tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18615782428138163932024-03-12T20:27:29.990-07:00France Mediterranean PropertyLiving, Working and Buying Property in FranceUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger392125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861578242813816393.post-31857690005497373352017-07-12T01:53:00.002-07:002017-07-12T01:53:37.415-07:00Cycling and the French<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In this month of July when French television is dominated for three weeks by daily live coverage of Le Tour, it is interesting to note how France fares in the league table of cyclists compare with other European countries.<br />
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Surprisingly, the answer is not too well. Latest estimates suggest that as few as 2% of the overall population are regular cycle users - either for pleasure or normal daily use (riding to work for example), compared with Britain (4%), and the three northern countries dominated by Holland (an asronishing 43%), Denmark (30%) and Finland (28%).<br />
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On closer examination however, the numbers rise dramatically when individual cities make a special effort to encourage more people to use bicycles. The undoubted leader in France is the city of Strasbourg which has created nearly 600 kms of cycle ways, together with Bordeaux and Grenoble where the mileage is consierably less but well above the average.<br />
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In Britain also certain cities dominate - including Cambridge (39%) and Oxford (19%), due to their high level of students and tourist cities such as York with an estimated 14%.<br />
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As well as building safe routes, pioneer cycle cities in France and elsewhere also provide 'cycle training' and encourage cycling events to help popularise cycling as a healthy sport, as well as planning out-of-town cycle routes for leisure/family use and offering bikes for hire. <br />
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Analysts trying to find out what puts people off cycling compared to other means of transport (particularly when travelling to work) found that they include fear of bad weather, accident risks, distances too long, route 'too difficult', worry about stolen bicycles, having to wear 'special clothing', arriving 'hot and sweaty' at work, difficuly storing/parking a bike either at home or at work.<br />
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Even in the exemplary case of Strasbourg, its dedicated cycle network fails to reach some of the poorer outer suburbs compare with other more attractive areas.<br />
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Finally it is surprising to note that despite all the efforts to encourange cycling, bicycles still account for no more than 1% of all road traffic!<br />
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* Some figures taken from an article by Antoine de Ravignan, Alternatives Economiques,<br />
July/August 2017.<br />
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Posted by peterderouffignac@orange.fr<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861578242813816393.post-38463641015349050642017-06-22T02:13:00.001-07:002017-06-22T02:13:28.549-07:00Buying French property? Beware of false images...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Like all product advertising, vendors and agents can use a number of visual tricks to enhance the look of a property for sale, including clever photography and hiding or masking defects.<br />
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Despite the procedures shown on French TV programmes such as "<i>Cherche appartement ou maison</i>' (Channel 6) in which would-be buyers join the agent on site for a series of visits, in real life more time is - or should be - spent in the agent's office discussing the clients' needs in detail, and as a preminary going through the agent's catalogue of available properties to have a general idea of what appeals to the client - or not.<br />
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French agents tend to cover a wider area, in my own experience it was quite a large chunk of Pyrénées Orietales and as a result often difficult to visit more than three or four properties during a morning or afteroon. Not just because of the distances to be covered but the admin required to contact owners, pick up keys from a branch office or keyholder, and arrange appointments.<br />
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As a result the preliminary meeting in the agent's office is important, to discuss the client's aspirations, budget, likes and dislikes, and view selected properties in the agent's catalogue. Many agency photographs are notoriously bad and frequently the subject of criticism. They rarely show an exterior due to the fact that several agencies may be handling the property for vendors who have signed an a non-exclusive multiple agreement. Very few are the work of professionals.<br />
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Using a professional photographer however has its good and bad sides. Photographs can be used to enhance the look of an average property - using more or softer lighting, or taking shots from high up or low down to enhance the size of a room, and at worse hiding or disguising defects.<br />
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Typical of these are proximity to a main road or railway line, surrounding buildings such as a factory, school or supermarket, or undesirable objects such as overhead electric cables and high voltage pylons. Frequently clients will arrive on site and are already rejecting the property before going through the front door.<br />
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Also anoying for potential buyers is the lack of a floor plan, which the vendor should be able to supply as it would normally have been included as part of his/her sales contract. This helps to visualise the proerty as a whole, see how alterations might enhance its potential, and offers an accurate scale plan showing actuall dimensions.<br />
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Curiously these small practical details are neglected by some vendors and agents, and sales are lost despite the property being within the buyer's budget. The programme noted above includes some interesting examples. not forgetting it is primarily designed for popular viewing and includes much pratical advice from the presenter Stéphane Plaza.<br />
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Poster by peterderouffignac@orange.fr<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861578242813816393.post-45473918574441517632017-06-13T01:50:00.002-07:002017-06-13T01:50:18.883-07:00Selling your French home? Targeting your potential buyer......... <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Marketing is very much about tailoing your product or service to a specific group of potential buyers which you have identified from research. And depending on whether you own a one-room apartment or a three-bed house there is someone out there looking for exactly what you are trying to sell.<br />
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Recent research from America - and it can easily be applied to France - has identified five specific groups of buyers and what it is they are looking for and why. According to the figures:<br />
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- 30% of buyers are looking for a larger home as a result of an increase in family size (arrival of a second or third child for example)<br />
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- 27% are looking for their first 'real home' as a result of marriage or deciding to live together<br />
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- 24% as a result of a change in family circumstances, such as children leaving home or a change of job<br />
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- 39% of 55-65 year olds are looking ahead to retirement<br />
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- 28% of over 65s have reached retirement and are looking to downsize or move to a more relaxed area (such as the huge north/south shift in France as the post-war generation comes up to retirement and have a property to sell whose value has risen due to house price inflation.<br />
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Whether you are trying to sell your apartment or house to a buyer from virtually any of these groups, the most important criteria have been identified as:<br />
