We are nearing the end of our big project here in France.

For those of you that don't know I buggered off to France about 14 months ago to get a more relaxed and peace full life. What a fool. We bought a big 5 bed house in need of some light renovation, moved here 22 of April and got stuck in. We are putting en-suite bath or shower rooms in all the bedrooms. After 14 months we have 4 bathrooms added and are starting to come to the end, what is supposed to be the fun bit.

We have done almost everything our selves with exception of the rewire the house shouldn't have needed and the plumbing of the two hot water tanks needed to supply the four guest bathrooms, I would have done it my self but the tools needed cost a packet out here. I got a Dutch friend to do the tricky bits leaving me to do the fun bits like add water.

Today we went into town (a 45 minute drive) to buy a water pump, we're using well water for showering. Got back all excited and plumbed the pump in. Things started to go wrong from there. The pick up pipe is under pressure as the pump has an accumulator on it. The pipe had a tiny wee pin hole sized leak in it, great I thought and cut the piece out. We went for dinner. When we came back the hose had burst. F%*K.

Back into town and €80 later we were back with a super dooper hose that works a treat.

Up stairs in the room with the tanks though all was not well.

Here they use fibre washers to seal joints between things like valves and manifolds. Pretty much every one is leaking, I replaced them one by one and even the replacements are leaking . Any way, finally managed to stop them weeing all over the floor and started to check the bath and sink. Yup, you guessed it, the bath trap won't tighten up enough to seal the rubber washers and the sink trap is leaking like a sieve, that one's my fault, I put the seal on upside down.

Finished working at 9:15 after popping into the cellar to turn the pressure on the pump up, lets see how many leaks that gives me.

Tomorrow I have to do it all over again for the second shower room, wish me luck, and then to relax we have Julie's parents and auntie and uncle coming for a visit for a long weekend.

Sounds like you need to make an online order from Screwfix!

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GT4DC Events Co-ordinator
1996 ST205 UK

Sounds like quite an undertaking! I have to admire you for upping-sticks and getting stuck in. Are you working out there, or is the house going to be the business?

Tool station, we use Tool station. We have been back twice and filled the car with stuff saving the coat of the trip but I wouldn't do it again if I could help it, it's too far.

I am starting working for my self now, tinting and doing car glass again, it's in my blood. Been getting quite a few tint jobs considering I am not advertising at all.

The house was going to be a B&B, maybe still will but I don't think I could handle a house full of strangers, I am an antisocial bugger.

I have visions of basil faulty beating a water tank with a stick

Which bit of Frogland are you in ?

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If at first you don't suck seed, try drier grain.

Aubeterre-Sur-Dronne 16390 South West about an hour north east of Bordeaux.

Why do I always fancy a glass of wine when I mention Bordeaux?

how do you find France?

We keep mentioning moving our business to France as the UK has far to many limitations on export licenses for our products and for many countries our licenses take upto 3 months to get approved which loses potential customers so we have been looking at France, some wonderfull places there.

Love France, never even thought of it as a place to live until things reached breaking point in the UK. I have found peace and some great friends here, the locals are really nice by enlarge.

To be honest it's not the place for business. It really depends on what you do and if you need staff. Artisanal trades are paying iro 46% deductions so if your business falls into one of the many artisanal trades you're going to get fisted. If you employ people same thing. If you turn over much more than a half decent wage, same again.

I sold my business in the UK and am starting again here so know enough to be able to make a judgement on the two and the UK wins hands down for ease. Everything here can be a protracted and frustrating process. I have a friend that has had his car on export plates for well over a year, they're only supposed to be for a month.

hmm, something we shall have to look into then, we encounter massive problems on exporting to europe and surrounding areas with our government taking so long to say yes you can send that when all it takes is a signature, its crazy.

Our business is designing, and manufacturing all millitary equipment and police and fire service equipment.

We designed and manufactured the UK standard of which search lights are put against, the Dragon searchlight which is widly regarded by many as one of if not the best portable handheld searchlight in the world since 1988, both Delta and T12 which we use for the MOD, we also designed our flood light for fire and rescue and RTA etc in the Dragon MAX, both of which we have re-designed to be LED based along with riot control and body armour etc etc, exporting such items takes an age for our government to approve such products and is a royal pain in the *bleep* and loses us approx i would say at least £250,000+ a year in business

I would seriously look else where, Germany would probably be a better bet.

To give you an idea. There are new measures supposed to be being brought in here limiting the maximum difference between managers/directors salaries to no more than 20 times that of the lowest paid employee.

For business France really is difficult, but at the same time, it is enchantingly beautiful. Oh and good wine's cheap, very cheap.

i like wine. thats a deal maker. haha

Yeah Germany is a good place, they love our riot shields but again, exporting is expensive, especially when we add our carridge costs on top.

We need to be in Europe really, France is a bargain place for buildings by the seems from when we have been looking.

Oh yes, property can be very cheap but a hell of a lot of them need tens of thousands and at least a year spending on them. Then there are the social charges, phew you think UK taxes are high.

Not trying to put anyone off, it's a great place but it all depends on what motivates you. If it's money then the UK is a far better bet, if it's quality of life then France every time. That's my limited experience so far any way.

At the moment you are merely slightly miffed with French plumbing

Try living in a field with 10,000 other people all reliant on French "plumbing" to start the day. Their idea of flushing is lobbing in a stick of dynamite after every 50th peeson

Now that conjures up an image.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FXwc0Lebak

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If at first you don't suck seed, try drier grain.