4 October 2014

SETTLING IN AND CHECKING IN 4.10.14

Daisy1
So we are in our new house!  Time for me to check in say how we are getting on!
Having signed the compromis on 1st September we then did a flying visit back to the UK to take delivery of some new appliances there, which you can read about here.  Our visit was cut short when we found out that the completion on the French house was to be on 15th September – and we had barely started packing yet!

Gaynor
We rushed back to France on the 12th, hired a huge van on the 13th and, with a great deal of help from our friends, managed to be out of our little house and moved into our new one on time, leaving the old one nice and clean, too. Phew!

We are not exactly settled in yet, but things are moving on.   After less than three weeks in residence we have got our internet supply up and running, had satellite dishes and a new TV installed – luxury!  The plumber has got the central heating boiler and radiators going (after a bit of a struggle) and, again with the help of friends and their huge trailer, we have done several visits to the tip.  We have grappled with old appliances, given up and bought new ones.  Alex and Nicole have done a great job in starting to clear out many of the overgrown trees and shrubs on the boundary.

A lengthy visit from a very nice man with a ponytail, shorts and sturdy boots resulted in a devis (estimate) for a new fosse (septic tank) and hope that work for that will begin in December – the one big and expensive job we knew we needed to get organised as soon as possible. 
 
Daisy2
We have also acquired a new member of the family – Daisy the kitten.  She’s just three months old and has joined us to deal with the large number of mice – the inevitable result of living very much in the country.  She and Lulu get on extremely well – much more about that later.

Next week is going to be chaotic. On Monday and Tuesday the electrician will be here to change our supply unit for a modern one, fit some more sockets in the kitchen and alter the switching arrangement of some of the lights.  At the same time the plumber will also be here to sweep the chimney, repair the flushing mechanism in the downstairs loo and make some alterations to the pipework under the sink to enable us to have a new tap.  Then our furniture arrives on Wednesday back from storage in the UK.  Somehow between now and then we need to make room for it all!

We have been so lucky with the weather, which has been unusually warm for the time of year and in between all the work we have managed to find some time to enjoy it properly – more about that later, too.
There will be plenty more to report as soon as I get a minute to upload the photos and write the post……in the meantime……
Bon weekend !!

14 comments:

  1. I see that you're making good use of Gaynor in her retirement! ;-)
    Daisy looks a sweetie and how lovely that she and Lulu get on well.

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  2. Daisy isn't a "splodge" at all.... I wonder where that name came from...
    and Daisy and Lulu has a nice ring to it.
    Would you like to dine here on Tuesday evening...
    that way you won't have to worry about being low on energy when that big waggon arrives....
    we also have some boxes for them, so could come and help on Wednesday after Pauline's kino session....
    and bring the boxes at the same time.

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    Replies
    1. Tim, thanks for the offer of dinner on Tuesday. We humbly and gratefully accept!
      Assuming we have electricity and water by then we could be too exhausted to cook anything!
      Help on delivery day will probably be a bonus too - will talk to you about that!
      I think "Splodge" came from the fact that her coat looks like somebody splodged different colours over her. But I wanted a name that was pretty and sounded reasonably sensible when you shout it - can you imagine shouting "Splodge, come here!" across the courtyard if someone is passing by ??!!

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    2. It's about as good as shouting "Bagger!!" to try and get Baron back in....
      it seems to be the name that he prefers.... hunh?!!

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  3. What an adventure!! Am I to understand that you sold your little house in LGP? I may have missed an episode, sorry! And what a lovely kitten. Did it come with the new house :)? And will Daisy be travelling with you, NIck and Lulu when you're going to your house in the UK? Enjoy the good life ... Martine xx

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    1. Martine, you missed nothing!
      I have not previously revealed the fact that we have sold our little house in Le Grand-Pressigny - something which took us by surprise but we're pleased about it.
      The kitten came from our friends Alex and Nicole whose outdoor cat conveniently had kittens at the right time.
      Daisy will not be travelling to and fro with us. She's an outdoor cat and her job is to stay here and keep the mouse population down.
      More about all of these things later !!

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  4. Yes, Jean, more please!

    Is the idea that your life will be half and half till Nick retires?

    Daisy is adorable.

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  5. Oh boy! A new post about the house, and another view of sweet little Daisy :)

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  6. Wow I am so far behind as I have had no computer for the past month. Well done on getting everything moving. Hope your fosse goes well, we have just had to replace ours having had a new one when we moved in. We were not here to keep an eye on things and it was not bedded properly. All the rain this year, it sunk and was pierced by a stone!!!! We are now finding all the mistakes with the drainage as well so this is like being back in 2006 but all the costs are now higher!!

    Keep well and enjoy your new home. Diane and Nigel.

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  7. Well, Jean, the fact that you and Nick have completed four
    real estate transactions in two countries with different
    currencies says a lot for your perseverance. Not an easy
    feat. I hope that in a subsequent post you will tell us more
    about the "cheeky note" find. Did the sellers even have a
    sign out?

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  8. It was lovely to see you posting; and even better so to see you doing well !

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  9. Glad things are moving forward for you......s

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  10. Hi Jean and Nick from Sue and Leon. We are just catching up with our blog reading due to dodgy internet and a far to busy life in Chianti. As you know, we are also looking forward to a lifestyle change in the not too distant future so your posts will be of great interest to us. Your move is a brave one where we will still be in the same country. Congrats on the final stage and good luck on the future. Hope to say hello in a couple of weeks.

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