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- most typical purchase is a three-bedroom, two bathroom property<br />
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- 86% rate the kitchen as the most important deciding factor<br />
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- 50% are looking for a master bedroom or parental suite with its own bathroom etc.<br />
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- the principal living space tends to include an open-plan kitchen, dining area and lounge area<br />
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- quality of outside space, such as a terrace, garden, pool etc<br />
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With acknowledgements to realtor.com USA.<br />
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Posted by peterderouffignac@orange.fr<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861578242813816393.post-66867102014562682952017-05-31T01:37:00.001-07:002017-05-31T01:37:38.122-07:00Brexit: EU working paper on "Citizens Rights"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The Europen Commission Task Force, which will conduct the Brexit negotians with Britain under Article 50, have issued a Working Paper outlining the "essential principles" that will guide their decisions when dealing with the human aspects - and consequences - of Brexit.<br />
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Importantly, the paper emphasises that EU nationals living in another state at the time of the announcement of withdrawal will retain the rights that they had at that moment and will include family members, students and others, anyone who works or has worked in another Member State.<br />
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These 'acquired rights' under EU law will be applicable 'for life' and the paper insists that any disputes will (continue to) be handled by the Euopean Court of justice.<br />
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The four-page document is highly specific and is accompanied by a longer (10pp) discussion on economic issues.<br />
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The documents have received virtually no coverage, other than in the British <i>Guardain </i>newspaper and were not discussed during the recent TV confornation between May and Corbin, despite the British elections being just a few days away.<br />
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They are the first sign of comfort for the five million or so EU nationals currently living in another Member State.<br />
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Posted by peterderouffignac@orange.fr<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861578242813816393.post-30931800498197774102017-05-22T03:11:00.000-07:002017-05-22T03:11:31.274-07:00Do I need a translator when signing French property documents?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Buying a home in France is relatively complicated and involves reading and signing several important documents (in French). They include the following:<br />
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- Offer to buy. This is your first important document that you will normally sign after visiting a property and making a formal offer to buy at or below the asking price. If the vendor agrees, he or she will countersign his/her acceptance.<br />
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- The initial contract (<i>compromis de vente</i>) which may include a number of conditions that must be fulfilled before it become binding - such as 'subject to survey' , 'subject to securing planning permission' etc. If these conditions are not fulfilled, the buyer may pull out and the transaction lapses, leaving the vendor with the task of securing another buyer.<br />
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- The final act which is the final sale document, based on the initial pre-contract and becomes the equivalent of the title deeds to the property (<i>titre de propriété</i>) and lodged with the French land registry. Copies are normally also held by the owners and Notaire who handled the transaction.<br />
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- The preliminary and final contracts will invariably include a number of supporting documents, from technical surveys to information about possible flooding etc.<br />
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- If you are buying an apartment in a shared building, recent legislation requires full reports of any works done or anticipated, details of the co-ownership management, and the scale of charges payable monthly to cover the cost of shared extras such as central heating or a lift.<br />
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The above documents may run to over a hundred pages and at first sight appear quite daunting, particularly if you have little or no knowledge of French and you are buying in France for the first time. However it should be borne in mind that most are totally standard and have been tried and tested over the years, While many 'extras' such as a report on the risk - or not - of flooding are based on publicly available at the local <i>mairie </i>(town hall).<br />
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The Notaire handling the transaction will want to ensure that you understand what you are signing and in some case insist on an interpreter/translator being present for the signing, depending also on the Notaire's own proficiency or not in English.<br />
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In my view a complete translation is not necessary (and is costly) as legal language in either English or French is frequently unintelligible if you have no kowledge of law. A legally trained interpreter is often the best solution, as he or she can explain the document as the meeting proceeds - bearing in mind that the final act is very similar to the <i>compromis de vente </i>that you sign many weeks ago when you committed to buying the property (subject to any suspensive clauses that you may have insisted on at the time).<br />
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Another possible solution, which I normally propose, is ask a bilingual (English/French) legal expert to review the contract(s) in draft and advise whether to sign them or not, or advise on changes. If they are based close to where you are buying they can also be present at the final signature.<br />
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And finally do not forget that the estate agent through whom you are buying the property has also overseen many similar transactions perhaps over many years 'on the job' as a negotiator and guide. His/her experience can be invaluable.<br />
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Posted by peterderouffignac@orange.fr </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861578242813816393.post-17095833425842021642017-05-20T01:31:00.001-07:002017-05-20T01:31:26.846-07:00Furnished properties sell faster....<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
As any estate agent will tell you, when home hunting potential buyers are more likely to be attracted by houses or apartments that are presented furnished rather those which have been stripped of their contents as the previous owners/sellers have already moved out. This is of course the reason why speculative housing developers invariably feature a 'show house' to give buyers an idea of what the property could like for potential purchasers.<br />
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Totally empty properties are difficult to visualise and viewers are often unable to imagine what <i>their </i>furniture would look like occupying the huge empty spaces around - though in fact some rooms may look smaller when empty than they actually are. Empty spaces tend to show off any minor defects - tired decor, worn or damaged floors, loose electrical fittings - that should have been put right by the previous owners before putting the property on the market.<br />
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There are a number of possible solutions if you find yourself having to sell your property in its empty state, among them the tried and tested 'home staging'. Proponents of this alternative include France's best known estate agent Stephen Plaza who in addition to owning a network of estate agencies is the star of several TV programmes such as '<i>Chasseurs de'appartement</i>' (apartment hunters) and '<i>Maison à vendre'</i> (house for sale) both on Channel 6. Plaza works with a number of designers and contractors who, in the worst cases, transform typical over-crowded, over-furnished pre- and post-war houses owned by our parents and grand-parents, and turns them into their light and airy modern equivalent. Typical budgets for a major transformation are often around 2 to 3 per cent of the asking price, and almost invariably result in a number of offers and a sale - including many which have languished on the market for weeks or months. <br />
