit is my last family home is no longer mine, but there is a wonderful family moving into it with children. It will be a family home again.

Tonight it is a celebration, and that can only mean one thing, a night at Le Crepuscule (OMG how we are going to miss that place!!!!!)

Renovation project - Brest university hospital

Renovation project - Brest university hospital

photo courtesy of
 https://www.pinterest.fr/pin/387098530448719715/

We had telephoned yesterday to try too book an appointment but had been told to just come and go to batiment 5 (building 5)

We arrive in Brest and our new sat nav takes us straight to the hospital, we find a parking space. The main road outside the hospital has parking spaces all along with no charge. We love Brittany so much!

So we head over to where I think it is with john convinced we should go in the opposite direction, there are so many entrances. We see somebody and ask for directions to the dentist and he replies in English, I think at some point I will stop sounding like a sat nav, even with all my words correct people know immediately I am not French. But hey he was helpful.

We find the dentist building and try to check in, the receptionist explains that we need to go to building 5, OK no problem, we head out and the building numbers are enormous so there is no missing number 5, the only problem is that number 5 is paediatrics and gyneacology, so we assume there must be another section  number 5, we walk around and no we cannot find it, we head back to the dentist section and see a member of staff leaving the building, we stop her and show her the piece of paper the receptionist gave us and she says, “ah yes, batiment 5 you need to register”

We head back over to building 5 and enter there is a great big sign stating what is in there and there is nothing to do with teeth!

But then we see the accueil sign and a number of desks, we go over to one to ask what we need to do and this is it, this is where we book in, this is where everybody books in for which ever department or building you require.

Why they don’t have this info on the front door, we have no idea, but at least we got to visit most of the hospital.

We have our documents and ID checked and are given some papers and told to go back to building 6 (the dentist).

The emergency dentist in Brest is open from 9, 30 to 11.30 and 1pm to 4.30 so we are now definitely not the first in the queue.

But it does not take long to be seen, the staff were excellent, and the male dentist could speak English, though unfortunately he wanted me to stay in case of any problems. I don’t think I gave John much comfort as I sat there shaking and feeling ill. I am not good with the dentist!

But he was x-rayed and there was a large infection, the dentist drained and cleaned it and then prescribed some even stronger anti biotics and a mouth wash and told us to make an appointment to see a dentist, at this point we all laughed a little bit, he said if there were any problems to come straight back until the dentists returned from their summer holidays.

We leave and once again think how fantastic the health care is in France and how lucky we are to live here.

Top tips

• If visiting Brest university hospital without an appointment, go to building 5 to register

• Ignore the big signs for paediatrics and gynaecology

• Ensure you have full ID with you.

• Take your passport or ID card as well as your health card

• If you are going to an open appointment (1.30 – 4) go a little earlier to register so you are not too far down the queue.

• I am not sure what you need to do if you have an actual appointment so good luck from us

Renovation project - It's august, France is closed for the holidays

Renovation project - It's august, France is closed for the holidays

Photo - Sylvain Naudin

John is still no better, his abscess is getting more uncomfortable and the anti biotics he had have made no difference. We need to see a dentist. I telephone to make an appointment but the dentist is closed for summer holidays, no problem there is a new dentist in our village, I pop down to find that closed also. We ring a friend and ask if they can give us the number to their dentist, we ring and they are closed until September.

We sit there and wonder what to do, he really needs to see somebody we consider going to the doctor but the last time they gave anti biotics that did not work, we are left with no choice but to visit the urgencies in Morlaix (this is the emergency department)

We arrive and book in and I spend ages trying to describe the word bridge in French I had forgotten to Google this before we left, eventually I just say bridge and I receive the reply  “ah bridge” they knew exactly what I meant.

We go through to the doctor and explain again, he looks at John’s mouth and agrees he needs to see the dentist but unfortunately the emergency dentist at Morlaix hospital is also on holiday for august, so he gives us the details for Brest hospital.

Brest is our local big city. The hospital there is a university hospital so we know there will be a dentist available.

But we cannot go until tomorrow, so we leave with another prescription for stronger antibiotics and pain killers.

Our biggest top tip on this is do not get a tooth ache in France in August!

This is actually one of the things we love about rural France, people work to live not live to work,

It is August; we are going to go on holiday!

But it is not just the dentist that is on holiday in August it is virtually everything, if you come to live here do not expect much of anything during August other than to enjoy your life, the sun is shining and it is almost impossible to get any work done or complete anything but hey, there is wine and sun shine and the living is easy, after all that is why most of us are here and it really isn’t a problem normally, just when you happen to get a surprise toothache

Renovation project - Exchange date in the UK

Renovation project - Exchange date in the UK

photo courtesy of http://www.gloriajamesrentals.com/celebeation-grams/

The exchange is now due for Wednesday, but once we were assured that the solicitors had everything they needed and nothing more was sent to the UK house, we arranged to go home, we will be leaving on Wednesday, but before we go we stop off at the house with a nice bottle of champagne for the new owners and a list of everything they will need to know.

We also drop of some cider and rose wine for the neighbours so they could try the Breton version.

On the Wednesday we drive home and stop at a service station every so often to see if the e-mail has come through saying the exchange has taken place, the day gets more and more stressful as we start to believe that it will not happen again and tomorrow we will not be able to e-mail our consent as we will not have any internet.

We decided to travel home via the Dover – Calais route as the Plymouth – Roscoff was just so expensive. So it is 2 days of driving but we do get to spend the evening in Boulogne sur Mer, we have stayed here before and the restaurants are really lovely (we didn’t really sight see this time but if you want to have a look around here is the link to our last visit).

