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Published: June 26th 2006
To make up for our lack of communication over the last week or so here is a monster entry to bring you all up to date.
The House
We have finally had an offer excepted on a house in Sauveterre de Bearn (nearly 6 weeks after initially making it) and we are signing the first contract (compromis de vente) on Friday 23rd - the day before we plan to start heading north to come home - typically last minute and french!
Anyway after signing this contract the house is still not definitely ours! we have to wait another 7 days which is a cool off period before we can crack the champaigne and start to plan our return.
The house itself is based in the centre of Sauveterre de Bearn within walking/staggering distance from all the bars resturants boulangeries etc. It consists of three parts, a central part that has been fully modernised into a 3 double bedroom house, a front part which is in good nic but needs to be completely fitted with kitchen, bathrooms etc and a barn which is a wreck. There is also 1000m2 of land so loads of room for the swimming pool of Ben's dreams.
The plan is to move into the centre bit whilst we do the front bit up for us to live in. At the same time redecorate the middle section which is currently painted in delightful pastel colous with a sponge effect. We will then rent out the middle bit as our first gite. Any remaining cash will then be pumped into the barn at the back which will in the long term make a lovely 2 bed gite.
So long term we will have a 4 bed, 3bed and 2 bed house to rent out (I can see us moving into a tent during July and August and renting out our bit as the money is too good not to!)
We hope to be in by October but this could easily change.
Other things:
We have recently acquired evidence that prove marmots are not the invention of the soft toy industry but in fact lighteningly quick animals the size of a small dobberman - with the most enormous bums!! made me feel considerably better about my large posterior especially given the fact that for the last 5 months they have been following the enforced diet that is hibernation - at the end of Autumn these creatures must be huge - photographic evidence will follow once Ben has downloaded them from his camera.
I have also come to the conclusion that in most parts the buildings that house modern art are considerably better than the art itself, we spent the weekend in Bilbao and spent many hours staggering around the Guggenheim museum suppressing laughs - there really is some serious tat out there. The building itself however is amazing and really worth the day trip when you come and stay with us!!!
We have also decided on a company name (this still needs to be checked for trademarks etc in France so not sure yet if we can legally use it). We hope to be "Bonjour64" as 64 is the department number of the Pyrenees Atlantique where Sauveterre de Bearn is. So watch out for something coming soon to www.bonjour64.com
We are returning to the UK for 3 months whilst the purchase of the house goes through and to hopefully earn some much needed cash. Hope to see you all on our return - our old mobile numbers still work so you have no excuses not to get in touch!
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Heidi
non-member comment
green with envy
superb, everything is moving along tickety-boo, I wish you both well. it all sounds so fantastic - i'd say we (family) would most definately like to look you up and book one of your gites when up and running. If you are passing The Litten, when back here pop in and say Hi. Heidi x