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If your home is empty but otherwise in good repair, you could employ a designer specialising in home staging who can furnish all or some of the rooms with furniture and acccessories for the occasion - say, the living room and one of the bedrooms if you are on a tight budget. A lower cost solution is to present a computerised version on a laptop or similar showing what a room could look life when furnished. And floor plans which over the years seem to have disappeared from the details supplied by estate agents invariably help potential buyers to visualise where their furniture might fit.<br />
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When you decide to put your property on the market is the time to take photographs showing it furnished, as picture of empty rooms are almost worthless when trying to sell.<br />
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Finally, it does without saying that your pre-sale preparations should include fixing all those nagging little defects you may have been putting off for years, such as loose tiles, unfinished paintwork, dripping taps, cracked windows, and being ruthless in your de-cluttering.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861578242813816393.post-12613329000671264942017-05-17T02:30:00.002-07:002017-05-17T02:30:49.576-07:00Booking rental property online.....a cautionary tale<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A recent entry on one of the popular forums dealing with life in France tells a worrying story of a British couple who booked a French short-stay property online only to turn up and find the property already occupied by 'friends of the owner' - who is now unwilling to compensate them or return their 3000 euros paid. The booking was made via a well known holiday booking agency - also operating online - which has apparently so far refused to intervene in the case, on the grounds that the final booking details were made directly between the parties and they are not responsible.<br />
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In commenting on the incident, I reminded forum members of a case which occurred in Argels-sur-mer last year, when a non-existent property advertised online was booked by over 50 potential renters who had all paid in advance, and who all turned up on the same day to start their holiday, only to find that the property did not exist and that the street number advertised was entirely fictitious. <br />
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Not suprisingly the police and local tourist offices take this sort of incident very seriously, as it reflects badly on the reputation of the resort - and the holiday rental business in general.<br />
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The only safeguard I can suggest if you are booking a holiday rental in France is to use a local, reliable estate agency which has its office in the resort or nearby, and has the necessary credentials, such as membership of FNAIM, the estate agents' professional body. Being on-site they receive renters personally, accompany them to the property, check that everything is in order and remain on hand during your stay, just in case of any problems. They also have links to reliable tradesmen in case of emergencies such as a burst pipe or electrical failure.<br />
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Local tourist offices are very keen to protect the repuation of the area and may have lists of 'approved' rental properties that have been visited and approved, and if you experience problems during your stay, you should inform the tourist office.<br />
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Like all online purchases, holiday bookings via an online rental agency are subject to risks and the potential for fraud and property owners and potential renters should made all the checks they can before entrusting them with their money - and their annual holiday.<br />
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Posted by peterdanton@orange.fr<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861578242813816393.post-88474542057568639762017-05-08T01:43:00.001-07:002017-05-09T00:58:21.697-07:00Macron elected French president<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
There was a palpable sigh of relief all over France last night, as Emmanuel Macron was finally elected President of France, with a convincing 66 per vent of cotes cast in the second round. Even though many remain sceptical of his plans to 'revive' France, in line with the policies outlined by his group <i>En marche </i>there us also a feeling that 'at least it's not her' - referring to the far right Marine le Pen who gave the country another first-round scare in a close vote, as she did with the election of Francois Hollande five years ago. Some commentators are now writing that her election would have been 'chaotic for France'.<br />
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Also worrying is the high level of voter abstentions, approaching 30% of the electorate, though many are questioning the wisdom of holding an election on a Sunday, in the middle of a three-day holiday weekend in May (today is a public holiday), where many have taken advantage of the fine weather (at last) and are away from home.<br />
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Also interesting at the time Britain is learning not only that Brexit is is going to be vastly more complicated and expensive than anyone dreamed, Macron's second emphasis is on reforming and strenghtening the European Union and it will be interesting to watch this happening alongside Brexit.<br />
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France will also have to come to terms with a whole collection of new faces in politics, as Macron's likely team of future ministers, many of them unkown to the wider public, take up their positions in government. France goes to the polls again in June to elect deputies to parliament, before settling down for the summer recess and the traditional European shutdown during July and August.<br />
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Posted by peterdanton@orange.fr<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861578242813816393.post-79635015103552060472017-05-01T03:21:00.005-07:002017-05-01T03:21:59.157-07:00Buying a French apartment? Beware of management costs!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Buying an apartment in France, as opposed to a freehold house, may seem like an attractive low-cost alternative - until you come to add up the associated 'management fees'. Many seemingly cheap apartments can turn out to be an expensive investment.<br />
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In my home town I have been looking at lost-cost apartments, many of them located in the best part of town, facing south onto a park (the old bit of open urban space there is) and many priced at under 50,000 euros for a small studio under 25 square metres, and attractive as a 'pied à terre' or as an income earning buy-to-let investment.<br />
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Part of their attraction can include a balcony or terrace, high levels of security, sometimes a resident concierge, central heating and hot water, car parking, and a lift (many are eight storeys or more high). Occcasionaly extra amenities such as a swimming pool, gardens or tennis courts form part of the package.<br />
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All these attractive extras however come at a price. Buying an apartment in a share building involveds purchasing the freehold in your individual apartment and in addition a number of shares in the building itself - sometimes refered to as <i>tantièmes </i>- the quantity calculated according to the size of your apartment. You effectively own part of the freehold and details will be written into your contract of purchase - the equivalent of title deeds to your property.<br />