Boulogne sur Mer

As we are sat at Dover port the phone rings, it is the estate agent, they are ringing to let us know that the exchange has finally gone through. The feeling of relief is enormous.

This is it.

The house is really being sold.

Johns birthday uncommon goods

Renovation project - Stress, stress, stress

Renovation project -  Stress, stress, stress

pictiure courtesy of http://doghumor.net/what-stress/#

The surveys are completed and there are no problems, I speak to the UK agent who says that there was a little thing but nothing to worry about, the buyers will get the survey in the next couple of days, the French ones show a couple of anomalies but nothing bad and the water survey is perfect.

OK its hopefully full steam ahead.

I contact the UK solicitor and don’t get a reply, that seems normal practice for the UK, I then get an e-mail saying it has been passed to contracts; yippee it’s on the final stage.

We make arrangements to go back to the UK for the final signing and also because we have just had a new baby grandson. This is such a happy trip.

I am still waiting to hear if we can still exchange on Friday? (It is now Wednesday and we leave tomorrow early morning)

We don’t have much response from the solicitor. We contact the estate agent to see what the holdup is, they contact the solicitor and we are told we are just waiting for some replies to the enquiries.

Then I get an e-mail, with a list of questions! These are the questions we are waiting for answers for, we had never even been asked the questions. We also find out that the final contract had been sent to the UK for signing and they are waiting for that.

Wow the stress levels are now through the roof. I manage to get everything sent back to them before we leave with an e-mail that leaves the solicitor in no doubt of how I am feeling; this is much easier to do in English!

Apparently the exchange is still planned for Friday and yes you guessed it as much as me, it didn’t happen, we are now aiming for Monday, oops that didn’t happen either, now its Wednesday so fingers crossed.

We have also been informed that we must contact the solicitor every day to confirm that we want to sell; it is very difficult to do this without a great deal of sarcasm. If only everything was a simple as a French sale with no English solicitors to mess it up.

The one thing we can say is that the estate agents have been great, they have answered every phone call, chased up everything we have asked them to and been pro active chasing up the solicitor (who still hasn’t returned my call)

But on a positive note we have had a great time with the family and visiting the new baby on a slightly more negative note; John has got an abscess and infection in his mouth again, so we have a trip to the doctors for some anti biotics

Planete Chocolat

Planete Chocolat

The stress has not really reduced until today, today is a fantastic day, I treated myself to a box of chocolates, not just any chocolates but luxury Belgian chocolates that will be delivered to my door!

I am a big chocolate lover and at times the only thing to reduce the stress I am feeling is chocolate, but it is not something I eat a lot of here in France though as it is both very expensive or not that readily available in our little village.

But there is a site that has amazing Belgian chocolate that can be delivered to your door here in France, called Planete Chocolat and if you click the link you will see that at the moment you can get free delivery within 24 hours

The delivery is tracked with emails arriving to let you know that they are being delivered and at what time to expect them, unfortunately ours was one of the last deliveries so I had to wait all day, but believe me the wait was worth it and the packaging that it came in made sure that there was no damage to the box.

The presentation was so nice. The box was something that you would want to use again after the chocolates are finished (which didn’t actually take many days) but the box was not the only part of the presentation, the box came in a great bag with a greeting card, my chocolates actually greeted me!

But the presentation aside, the chocolates were pure luxury, I had the pralines selection and my only difficulty was choosing a favourite, which I never managed, maybe after my next box.

But don’t worry if you don’t live in France, Planete Chocolat also deliver worldwide, so you won’t miss out.

Thank you Planete Chocolat for helping to reduce my stress levels

Disclaimer this is a featured post

Renovation project - Surveys, Surveys and more Surveys

Renovation project - Surveys, Surveys and more Surveys

I have realised that it has been sometime since I blogged and I apologise, but I really had no idea just how stressful selling 2 houses in 2 countries would actually be, so I feel a little more human and can now get back to the blog. I will pick up where I left off and surprisingly this one ends with me saying how stressful it is starting to get!

We arrive back in France and for the first time neither of us have been ill on a visit back to the UK, that really has to be a first.

We get to the house and have a look round and think that we need to get everything in place and ready. The diagnostiques will be checking all over the house, and the guy will be here in the morning.

Then I check my e-mails, the diagnostique company has e-mailed to change the date, it is over a week away, this is not good at all. I ring the company and there is nothing they can do, I realise how difficult it is to argue in a different language. I don’t want to be too awful but I can’t find the right words, (however my tone is definitely coming through) i have no choice, it is still difficult to speak on the phone, so trying to argue when nobody can see my expression means I accept the next appointment, only John can see me hopping about waving my arms.

I am not happy, but there is nothing to be done.

Later that day we also receive a telephone call from the estate agent in the UK, the survey has been arranged for the UK house on the same day as our diagnostiques are being completed, later still I have an email from the Notaire, he has arranged for Veolia (the water company) to come out and survey our drains, again on the same day.

OK maybe this is all going to be a little bit stressful. But after next Thursday, things can only get better, assuming everything passes and the UK survey values the house at the amount the buyers have offered.

I had no idea that the UK surveyors could value it for less and that would put a spanner in the works.

But today we are going out for dinner, my head is banging, my stress levels are through the roof and I am not cooking, I want a steak burger with a bottle of wine and I want somebody to bring it to my table with a smile.

Crepuscule here we come.

I am so glad we came here as seeing the special board really cheered me up, souris d’agneau, which I could only translate as mouse of lamb! It was lamb shank, but somehow, mouse of lamb sounded so much better