Tag: renovating in france

Our French Life

Can You Move To France Before Brexit?

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brexit 31

The simple answer to this is yes. The more pressing question you should ask yourself is should you? I am writing this with 7 days to go before the UK exits the club of the European Union.  After 40 odd years of membership and desperate to get into the club we have told them to do one. I am not a remoaner. I was a remainer. I am over it. I do not care anymore. If you are not at this stage yet, in particular if you live in France already,  your aim is indifference! Continue reading “Can You Move To France Before Brexit?” →

Our French Life

Garden Expansion Ideas for the French Countryside

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From fashion to food, the French always seem to do it right, and with a little bit more class. There’s a certain effortless elegance when it comes to the things they create, which is also quite evident in their countryside gardens. And if you’d like to try your hand at creating one in your own home, here are some delightful design ideas to expand your garden the French way: Continue reading “Garden Expansion Ideas for the French Countryside” →

Our French Life

Dear French Person…I’m Sorry…

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/beatles

…for many things, not least for inflicting my pronunciation on your beautiful language. Daily. For my headlights. Even though they are the proper ones and the car did pass its CT (mot). I know they are blinding you every time I drive in the morning. I am flashed (and not in a good way) to let me know of that fact. I mean I can even see the owls at night they are that high. I’m getting it sorted but in the meantime, here are my Top Five things I’m sorry about.. Continue reading “Dear French Person…I’m Sorry…” →

Our French Life, our relocation life

How Not To Get Fat In France

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almond crossiant

I had you at the title didn’t I? I think this can certainly apply to both men and women and all ages so listen up if you don’t want to be labelled the ‘fat anglais(e)” in the village. Okay so if you are planning a move to France you’ll probably think, like many before you, that the weight if you’re carrying a few extra pounds (who isn’t right?) will just fly off.

You will come to that assumption based on all the ‘running around’ you’ll be doing prior to the move and after. I always find this expression quite farcical it’s normally banded about after you’ve had a baby. People say “the weight will soon fly off what with all that running around after the baby”. Sorry what? Please show me a new mum that ran anywhere after giving birth and specifically after a baby that can’t move for the first 8 months. I digress. Continue reading “How Not To Get Fat In France” →

Our French Life, our relocation life

How’s Your French?

one flew over

How’s Your French? The amount of times I was asked that when we first arrived – I cannot begin to tell you! Invariably it was asked by someone who had very little French. Although this information was only volunteered after I had to explain my level of language ability. Like ‘French’ was a person or something, enquiring about its general health and well-being. Now funnily enough, I am of the opinion that if your French is of a poorly nature, is unwell, a bit sick then the same could be said for you as well. Continue reading “How’s Your French?” →

Our Renovation Life

The Full-Time Building Works Commence

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So, we had left the house for another two years prior to moving out full-time.  If you’ve missed the previous renovating stories you can read them here, here and here.

Mr Normandy had a deadline. To make the house water tight within 2 months so that we could move all our worldly possessions, from our damp rental accommodation, into our home. This was a tall order.  We knew we had to be out of the rental property (which was big enough to store all our contents etc) by mid July. We needed to ferry all our stuff over in stages to avoid paying storage costs. We’d already saved money by moving all our goods ourselves from the UK. We had made sure we’d rented somewhere where we could combine rental and storage together. Continue reading “The Full-Time Building Works Commence” →

Our Renovation Life

The Roof Comes Off

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Having done a two week stint in 2014, Mr Normandy headed back out in 2015 to crack on with the works. This time to take off the roof. Initially we had plans for dorma windows but subsquently decided against it due to time constraints and various problems with rentals etc. By the way, the plaques on the building were made by Mr Normandy – we had a whole range of them which we used to sell and some pet RIP headstones. Another blog post for another time!

This time the weather wasn’t so kind and whilst he is an astonishingly fast worker, even he ran out of time. He had to leave the roof and cover it with tarpaulin. This wasn’t ideal at all and, after a fierce storm, we received an email from our neighbour to say this was hanging off together with the baton in April 2015. Continue reading “The Roof Comes Off” →

Our Renovation Life

And Then He Was Back – 2014

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Recently I posted about the renovation works that started in 2013. If you missed it you can read it here

Mr Normandy went back out a year later in 2014 to spend another two weeks working on the house with a young chap called Tom. Tom set up his tent in the garden whilst Mr Normandy roughed it in the house. The house that had no water, heating or toilet facilities. I remember him saying once that we could all camp out for two weeks with the kids in the summer. Needless to say that never happened. There’s camping and there’s camping – call me old fashioned but having a wash and somewhere to go to the toilet are this gal’s basic requirements. Continue reading “And Then He Was Back – 2014” →

Our French Life, Our Renovation Life

The Magic Roundabout

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The enigma that is Enedis

That would be getting yourself some electricity here in France. Now, our house did not have any water, electric, mains drainage or a telephone line. Am I selling you the dream yet? We don’t live off the beaten track or a few roads off the main track. We live on the track.  We are the last house in a village of over 500 residents and it’s on a main D road.  Positively urban in Normandy terms. Continue reading “The Magic Roundabout” →

Our Renovation Life

#FosseGate

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I don’t think I’ve ever stopped using this phrase from the Watergate scandal. Sorry. Not sorry.  Anything that involves aggro and makes for good evening entertainment fodder means __________ (insert word) and then add the word ‘gate’. Anyone over the age of 40 should get it but depending on their general knowledge, this might result in a tumbleweed moment. Do other people do this? Or maybe I should ask doesn’t everyone do this? Or maybe I need some 21st century sayings that anyone under the age of 30 will get? I digress. Get on with it. So what is this #fossegate you speak of? Continue reading “#FosseGate” →