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Buildings may be managed by a committee of co-owners - you become one on purchase of your apartment and become entitled to vote at the annual general meeting or indeed become a member of the co-owners' committee. Within smaller buildings, day to day management as well as major decisions such as external painting or renewal of the lift, may be handled by the (voluntary) 'syndic' (committee of co-owners). This can work well for buildings comprise, say, up to ten or twelve apartments. (I currently live in a building with just four co-owners, the largest owning two whole floors, and we meet and discuss informally any needed expernditure. There are no fixed annual costs, other than the obligatory building insurance, which we all share in proportion to our share, in addition to the insurance of our invidivual apartments).<br />
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Above this figure it is more usual to employ a firm of external building managers, some of whom are part of a larger group of insurance companies, banks or property investors. And they charge for their services. Many of these organisations have come in for criticism in recent years - for overcharging, poor management and in some cases downright fraud. They succeed in getting away with it because apartment owners are not interested in how the building is run and will pay the monthly bill of charges to the managers without raising too many questions. Until active individuals or members of an alert co-owners committee start to investigate.<br />
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The first thing you will know about the level of 'building charges' will be in the state agents' details of the apartment you are interested in buying (in addition of course to local property taxes paid to the commune). And it is at this point you will realise that the 'cheap' apartment you are being shown round may be subject to management charges from 500 to over 1000 euros per year - and possibly additional costs planned in the near future, to pay for external painting or replacement of the lift.<br />
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As a general rule the larger the building the higher the cost to maintain and pay for unforeseen contingencies, and as a result the higher the charges demanded - once again in proportion to the size of your apartment. As a result, as part of your French property hunting, if you are looking at apartments you need to be fully aware of the likelihood of additional management charges, which over the years are most likely to rise, while the value of your apartment may fall.<br />
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Posted by peterdanton@orange.fr<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861578242813816393.post-45295954742208820482017-04-24T02:10:00.002-07:002017-04-24T02:10:51.425-07:00Ecological and organic - but not quite.......<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I watched a fairly in-depth documentary on French television last night, featuring two groups of citizens who had decided 'to go ecological'. The first concerned a largish family who had built their own house, using the latest materials, to ensure that it was self-sufficient in terms of heating, cooling and maitenance. They had installed a series of solar panels in the garden (fairly ugly and I am surprised they got planning permission!), had built a water wheel in a fast running nearby stream (unclear who it belonged to or again whether planning permission was sought or given), and were in the process of improving the drain pipes and guttering on their roof to collect rain water in an underground tank.<br />
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What I found most disappointing is that their whole set-up was built around producing and consuming meat - chickens were reared for their eggs and their meat, along with several sheep and cows whose destiny was not explained.<br />
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The second case study appeared to revolve around hydroponics (growing plants in water rather than in the soild) and again seemed to be centered on producing feed for animals, which were reared for their meat.<br />
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What the documentary failed to tell viewers is the high cost of feeding (vegetable) protein - 50% of which goes to feed animals - in order to produce meat (10 grams produce only 1 gram of meat) when it is clearly cheaper and ecologically sound for humans to eat the vegetable proteins direct and reduce the production and consumption of meat, currently estimated at 100kg per person per year in France!<br />
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Posted by peterdanton@orange.fr<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861578242813816393.post-14302352798138458282017-04-10T01:57:00.001-07:002017-04-10T01:57:12.305-07:00France - record high property prices?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Two reports in France's <i>LeFigaro* </i>newspaper higlight the continued rise in French property prices - now at record levels in major French cities, and why it is a good time now to put your property on the market if you are thinking of selling.<br />
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First, property prices approaching record levels. The evidence is onverhwelming, and following a recovery of the property market in 2016 - by over 5% in the Paris area and over 2 per cent elsewhere - the trend seems to be continuing in the first three months of 2017, despite the common belief that election years are bad for property sales (the French go to the polls in two weeks to begin the process of electing a new President and a new parliament).<br />
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Paris still holds the record for the highest average price per square metre - currently just over 8,500 euros , followed by Nice (3,800), Lyon (3,440), Bordeaux (3,2776) and Toulouse (2,640). Most of these prices reflect an increase of 5% or more over 2016.<br />
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Traditionally springtime and the arrival of warmer weather help boost sales, as buyers prefer to get their house move organised and settle before the July/August holiday break and ahead of the <i>la rentrée </i>in September/October when children return to school and students start at university. Job changes are also popularly organised with a September start in mind and may involve a change of location.<br />
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Another group of buyers are the retired who need to get their house hunting done before the July/August recess when second homes may be occupied by their owners or let to summer tenants, and unavaialble for viewing. The traditional holiday period may also delay completion of the property sale as lawyers and much needed public officials themselves go on hliday. Hence the need to get your property selling or buying done before the end of June!<br />
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*LeFigaro.fr<br />
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Posted by peterdanton@orange.fr<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861578242813816393.post-37629299784696942972017-04-06T06:38:00.001-07:002017-04-06T06:39:38.898-07:00French cities going green ....literally!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
French cities are vying with each other to create more wide open, green spaces, as part of their effort to combat air pollution and help reduce excessively high temperatures such as those of the 40 degree heatwave in 2003, responsible for the deaths of over 15,000 people.<br />
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Not surprisingly one of the pioneers of this movement is the city of Paris, with a mixture of tree planting, opening up more green spaces and encouraging the installation of 'green roofs' - the use of grass and other vegetation on the roofs of schools, office blocks and other public buildings.<br />
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Although the city is well blessed with open spaces, the two largest being the <i>bois de Boulogne </i>and the <i>bois de Vincennes</i>, both located far from the city centre, Paris lacks a variety of smaller open spaces, easily reachable by the public, for examples during a lunch break. <i> </i>The two famous <i>bois </i>alone account for 70% of the city's open spaces.<br />
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Paris's norther outskirts are particularly short of open spaces and the city also suffers from suburban blight due to the apparently unrestrained development of huge out of town shopping centers which ring the capital, and increasing demands for more transport infrastructure such as roads and rail.<br />
