Today is the height of the mouldy house situation - its been going on for some weeks since I notified the owner of the problem. But with his slow reaction and elasterplast fix we are now in a serious situation.
The whole house is 60% humidity in the air, I have mould floor to ceiling in some places and there is mould in every room. My room has 6m2 and it isnt possible to sleep in there. My daughter and I are sick from it.
The owner put in some dehumidifiers but it just isnt going to be enough. its very hard to find a rental in france at short notice especially as an expat who pays most of their tax in another country (the paperwork and cost is enormous) - but I guess im at the point where I might need to try.
Today I have had all the furniture, toys everything outside since this morning, while a lady cleaned all the mould off the walls with bleach, as a for the time being fix, another elasterplast, even though it will grow back because there is still too much moisture. By the time she finished 3 hours later it had already started to grow in a patch of about 2ft square. The smell of the mould and making my asthma bad, but the smell of the bleach is completely overwhelming, luckilly its sunny, so I come in for 5 mins tops and try to put two things back and then have to retreat back outside.
My stuff is all in garden waiting for the owner to lift it all back in and some of its a bit broken where its been moved (wardrobe for example) - Im patrolling the building like every five minutes as we are ground floor and have already had a few disappearances in the past with windows left open in bedrooms at the back - Im really trying not to let all this get to me. Which i might have been able to handle if I didnt have other worries - which unfortunately life isn't like that is it, it does all come at once sometimes!
We rent a house so that we dont have to worry about the maintenance of the property when my hubby is working away - to make life easier for us - this completely defeats the object and has been a real nightmare to endure.
I am seeing a property this afternoon in desparation but its more expensive, further from school and i dunno - well i will see - maybe its the only solution i can have today - at whatever cost - it gets our health back and there is really no price for that.
So I'm going to view it anyway right now - get out in the Marseille sun and listen to some tracks in the car - go back to the basic needs that get us on back on the right path - come on Tracy Chapman!
Showing posts with label Property. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Property. Show all posts
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
How to get a rental property in Marseille...
It is really difficult to do anything in a timely fashion in France
and it is practically impossible to do anything without a lot of paperwork and hassle. Renting a house here is no exception. I think someone needs to give out some real advice, so before you decide to rent a house in Marseille - read on...
People are snapping up rentals before they are even on market - most houses get rented out by word of mouth and are never ever with an agent or in a paper. By the time the property gets on any on websites - it is usually already let.
I spent a few weeks viewing, I would see a house in the morning and be told that I must say yes or no by 12 midday or there would be no chance etc etc
THEN when we have finally found somewhere thats ok..
there is the dreaded paperwork:
These are the documents they want:
copy of passports for all adults to live in house
letter of reference from existing landlord
receipts of last years rent from existing landlord
copy of all tax documents
proof of last three years salary
copy of electric bill
copy of insurance
bank details
direct debit order
big three page form
and the dreaded - can only be a french thing -
BANK CAUTION* this i will explain in more detail:
to get the bank caution alone,
i have to handwrite some two page document and we both sign and send to the bank
the new landlord has to write a project plan for it and a long handwritten letter also which we both have to sign and send to the bank - then i give them a years rent (yes more than 15 grand) and they put it in a holding account at the bank in case we do a runner or dont pay for some months. AND its not free, they are likely to charge us a few hundred euros per annum for the pleasure of letting them have our money in a blocked account - i really dont like it! On top of this there is also a caution - a deposit of two months rent. AND WE STILL HAVE TO PAY THE RENT ON TOP OF THAT
Its madness - its like buying a place - to put 15 grand down in an account and be unable to use it?!? Only the french.
This is just to secure a new place to rent in france - headache mad paperwork - its taken me a few whole days to get this lot in order, copy it all and I will still wait a further week or so to find out if it will be accepted by the landlord's insurance company. It was quicker and easier and less paperwork to buy all of the houses we have ever had here. Much!
Meanwhile the current landlord is getting didgy and wants to be sure we will comply to french law, which we of course will, not by paying the 3 months notice, but by telling him that we can reduce the 3 months to just 1 (some loophole in french law that thankfully I have been able to find) as long as hubby has lost his job and got a new one, which thankfully he has!
