FRENCH PROPERTY TIPS http://www.frenchentree.com 15 December 2005 Welcome to the December 2005 issue of French Property Tips, the email newsletter from FrenchEntrée.com. A Merry Christmas to all our readers. Our aim at FrenchEntrée is to provide you with a monthly digest of news, views, articles and other information which might help you with a French property purchase or a move to France. For local news, views and issues affecting your area, visit our other regional sites: Brittany http://www.frenchentree-brittany.com Charente http://www.frenchentree-charente.com Deux-Sevres http://www.frenchentree-deux-sevres.com Languedoc http://www.frenchentree-languedoc-herault-gard.com Limousin http://www.frenchentree-limousin.com Lot and Quercy http://www.frenchentree-lotandquercy.com. You registered to receive this newsletter at our site - if you do not wish to receive it please follow the unsubscribe link at the bottom of this text. FrenchEntrée.com does not sell or pass on your details to anyone else. CONTENTS 1. Beginner's guide to buying French property. 2. SIPPS and your French property - what you can and can't buy. 3. Pool safety - get in the swim. 4. Planning permission - the Certificat d'Urbanisme. 5. Material matters - renovating in France. 6. Don't say Merry Christmas, say Olentzero! 7. Business-minded - running a small enterprise in France. 8. A family affair - Christmas in the Charente. 9. Moving to the Gard - one couple's story. 10. Snowed in - gardening in frozen Brittany. 11. Vegetarianism in France - it does exist. 12. A secular state - France's relationship with religion. 13. Properties for sale from private vendors. 1 Beginners guide to buying in France The French property-buying process is more straightforward than that in the UK, but it can still be nervewracking because of its unfamiliarity, especially if you don't speak French... http://www.frenchentree.com/fe-property/displayarticle.asp?id=10875 2 SIPPS and commercial property The Government has decided that residential property will not be allowed as a SIPP pension investment. However, commercial property is still an allowable investment in certain circumstances... http://www.frenchentree.com/fe-legal/displayarticle.asp?id=10856 3 Keep your swimming pool safe All in-ground pools in France must have one of the four approved methods of security system in place by January 1 2006... http://www.frenchentree.com/fe-lavie/displayarticle.asp?id=10834 4 What exactly is a Certificat d'Urbanisme? Thinking about buying a plot of land to build your future château? In France, like in the UK, construction is well controlled and permission has to be obtained... http://www.frenchentree.com/fe-property/displayarticle.asp?id=10850 5 Renovate your French home with traditional materials Old French properties have no damp proof course and were designed to 'breathe' - ie: to allow moisture to be absorbed by the walls in damp weather... http://www.frenchentree.com/fe-property/displayarticle.asp?id=10859 6 Christmas in the Basque country Did you know that there is a region of France that traditionally doesn't celebrate Christmas? In the far south-west corner of France they celebrate the winter custom of Olentzero... http://www.frenchentree.com/fe-lavie/displayarticle.asp?id=10767 7 Running a small business in France After living in France for nearly four years building up our gîte business, the time had come to look for another opportunity... http://www.frenchentree.com/france-lot-quercy-living/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=9859 8 Christmas in the Charente Christmas is very much a family occasion in France and New Year is normally reserved for family leftovers and friends... http://www.frenchentree.com/france-charente-living/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=10322 9 Real lives: moving to the Gard In March 2001, Howard and Lynne Foster left the UK for France... http://www.frenchentree.com/languedoc-herault-gard/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=8408 10 Winter gardening in Brittany Despite everything looking half dead at this time of year, there is a hive of activity going on underground in preparation for the spring... http://www.frenchentree.com/france-brittany-gardening/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=10364 11 Vegetarians on the march The Alliance Vegetarienne, France's Vegetarian Society, is running a campaign for the provision of vegetarian menus in schools, hospitals and workplaces... http://www.frenchentree.com/fe-vegetarians/displayarticle.asp?id=10327 12 France: a secular state Unlike the UK, France has a separation of church and state.... http://www.frenchentree.com/fe-lavie/displayarticle.asp?id=10498 ***Sponsors Link - Moneycorp*** The Sterling price of French property fluctuates constantly with the exchange rate between Sterling and the Euro. Get the best available exchange rates and protect yourself from these fluctuations. Click here: http://www.moneycorp.com ************************************************* ***Sponsors Link - Siddalls*** Thinking of moving to France? Want to find out how you can produce a tax-efficient income or how to protect your capital from French inheritance rules and taxes? Follow this link to request your FREE booklet "Help with Living in France" or to contact Siddalls. http://www.siddalls.net/index1.asp?page=questionnaire_france.asp ************************************************* ***Sponsors Link - Barclays*** Barclays has been helping international clients in France for over 80 years. We offer a wide range of products and services and many account managers in our main branches speak English. Follow this link to find out more and request our FREE Guide to Buying a Home in France: http://bpc.barclays.fr/ebn.ebn?pid=192&domain=site&rub=415&object=rubrique&id=415 ************************************************* ALSO on FrenchEntrée.com Running a gite business - the 90 page guide http://www.frenchentree.com/fe-gitebusiness/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=401 Healthcare in France 2005 - A Guide for the Expatriate http://www.frenchentree.com/fe-health/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=3420 HOW TO GET IN TOUCH Editorial & Press enquiries: mailto:editor@frenchentree.com Advertising: mailto:sales@frenchentree.com Directory: mailto:jennie@frenchentree.com Contribute a story or article and claim 2 FREE books: http://www.frenchentree.com/fe-contribute/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=90 A bientôt Patricia Mansfield-Devine Editor FrenchEntrée.com mailto:patricia@frenchentree.com If you wish to unsubscribe then please use the link below: http://www.frenchentree.com/fe-newsletter/home.asp?status=unsubscribe