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As a result during a typical summer heatwave there can be a difference of 8 degrees or more (higher) between parts of the inner city centre and a typical built-up sector. Cooling these spaces is not cheap and uses large amounts of energy - for example for refrigeration and air conditioning - and to provide insulation and double glazing increases construction costs.<br />
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With 75% of French now living in urban areas (compared to the countryside) inner-city pollution is becoming an increasing threat and a drain on healthcare costs. However some successes are already being reported including a reduction of the incidence of asthma.<br />
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Another encouraing sign is the growth of healthy eating and organic food production* and the development of small urban 'grow your own' allotments managed by the local community.<br />
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Finally it goes without saying that greener cities make more pleasant places to live in and can add to the value of your property investment.<br />
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* For more information see my recent post here about France's 'organic revolution' and my article in 'French Property News' issue 314, April 2017, pp 50-52.<br />
And also <i>Alternatives Economiques </i>No. 367, Aptril 2017, pp 58-60 by Bénédice Weiss, who offers further sources.<br />
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Posted by peterdanton@orange.fr<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861578242813816393.post-57146923319152711382017-03-31T01:22:00.002-07:002017-03-31T01:22:43.453-07:00School uniforms - Britain versus France......<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Reading the British press - mainly the <i>Daily Mail </i>I have to confess - British school teachers seem to spend a great deal of time checking on how their students dress, measuing the lenght of skirts and shorts, and the colour, lenght and style of haircuts. Being sent home or banished from the classroom appear to be the standard punishment for these apparent breaches of the rules.<br />
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Happily the French take a much more relaxed attitude. The majority of youngsters attend free public (state run) schools, from the <i>maternité </i>through to the <i>lycée </i>and dress code is not on the list of requirements for entry - apart from that imposed by current teenage fashions taken from television or the web.<br />
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In my home town the current fasion is for leggings (apparently now frowned upon by some airlines as 'inappropirate') worn by both girls and boys, with a draughty few inches of bare ankle displayed in both summer and winter. The top half is generally comprised of a T-shirt or other sports gear, with logos, trademarks or slogans of your choice. When it comes to hairstyle - anything goes, length, colour, shape, style, the boys generally following the trends set by footballers. And the minute the sun comes out, everyon is in shorts.<br />
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I was waiting for a friend to join me for lunch yesterday and watched several groups of youngsters passing by - including a greed haired lad with two friends - but his appearance did not attract a second glance from a single one of the (adult) passers-by. Joining groups of friends in a café or bistro is routinely accepted and thse pre-adults have a surprising self confidence, especially when surrounded by their peers. Any suggestion that they should be made to conform to a dress code would be considered laughable.<br />
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Posted by peterdanton@orange.fr<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861578242813816393.post-78103640927396697032017-03-27T01:46:00.000-07:002017-03-27T03:46:02.516-07:00French furnished lettings - security for both owner and tenant<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
French furnished lettings provide a measure of security both for the owner of the property and the tenant/occupier, following a tightening of the rules in the <i>loi Alur </i>of March 2014, promoted by the then housing minister Cecile Duflot.<br />
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Many are based on the regulations concerning unfurnished properties but offer a briefer period of tenure - 12 months renewable, reduced to 9 months in the case of a term-time student lettings - with the option to renew the tenancy and the right of the tenant to leave the property at any time at 4 weels notice.<br />
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On signing the tenancy agreement, the owner can ask for a security deposit of two months' rent (note that the maximum for unfurnished tenancies is just one month) and other provisions using a standard contract which will include an inventory of the contents. In order for a property to be classified as 'furnished' certain basic items must be provided by the owner, including means of eating, sleeping, heating etc and listed on a standard form which will become part of the lease and agreed between the parties.<br />
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If the owner wishes to give notice to the tenant, he can justify this only on restricted grounds,such as non-payment of rent or serious misuse, or his intention to occupy the property for his own use or in order to sell it.<br />
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How much to charge? It is possible for anyone with disposable capital to buy a property which has a tenant already in place (either furnished or unfurnished) so the rent will be known. The short-term furnished market is fairly competitive, offering a wide range of choice for a prospective tenant who will normally be well informed about going rates in the locality - from agency websites and informally from friends and colleagues. In some areas, including Paris, rents can be controlled by the local authority under new regulations (2016, 2017) designed to prevent price inflation where there is a known shortgage of available properties. Universities and other institutions may also have their own rules should a property owner wish to have his property added to their housing list.<br />
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Short term renters, according to the experts*, often have a different profile from long-termers and owner/occupiers, They may be younger, prepared to live in a small space (say, 20 square metres) on higher floors with no lift, and in cental/mixed areas that might not attract long stayers but which offer quick access to public transport, local shopping and other basic amenities, And if the property is well furnished and decorated and offers something a bit special renters may be prepared to pay an above-average rent.<br />
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Furnished lets by their nature mean a higher turnover of occupants than with unfurnished properties, and will need to be constantly refreshed and furniture replaced. It may be possible to let them on a very short basis as holiday lets (such as through AirBnb) in popular tourist areas. In the case of 9-month student let, a two to three month summer rental might be possible - if the property is large enought for at least two people. If not, you could try attracting a seasonal worker. All these options require hands-on management in order to succeed.<br />
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* "<i>Comment je suis devenue rentière" </i>by Elise Franck describes in detail how she became the owner of several short-term rental properties, with numerous tips, illustrations and cost breakdowns. Essential reading, along with her website which cotains a lot of useful advice including before and after illustrations and examples of successful renovations.<br />
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Posted by peterdanton@orange.fr<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861578242813816393.post-26378651973762130532017-03-21T02:33:00.000-07:002017-03-21T02:34:57.852-07:00Nearly 3000 new enterprises in my small French home town.........<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
'2 792 new enterprises in ten years' says the headline in my local newspaper L'Indépendant - surely good news for any small town of just over 100 000 people (200 000 if you include the outlying suburbs and villages.<br />