Phew! - got to go and do a bit of filing now - all this paperwork creates a whole heap of paper and needs a fair few minutes of filing!
Fingers crossed for getting the bank caution and getting into the new house!!!
and it is practically impossible to do anything without a lot of paperwork and hassle. Renting a house here is no exception. I think someone needs to give out some real advice, so before you decide to rent a house in Marseille - read on...
People are snapping up rentals before they are even on market - most houses get rented out by word of mouth and are never ever with an agent or in a paper. By the time the property gets on any on websites - it is usually already let.
I spent a few weeks viewing, I would see a house in the morning and be told that I must say yes or no by 12 midday or there would be no chance etc etc
THEN when we have finally found somewhere thats ok..
there is the dreaded paperwork:
These are the documents they want:
copy of passports for all adults to live in house
letter of reference from existing landlord
receipts of last years rent from existing landlord
copy of all tax documents
proof of last three years salary
copy of electric bill
copy of insurance
bank details
direct debit order
big three page form
and the dreaded - can only be a french thing -
BANK CAUTION* this i will explain in more detail:
to get the bank caution alone,
i have to handwrite some two page document and we both sign and send to the bank
the new landlord has to write a project plan for it and a long handwritten letter also which we both have to sign and send to the bank - then i give them a years rent (yes more than 15 grand) and they put it in a holding account at the bank in case we do a runner or dont pay for some months. AND its not free, they are likely to charge us a few hundred euros per annum for the pleasure of letting them have our money in a blocked account - i really dont like it! On top of this there is also a caution - a deposit of two months rent. AND WE STILL HAVE TO PAY THE RENT ON TOP OF THAT
Its madness - its like buying a place - to put 15 grand down in an account and be unable to use it?!? Only the french.
This is just to secure a new place to rent in france - headache mad paperwork - its taken me a few whole days to get this lot in order, copy it all and I will still wait a further week or so to find out if it will be accepted by the landlord's insurance company. It was quicker and easier and less paperwork to buy all of the houses we have ever had here. Much!
Meanwhile the current landlord is getting didgy and wants to be sure we will comply to french law, which we of course will, not by paying the 3 months notice, but by telling him that we can reduce the 3 months to just 1 (some loophole in french law that thankfully I have been able to find) as long as hubby has lost his job and got a new one, which thankfully he has!
Phew! - got to go and do a bit of filing now - all this paperwork creates a whole heap of paper and needs a fair few minutes of filing!
Fingers crossed for getting the bank caution and getting into the new house!!!
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Weekend Investment Property Search
Another weekend jolly - thats what its like when you live in the centre of Europe, you are served by some of the best autoroutes in the world and you aren't restricted by living on an island!
I popped down to my favourite beach area of the south of france... some seven kilometre beach, just south of Montpellier, that is so wide it never feels crouded. I have been searching for the perfect property to use during the summer months, rent out, and basically to become a better growth investment than the small interest that money gains in the french banks.
Driving down Friday, and staying in a Hotel Etap - always handy, and in fact perfect accommodation for three people, as they always have a double bed with a single bunk above.
Up early and looking at a few properties - none of which were perfect for the purpose required but nonetheless the information gained from the estate agent was worthwhile.
After that, picking up a friend in a small village between Narbonne and Carcassonne, we toiled our way up the mountain hairpins to look at a car that i saw on Ebay - but alas it wasnt to be.
Had a good gossip and catchup with my friend, and a Mairie of a mountain village whom we know very well, god thats like therapy in itself. Returned to Marseille Sunday, in fact the drive back from her place took only 2.5hrs, so am making a mental note to see more of eachother in future months.
More property searching this week and hubby looking at cars.
Summary - Positive Week
I realise that flowers need watering and maybe thats just how it is for us women sometimes.
I also remembered that its good to clear out your basement - all those old bills and paperwork - rubbish really - reduced to a handy little lever arch file - phew what a clean up! After that things are easy - life seems simplified - see it big keep it simple
Spent a mad weekend on a mission searching for a beach investment property and a car. Neither is in the bag but im so much further forward having fully utilised the weekend viewing properties and going for one car (that didnt work out).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
