Where to begin?? This is going to sound much the same as the previous post and the one before that because ……. progress is slow to non-existent. Once again I’ve spent time in Arné pottering around the house doing various, hopefully useful, things but in reality awaiting the attentions of builders. I have had further visits from builders and talked through the issues and therefore what they can or can’t do. Two possible English builders visited and seemed knowledgeable and willing but in the end they have dropped out on the basis that the job is too big for them. Another potential English builder has been introduced to me and he is keen to find a biggish job to replace one where he has been let down by the people for whom he was going to work. But despite promises he has not re-contacted me so I’ve no idea what the situation is with him.
The French builder alluded to in the last posting has returned and is apparently quite enthusiastic about taking on the job. He showed me some of his work that he’s done on a house in the village for another English couple and it is of a very high quality indeed. I’d be more than happy to employ him on that basis. But, and there always seems to be a but, despite promises he’s not provided me with a quote nor given me any indication of when he might start work other than to assert that he can start prior to winter setting in. I shall have to contact him again to prompt him on all of this and even then I do wonder whether I shall get a quote with a start date!
The one bright moment in all this gloom is that I have been informed by the architect that the Permis has been granted as from the end of July. I should have received a letter formally stating this but the architect was informed that the Mairie is ‘a bit behind with the post/letters’ and so I’ll receive it ‘sometime soon’. That was three weeks ago and I’ve received nothing so far. But despite this lack of a formal confirmatory letter I do actually have permission and could proceed, if only I could get builders to do the work!
So what I’ve done is carry on with the business of clearing out the rubbish from the house and from the courtyard to enable easier access to the house as a whole. Not terribly satisfying as it feels like marking time rather than getting on with the work that really needs to be done. Some of the results can be seen above – the picture showing the courtyard taken from the first floor of the house shows that all the earth from the wall that collapsed and was put outside has been removed to our field. In the centre of the house I’ve taken out all the dangerously positioned tiles, pushed tiles into better positions to take rain away and cleared away the beds, the wardrobe and the chest of drawers which had been left there. This means that this area is no longer so dangerous and is ready for any builder/roofer to set to work on it immediately.
I’m now back in the UK as out of the blue an offer to good to refuse has been made on my house here. So it’s a matter of organising a purchase of another, cheaper house and carrying out all the necessary to enable a move to be made. At the end of all of that we shall be able to finance all the building works very much more easily than would have been the case. But of course being in the UK means that I cannot so easily ‘pursue’ builders to try to get them started on the work.
What a load of moans! But it is very trying on the patience. Given that we shall both be retired from work at the beginning of October we shall be able to concentrate all our attentions on the house in Arné and this may/should mean that we can ensure better progress; at least I hope so!
The French builder alluded to in the last posting has returned and is apparently quite enthusiastic about taking on the job. He showed me some of his work that he’s done on a house in the village for another English couple and it is of a very high quality indeed. I’d be more than happy to employ him on that basis. But, and there always seems to be a but, despite promises he’s not provided me with a quote nor given me any indication of when he might start work other than to assert that he can start prior to winter setting in. I shall have to contact him again to prompt him on all of this and even then I do wonder whether I shall get a quote with a start date!
The one bright moment in all this gloom is that I have been informed by the architect that the Permis has been granted as from the end of July. I should have received a letter formally stating this but the architect was informed that the Mairie is ‘a bit behind with the post/letters’ and so I’ll receive it ‘sometime soon’. That was three weeks ago and I’ve received nothing so far. But despite this lack of a formal confirmatory letter I do actually have permission and could proceed, if only I could get builders to do the work!
So what I’ve done is carry on with the business of clearing out the rubbish from the house and from the courtyard to enable easier access to the house as a whole. Not terribly satisfying as it feels like marking time rather than getting on with the work that really needs to be done. Some of the results can be seen above – the picture showing the courtyard taken from the first floor of the house shows that all the earth from the wall that collapsed and was put outside has been removed to our field. In the centre of the house I’ve taken out all the dangerously positioned tiles, pushed tiles into better positions to take rain away and cleared away the beds, the wardrobe and the chest of drawers which had been left there. This means that this area is no longer so dangerous and is ready for any builder/roofer to set to work on it immediately.
I’m now back in the UK as out of the blue an offer to good to refuse has been made on my house here. So it’s a matter of organising a purchase of another, cheaper house and carrying out all the necessary to enable a move to be made. At the end of all of that we shall be able to finance all the building works very much more easily than would have been the case. But of course being in the UK means that I cannot so easily ‘pursue’ builders to try to get them started on the work.
What a load of moans! But it is very trying on the patience. Given that we shall both be retired from work at the beginning of October we shall be able to concentrate all our attentions on the house in Arné and this may/should mean that we can ensure better progress; at least I hope so!