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Analysing the accompanying report however, there are a number of anomales which make interesting reading. Anyone who visits the area cannot fail to miss the large number of 'wind farms' which generate electricity as huge windmills are driven by the prevailing Tramontane gales blowing in from the north-west. What few people know is that every one of these - together with solar panels taking advantage of the 300 days per year of sunshine - has to be registered at the local chamber of commerce as a 'business', adding considerably to the list of new 'enterprises' created - comprising around 300 to 400 'éoliennes' (windmills) implanted in the reagion.<br />
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The other major contributors are those registering as 'auto-entrepreneurs' following the creation of this self-employment regime in 2008 designed to encourage small, individual business start-ups. Of these some 75% are listed as 'personal srvices' - from hairdressing to all types of care provision addressed largely at the region's growing elderly population. The area is one of the most popular in France for retirement - remarkably cheap housing, wide range of medical services from major hospitals and clincis to thermal spas.<br />
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Plus the sunshine already mentioned and the proximity of the Mediterranean coast and the border with Spain (Barcelona is only two hours drive away) which make Pyrénées-Orientales one of the most attractive areas of France. <br />
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Posted by peterdanton@orange.fr </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861578242813816393.post-29222119387093299702017-03-10T01:15:00.000-08:002017-03-10T01:16:15.819-08:00Property sales rise 5% during 2016 in Pyrénées-Orientales<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Sales of property during 2016 - excluding new-builds - rose by a healthy 5% in Pyrénées-Orientales over previous years - and surpassing the levels of the boom years 2000-2007following the switch to the euro and the price inflation that followed; together with a slowdown in sales - including by British and other non-French purchasers during the years prior to 2000 when prices were ridiculously low compared with Britain - a two room apartment on the beach for less than the equivalent of £20 000 was not uncommon.<br />
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The region is a now recognised first-choice for retirees from the post-war boom generation who benefited from full employment and increases in living standards during the 'thirty glorious' years up to 1980 and the shock of the first oil price rises. The typical French buyer from that period owns a house in or near Paris which can be sold for a high price that offers a comfortable budget with which to buy an apartment or house in the rural or coastal south, an area where the average price per square metre can be as low 1200 euros.......<br />
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An article in the current Logic-immo journal speaks of the attraction of the numerous small villages surrounding Perpignan, within easy reach of the Mediterranean coast (where prices are higher - for example around 4000 per square metre in Argelès-sur-mer) and the mountains inland, together with the proximity of the Spanish border for low-cost shopping; and Barcelona reached by car in two hours or fast TGV rail services (under 1 hour from Perpignan). <br />
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Posted by peterdanton@orange.fr<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861578242813816393.post-89284630420026260902017-03-07T01:15:00.000-08:002017-03-07T01:15:02.837-08:00Brexit uncertainties already affecting EU residents in Britain<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
According to research by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) a high percentage of EU citizens resident and working in Britain are reviewing their situation in the event of a potential Brexit.<br />
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The sectors most likely to be affected are education and healthcare where up to 50% of 'foreign' staff have indicated that they 'might leave' due to the uncertainties surrounding Brexit, the CIPD reports. The situation is most serious for these sectors where wages are traditionally low and employers are obliged to 'fill the gaps' by recruiting teachers and nurses from outside Britain.<br />
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Other sectors that could be similarly affected, the CIPD notes, are hotels, catering and retail, sectors where qualifications may be low and (foreign) workers comparatively cheap.<br />
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British prime minister Theresa May has stressed all along that she wishes to guarantee the position of EU citizens already living and working in Britain, in return for a similar deal covering British citizens living in other EU member states. And the British House of Lords are pressing for guarantees now, ahead of any formal agreement with the rest of the EU.<br />
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For their part, some EU member countries have already made encouraging noises about the position of British subjects already resident in France, Spain and Italy among others, but are awaiting the official start to negotiations which will last at least two years. However, any words of comfort pronounced now are subject to uncertainties, such as the forthcoming presidential and parliamentary elections in France this spring.<br />
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Use of the word 'bargaining' in place of 'negotiating' is a worrying sign of uncertain times ahead for individuals who have decided to settle outside their country of origin and relied on the sovereign principles of the Europen Union of 'freedom of movement of people, goods, services and capital'.<br />
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Posted by peterdanton@orange.fr<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861578242813816393.post-87108551589561871922017-03-06T02:10:00.001-08:002017-03-06T07:50:41.818-08:00Unemployment benefits for the self-employed?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Among one of the more interesting proposals put forward by one of the French presidential contenders - Emmanuel Macron - is a scheme to protect the self-employed enabling them to access unemployment and sickness benefits in much the same way as an unempoyed person who has lost his/her job.<br />
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If you are employed in France on a fixed-term conract (CDD) or an open-ended 'permanent' job contract (CDI) both employer and employee pay a social contribution among many others, which covers the cost of unemployment benefits in the event of loss of the job. Benefits are calculated on how long you have worked/contributed and the maximum period of payments is normally 24 months, during which you can/must actively seek another job.<br />
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Being employed or unemployed is generally clear-cut - you either have a job or you don't. Being self-employed generally means you have to work harder and for longer hours (I can testify to that!) but there is no routine protection against loss of work or income brought about by economic circumstances or simply the loss of a valuable client or contract, and other factors beyond your control.<br />
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While I was self-employed in Britain for many years, I found it relatively easy to find a private insurance policy that would provide cover in the case of injury that prevented me from working; but insurers would not cover sickness - on the ground that I could feign illness during hard times and claim cover. Like other elf-employed I paid insurance contributions based on a percentage of my net earnings after costs claimed, which rose as my income increased and included state pension contributions.<br />
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What Macron is proposing for France is a payment (out of earnings) by each self-employed individual that would be less than the current (high) 6.4% paid by the self-employed, against 2.4% by empyees. He is not suggesting that the self-employed should pay the equivalent of the cuombined contributions (emplyer/employee) but a reduced personal contribution of 4.6% - the remainder coming from 'general funds'. <br />
