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Clé France

The French Property Network

May 10

Looking forward to many more holidays in our little house in France!

I can honestly say that both David and Sharon were brilliant in organising appointments and meetings for us. You really couldn't have made it any easier, we just picked the houses we wanted to see and you sorted out a whole week of viewings. As it turned out we ended up buying a house in Mayenne and we moved in last January. It been a fantastic adventure and would recommend it to anyone. Everyone who asked how we did it, we gave them details of your website, if we can do it, anyone can!

Now we're looking forward to many more holidays in our little house in France!

Many thanks, Ken and Ruth Lawrence.

Ken And Ruth bought a lovely property with Cle France in the department of Mayenne in the Pays de la Loire region, In a charming village which is actually in the 'Parc Naturel Régional de Normandie-Maine' which borders the Orne department in Lower Normandy, so a great location!

Thank you Cle France

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May 8

Rates, or Council taxes are another point of contention..

Rates, or Council taxes are another point of contention. These taxes in Britain are extortionate. You can only surmise whether councils and local government in general are incredibly inefficient, or if there is a great deal of corruption.

Britain certainly has a lot of grossly overpaid people in local government. It seems obscene that in Tower Hamlets in London, hardly a wealthy area, that there were nine council employees in 2007 earning over £100,000. Does anyone ever question what these people actually do for their money?

In London boroughs alone there are 194 people who are paid more than £100k and overall in England some 500 staff in local government receive over this sum. Mention this to a local government officer in France and you get whistles of total disbelief mixed with a lot of Gallic huffing and puffing. These are extraordinary salaries and they do not really match the job responsibilities.

In France they go out of their way to keep rates down to the barest minimum and yet they manage to provide as good if not better services than anywhere in the UK. The mayoral form of government in France works well. The mayor has the power, is usually well-known to his constituents, does not take freebies on the rates and in fact, gets a very small stipend.

Above all, the mayor is up for re-election every seven years so should he not get it right he is voted out. In most places the post is part-time and the mayor has to rely on his day job for a living, so helping the rates to be kept low.

In Britain the authorities are currently looking for ways to increase communal taxes, for example by charging for everyone’s view, which is, in all honesty, risible were it not so monstrous, but it could happen.

In France they prefer to look for ways to reduce the rates.

Fraser Blake at home in France  A Rant to Far Book cover  Dear Chips book cover 

Fraser Blake, 70, author of 'Dear Chips' and 'A Rant Too Far?' grew up in Africa, was at school in Scotland, and worked for the British South Africa Police in Southern Rhodesia. He has taught English in Saudi Arabia and sold and renovated hundreds of properties in Northern France.

In 1998 Fraser was selling houses in the Mayenne department of the Pays de la Loire region and so was the obvious choice, when Cle France was started, to be their first agent on the ground in France. In retirement he writes, blogs, cooks, drinks wine, and hosts to dinner unlimited numbers of ex-pats.

Always on hand with a viewpoint, Fraser is going to share his views on France, the French and the British, and other people who buy in France. Sometimes informative, sometimes funny, painfully true, outrageously opinionated but always entertaining so we hope it adds a slightly different dimension to the usual normality of searching through the fantastic properties for sale on the Cle France website.

If you want more? then follow the links above where you can buy Fraser's published books.

Add CommentViews: 2320
May 6

French Bank Holiday dates 2014...

Just updating the Cle France Office calendar and thought this was useful information for those booking and planning property viewings in France.

So here are the remaining Bank Holiday dates / jour fériés in France...

Thursday 08/05/2014 is Victory in Europe

Sunday 25/05/20 is Mother´s Day

Thursday 29/05/2014 is Ascension

Sunday 08/06/2014 is Pentecost

Monday 09/06/2014 is Pentecost Monday

Sunday 15/06/2014 is Father´s Day

Monday 14/07/2014 is Bastille Day

Friday 15/08/2014 is Assumption of Mary

Saturday 01/11/2014 is All Saints

Tuesday 11/11/2014 is Armistice Day 1918

Thursday 25/12/2014 is Christmas

Please note: A lot of business and shops, Post offices etc will be closed in France on these days.

Blog submitted by: Alex at The French Property Network - Cle France.

Add CommentViews: 2132
May 6

We're over the moon with the house...

Hi Sharon, 

Thanks so much - and thank you for all your help in setting up our viewings. We're over the moon with the house and were very sorry to leave Brittany on Saturday!

Both of your agents on the ground were very helpful and friendly, the first showed us three houses that were definite 'possibles' but the house we eventually decided on was more suitable for us. Please pass on our thanks to them. 

Kind regards. 

Sue.

Sue has bought a house in France with Cle France this week during her viewing trip with us in the Cotes d'Armor department of the sunshine region of Brittany. We have arranged everything so far and will of course keep Sue fully informed of the buying process right through to completion day and beyond.

Thank you Cle France

Add CommentViews: 2102
May 6

You can't win them all...

Hello Sharon,

We think we may have a property through the Notaire we had been in contact with as our offer has been accepted...  We also have a possible buyer for our flat so fingers crossed we may be moving before too long.

Thank you for your assistance in helping us to view properties in our price range - It was a bit mind boggling without some pointing in the right direction so it was very helpful to have you as a guide.

We will pass on your details if we come across anybody looking to buy in France as we were very happy with the service you offer, sorry not to have finally purchased through your company.

Kind regards

Vanessa and Boris.

At Cle France we do try and 'win them all' but you just can't and sometimes our clients buy elsewhere, this is fine and they can still use our partners for the best service and deals on Currency Exchange, Home & Health Insurance, Removals etc etc. as Vanessa and Boris did. They bought in the rural setting of the Manche department of Lower Normandy.

thank you cle france

Add CommentViews: 2152

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BHJ03755 - Mayenne

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