Finally, we are buying!!

[Giddy Goat]

We had to wait 6 months after completion before we could get our teeth into making the property ours, as the vendors stayed on rent free over the winter while their next home underwent renovations.

In theory this was reflected in the purchase price, but we'll never know whether the magic number was appropriate or not. A universal frustration!

Time will pass soon enough and meanwhile you'll have so much fun researching, choosing and planning, plus beginning to put your advertising together! Are you working Blue Shutters? I ask as I had already given up the day job when we bought our property so in fact I came a couple of times and stayed elsewhere while hunting around local antique shops and brocantes etc etc., who then stored the pieces for us until required.

We were lucky however, that the property was 100% ready to move into - rare; sounds as if that's not quite the case with yours, and I can understand the frustration and slight anxiety. But things have a habit of falling into place, so enjoy!

[Margaret]

I would regard that waiting time as a welcome bonus. We threw ourselves into renovation of all of our houses almost the minute we had possession. With hindsight, it would have been better to have spent some time thinking, planning and researching. We took some short cuts which I think we would not have done if we had thought more carefully.

[Giddy Goat]

Yes, that's absolutely true I'm sure.

[Blue Shutters]

If only we had time to spend at the house "living" in it!! Yes we are both tied to UK with work (I have my own business and it takes up most of my time, never mind children (OK teens!) and dog!)

Retirement is a distant dream........

The good thing about the work that needs doing is that it should be fairly manageable and obvious (tarting up, finishing off etc) and as we won't have much money for the extras we can do a "project" a year as time goes on (and funds most importantly). At least this house has the furniture, so it's only the odd extra "dressing" piece required.

[Giddy Goat]

Yes, that's a blessing BS!

[Carow]

Hi Bue Shutters and feliciations on the purchase of your georgeous house! We went through the same process as you have done 18 months ago. I spent from August last year until March this year getting the house ready. Not major alterations, mainly redorating and finishing touches.

It is the best of times when you get your keys, the house is yours and you can realise the plans you have.

From our experience once the house was ready (and some say beforehand) We advertised in late March this year. We were almost fully booked from April to September this year with a bonus booking of 2 weeks in November.

Bonne chance

[Blue Shutters]

Our timing stinks though which is really disheeartening, the original mortgage expired and we reapplied and have 5.2% fixed for 3 years in France, then we found out it's come down by 0.4% the day after we returned the acceptance this week. Nothing can be done, unless we reapply for the third time.

The exchange rate collapse is far worse, we couldn't fix at 1.28 at the end of Oct as we were not 100% certain (the vendors needed to sign compromis and we needed the mortgage reapproving) Then it dived to 1.22 and we waited for it to recover, then we fixed half the deposit at 1.18, and last weekend noticed it had gone over 1.20, the rate we said we'd fix the other half, by the time I could do anything Monday afternoon the next slide had started, and now that 1.18 looks very attractive next to 1.15.....so do we cut our losses and get it or hang on for the vague glimmer of bad news elseswhere and a very small recovery in the £. We are certainly making good now on very very little spare money for renovations, having lost the equivelent of 6 months mortgage payments, my how I am kicking myself!

[Giddy Goat]

Talk about living on a knife-edge BS - poor you, and bon courage. I suppose the only comfort to take from this is that we'll all suffer one way or another from what is happening to the world economy, in the short if not long term. But don't doubt you've done the right thing - it's not just about money, but quality of life, and realising the dream. If it takes a bit longer to get the place straight and things are very tight to begin with, it's the price we pay. I hope it doesn't get worse than that. I don't believe it can.

[Blue Shutters]

Well hopefully we have the 20 year cyclical low now and things can't get too much worse It doesn't help that my business is very much affected by the downturn too (I import my goods from the US, and I have a shop and online store) So I am doing far more worrying there hanging on in and working even more hours...... but our mortgage is the same still as it has been for the last 15 years, so as long as Tescos or the like would have me for 20 hours a week, we should be fine. In fact 20 hours a week on someone else's till, and then going home would be far preferable just now.

In for a penny, in for a Euro (hope it doesn't get that bad! )

[Giddy Goat]

Yep, just hang onto the thought of geraniums, blue shutters and sparkling pool! The main thing for all of us is our health.

[Windy]

Blue Shutters - well done!