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It is an interesting idea and would require clear-cut guidelines as to when a self-employed person is out of work or not. One of the secrets of survival if you are self-employed, but not an estabished professonal such as a doctor or a lawyer, is to have a mix of clients and several sources of income, so that the loss of a one client does not force the collapse of your enterprise. Half the fun is the uncertainty according to a book published in 2009 by Anne and Marine Rambacj entitled '<i>Les nouveaux intellos précaires' </i> which describes the precarious lives of many in the arts and intellectual professions (writers, artists etc) in France (Editions Stock, 2009).<br />
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Posted by peterdanton@orange.fr<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861578242813816393.post-65308688393456641592017-03-01T01:10:00.001-08:002017-03-01T01:10:16.387-08:00Supermarket shopping in France - food sales up, non-food down....<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A survey by Nielsen research published today in <i>LeFigaro*</i> notes that French supermarkets and hypermarkets are holding their own and even increasing their sales in virtually all sectors, particularly food, but losing sales (by 6.5 per cent) of electric and electronic goods to online suppliers and specialist retailers.<br />
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The growth in food sales is due to increases in the sale of fresh produce, emphasis on local suppliers and extension of their range of organic (<i>bio)</i> products. Sales of packet goods such as cornflakes are also up, together with bakery items and wines. Household necessities such as cleaning materials, toilet rolls, soaps nd shampoos, are also popular supermarket buys.<br />
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Although facing competition from online sales in several sectors, further research reported in <i>LeFigaro</i> shows that in over 70% of cases - an analysis of 24,000 products in over 56 supermarket chains - prices online were the same as those in the supermarkets.<br />
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Electric and electronic goods - TV, phones, fridge/freezers etc - are most popularly bought via specialist supermarkets which offer pre-selection via their online catalogue - and 'discounts'.<br />
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In the case of online shopping, one of the major drawbacks cited is the process of delivery to your home, which means waiting-in for the delivery which often does not arrive on the day or at the time agreed. The sector also suffers from high levels of returns, disputes over payments and/or product discription, and the potential for online fraud (bogus suppliers through to stolen credit cards).<br />
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In the fresh food sector, competition includes direct selling of local (organic) produce from 'farm shops', local delivery and co-operative buying.<br />
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Shopping around offers numerous alternatives for the consumer.<br />
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* LeFigaro.fr<br />
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Posted by peterdanton@orange.fr</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861578242813816393.post-38428880207638984742017-02-26T01:13:00.001-08:002017-02-26T01:13:30.300-08:00France presidential elections - update<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Further to my recent post about the ups and downs of the French presidential elections, the two main contenders - François Fillon, formerly Sarkozy's prime minister, and Marine le Pen, deader of the far right <i>Front National</i>, are facing further problems.<br />
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François Fillon is now the subject of formal investigation on a number of counts, including the payment of salaries to his wife and two children, with the appointment of a team of senior judges from the financial court. He is however continuing his pre-election campaign until further notice. His part - <i>Les Républicains </i>- appear not to have a Plan-B in the event that formal charges are made against their candidate.<br />
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Marine Le Pen meanwhile is refusing to attend a police investigation when a summons was issued last week, pleading parliamentary immunity (as a member of the European Parliament) which protects deputies while in office. She is continuing with her campaign meanwhile.<br />
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Sadly the above two cases, potentially involving election to the the highest office in the land, arrive at a time when a number of police officers are under investigate for alleged rape of a (black) social worker, provoking demonstrations and riots nightly in Paris and elseshere, with prime time television coverage. The Government has also chosen this moment to launch a series of television advertisements lauding the virtures of the Republic.........<br />
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Posted by peterdanton@orange.fr</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861578242813816393.post-64459917321507075962017-02-23T01:41:00.003-08:002017-02-23T01:41:45.187-08:00France still a nation of meat eaters.....<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I wrote recently about about the growing organic (<i>bio</i>) movement in France and that there were encouraging signs that consumption of meat in France was showing a slight decline, which started several decades ago, after the end of the war and the post-war boom years up to 1980.<br />
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Sadly - for vegetarians like me at least - latest figures show that the average consumption per head is now 86 kilograms annually and that 3 million animals per day (or 1 billion annually) are slaughtered in French abattoirs in order to keep pace with this demand.<br />
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These figures and other revelations - for example, that only 20% of abattoirs inspected by the authorities conformed to current regulations - are revealed in a French TV programme next Tuesday 28 March, if you have the stamina to watch it.<br />
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'<i>Le Monde en Face</i>' series, Channel 5, Tuesday 29 March 2017, 20.50, followed by a discussion at 22.00.<br />
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Posted by peterdanton@orange.fr<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861578242813816393.post-72121396813409050112017-02-21T06:36:00.001-08:002017-02-21T06:45:44.004-08:00Who might be the new French President - a brief guide<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
France is in the throes of an election campaign which kicked off last autumnn and is due to last another three months until voting in May. Who will replace François Hollande after five years as President is far from clear at this time.<br />
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There have as usual been numerous opinion polls and several pre-selection processes but the picture is far from clear though there are four principal candidates in the running. They are Marine le Pen (<i>Front National</i>) who has an outright lead (24% currently) over the others but is under something of a cloud as a result of problems with the European Parliament - as has her father and founder of the FN - over allegedly illegal payments for parliamentary assistants who were not resident in Brussels according to the rules. Yesterday the police raided the FN's French offices on behalf of the European Commission. Both MEPs have denied any breach of the rules.<br />
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The rest of the field is made up of a curiously mixed bunch - including François Fillon, who survived for five years as former president Sarkozy's Prime minister. He is the preferred candidate of the right wing of the the Republican party but also under a cloud regarding alleged 'salary' payments to his wife Penelope and two of his children, paid out of public funds, amid claims that their jobs as 'parliamentary assistants' were fictitious. The sums involved approach 1 million euros going back over many years and investigations are continuing, with the prospect of a prosecution not ruled out. <i>Les Républicains </i>are sticking by their man - for the time being, with the election just weeks away. Compared with the other candidates he is also the one with the most experience at parliamentary and ministerial level<br />