We stayed in a gite - "La Garenne" in St Mande sur Bredoire a few year back - just down the road from you, and it was that stay that set us on the long road to running our lodges in the Lakes.

I really wanted to buy that place when it came up for sale a few years back , but having been married before I got defeated by French inheritance law - long story. Still it got bought by someone with the same name as us so we're half way there

It's a lovely area and your place looks lovely. Get marketing. Get your web site up and running and enjoy what you've done. I'm very jealous but I wish you all the very best. Have a glass of champagne for me. You are dead right to look at it over the long term, and I hope that one day soon we'll get to come and see it closer up!

[Blue Shutters]

Thank you all, it brightens a day of lots of cakes to make for workshops and the lowest euro rate known in living memory!

GG you hit on a very important matter, and part of the reason it's been a long haul, I had a knee replacement last year at the grand old age of 42 (long story, starting with a stupid little fall skiing 20 years ago, and ending with 6 years of barely being able to walk on strong painkillers whilst starting a business with three children to juggle and no relatives living within 3 hours) This year I am off all the painkillers my back has recovered and I have lost nearly three stone in weight so feel so much better. Really we would love to be in the alps/Pyrenees but know that I will never ski again, and big hills are out so we are better off in good cycling country within striking distance of home.

Windy, that gite complex looks gorgeous, I can see why your heart would have over ruled any logic if it were possible to buy. it's quite odd that I practically grew up in the Lakes (mountaineering teacher parents, and we always camped every holiday and most weekends, no posh lodges.) In fact my parents now live in Cumbria and we spent a few years in Barrow in Furness in the late 80s, yes at VSEL, so weekends in Duddon Valley/Coniston etc are a distant memory. As I havn't walked up a mountain in 7 years I do like going back but it also frustrates me.....we stay at the parents B&B (not really, but it's like a B&B!)

It's nice to have like minded sensibleish optomists to gas to about plans......

Our first season will be word of mouth, what is the absolute minimums we must think about? Initially :

Gallons white paint.
A couple of well chosen feature pieces of furniture (the ubiquitous wrought iron bed for one room) that photograph well.
A well scrubbed pool area with clean and ample loungers, and dotted pots geraniums.
make good unfinished plasterboard and flooring
Frenchify the kitchen.
Huge table and 10 chairs for inside.
Huge table and plenty chairs outside.
Install a woodburner if funds allow
Most important good and reliable changeover/management company.
Somehow manage to get some stunning photos!

[Windy]

Our first season will be word of mouth

Why - get your marketing shoes on I would have thought that with the Euro where it is you need EVERY booking you can get

Even a simple listing on one or two of the gite sites must surely pay for itself with one booking?

Most important good and reliable changeover/management company.

Do you not live on site? Would you not do this yourself then?

And just a thought - why not go and have a chat with the guys at La Garrenne and ask them for tips? I know that the people who ran it when were there used to get loads of extra enquiries which they farmed out to other local gite owners for a percentage - maybe you could benefit from something similar. Even if they don't do that they may have a lot of very useful information to share!

[Blue Shutters]

Our first season will be word of mouth

Why - get your marketing shoes on I would have thought that with the Euro where it is you need EVERY booking you can get

Even a simple listing on one or two of the gite sites must surely pay for itself with one booking?

Most important good and reliable changeover/management company.

Do you not live on site? Would you not do this yourself then?

And just a thought - why not go and have a chat with the guys at La Garrenne and ask them for tips? I know that the people who ran it when were there used to get loads of extra enquiries which they farmed out to other local gite owners for a percentage - maybe you could benefit from something similar. Even if they don't do that they may have a lot of very useful information to share!

No, we have to stay in UK for work, school etc (teens!) We have the catch 22 of no pics, until Easter when we have to get the work done and get good pics, so we will do the best we can with family and friends until then and then market after Easter.

Thanks for the idea re La Garenne, I am very careful not to tread on other's shoes, I have experirence of being used and abused in my business here, but yes when it is mutually beneficial no harm in making an approach!

[Windy]

Fair enough - sorry I hadn't taken that in.

As regards using and abusing that's down to you I guess (in the nicest possible way).

If you go into it with a good attitude, as I'm sure you would, then I would imagine that both sides would ultimately benefit - even if it's only by having someone else who understands to moan at outside peak season

FYI they do manage another gite for someone else so it might be worth talking to them about short term management help?