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The two other contenders are newcomers Emanuel Macron and Benoit Hamon. Macron was a former advisor to François Hollande and worked at the Elysée Palace, before transfering to parliament as Minister of Economics, and then resigning and setting up his own party known as <i>En marche </i>('on the move'). He has been campaigning for several months throughout France and accasionally abroad and is more or less on the right wing, and popular with young and older voters alike. Having formed his own party may complicate his progress<br />
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Benoit Hamon, an ecologist and to the left of the socialist party, was (briefly) Education Minister under François Hollande and is the favourite choice of young voters. His comparative youth and lack of practical experience in government might be seen as a handicaps to being elected.<br />
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Posted by peterdanton@orange.fr</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861578242813816393.post-87808928997162482902017-02-08T02:05:00.003-08:002017-02-08T02:05:56.451-08:00France - land of the bureaucrats? Not true!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
There are many myths about France and among them that the country is over-run by <i>fonctionnaires </i>(public officials employed by the State). However a more serious analysis of the figures shows that France falls somewhere in the middle range compared with the rest of Europe - and has roughly the same number state employees as Great Britain for much the same size population.<br />
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A simple analysis shows that some 2.4 million are employed by central government - bearing in mind they have to cope with 360 different taxes, 410,000 norms and regulations, or 103 diffrent types of social aid*. Nearly two million are employed by local authorities at regional and local level (there are nearly 37,000 communes); and just over 1 million work in hospitals and the public health sector.<br />
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What do they get in return? I wrote recently about the daily sweeping and washing down of streets in the town centre where I live and I can testify to the efficiency of health services - same-day appointments with ones GP or within days with specialist services such as a blood test, X-ray or appointment with a specialist at the local hospital.......with strict adherence to appointment times.<br />
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The system however does throw up some anomalies however, such as delays in civil and some criminal courts. Even in the case of former President Sarkozy: only now is he being prosecuted (he is appealing) for alleged offenses regarding the funding of his election campaign over a decade ago. Even more curious that his former Prime Minister François Fillon is calling for a reduction of 500,000 <i>fonctionnaires </i>as part of his current election campaign (somewhat tarnished by allegations about sums paid to his wife as his 'parliamentaty assistant'.........).<br />
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Although they enjoy a certain job security and comparatively generous pension arrangements, compared with Britain for example, research** shows that at the lower and middle grades, the salaries of <i> fonctionnaires </i>are more or less on a par with those in the private sector; while at the senior level they tend to lag behind.<br />
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Finally Britain leads in Europe with the privatisation of many public services, which the same research admits can aid the introduction of frehs talent and new ideas but requires close supervision by (established) <i>fonctionnaires. </i>That said, the French had recourse to 'outside' private sources for 30% of its functions in 2015 (compared to Britain's +50 per cent).<br />
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* '<i>On va dans le mur'</i> by Agnès Verdier-Molinié, Albin Michel, 2015<br />
** '<i>Alternatives Economiques' </i> February 2017, pp 64-72<br />
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Posted by peterdanton@orange.fr<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861578242813816393.post-2220644516168728482017-02-06T01:55:00.002-08:002017-02-06T02:17:36.511-08:00Aiding refugees and migrants - at your peril!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
France seems to have an ambivalent attitude towards migrants and refugees who arrive in France, often after a hazardous journey from their home country, and take advantage of the free movement within the European Union thanks to the Schengen agreement on open borders. Many as we all know know face a block when they reach the French channel ports and try to travel to Britain,<br />
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The result has been the accumulation of up to 10,000 refugees - including many young children and teenagers - in huge makeshift camps, which were finally cleared towards the end of last year and the occupants dispersed to 'reception centres' all over France. Not all them agreed with this policy and set up their own camps in central Paris and elsewhere, only to be dispersed again by the authorities. Reports indicate that many have also driffted back to Calais and there is increasing concern for large numbers of unaccopanied minors and young adults, regarded as specially at risk. There is a sad irony in all of this, as many wish to join their families already settled in Britain but face growing intransigence by officials and prejudice from many individuals, as the pro-Brexit vote shows.<br />
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Sterling work has been done by the acknowledged helpinng organisations such as the international Red Cross, buit private individuals have been prosecuted for 'aiding and abetting a person illegally living in France' despite another French law which also prosecutes for 'non-assistance to persons in danger' - such as ignoring a person injured in the street or driving away after a traffic accident.<br />
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Some of the individuals accused of aiding and abetting refugees found themselves prosecuted for simple gestures such as charging mobile phones or providing temporary accomodation or food. Fortunately, such help can be provided by joining one of the recognised charity organisations but many individuals have continued to 'do their own thing' and face the verdict of the French courts and organisatons (established or hastily formed) have found themselves in difficulty. A group of jurists and some 250 voluntary organisations have banded together with two old established French campaigning organisations <i>Gisti </i>and <i>Cimade </i>and to press for changes in the law.<br />
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Web addresses: gisti.org; lacimade.org<br />
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Posted by peterdanton@orange.fr<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861578242813816393.post-53328660015495385252017-02-06T01:17:00.001-08:002017-02-06T01:17:30.362-08:00France - at last! - has long distance coach service, sort-of..................<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It may surprise you to learn that it is just over one year ago that France introduced long-distance coach services between cities, similar to the old established National Express network in Britain.<br />
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The idea was the brainchild of Emmanuel Macron, former socialist minister of economics (briefly) now leader of his own party in a bid to become the next president of France in next May's elections.<br />
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The only mystery is why it took so long when the figures for the 12 month period to September 2016 show that 5.2 million passengers took to the coaches against TGV rail (an estimated 1.3 million travellers), car sharing or driving their own vehicle.<br />
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Principal attraction is the low cost compared to alternatives but the network suffers from a lack of city centre bus stations and general publicity about the network, services and tarifs. In my local town I have no idea where or how to find a long-distance coach service.......<br />
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Posted by peterdanton@orange.fr </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0