Finally signed

Finally all the pieces of the jigsaw seem to be slotting into place. We arrived in France on Thursday morning (without a mishap this time - well only a small one!) and spent what was left of the morning having a leisurely stroll around Riberac and a cold beer before going to the bank for our appointment. We signed all the mortgage paperwork and the bank gave us a quote for buildings insurance (which we must have before the Acte de Vente can be signed).

From there we headed to Bordeilles to Jean-Claude and Corine. Unfortunately no-one was at home when we arrived so we continued a little further to Brantome. The weather was beautiful and we hd a very pleasant stroll and lunch by the river. From there it was back to Bordeilles. It was lovely to see them both again and we shared a joke over the lost passport incident. We were to have stayed in the Lavande room as our usual room wasn't available but it seems the other guests hadn't shown so we were given our old room.

Dinner was lovely - with drinks in the garden before hand (Jean Claude's vin de noix!) and chatter with the other guest who was from Paris, retired and on a trip cycling from Paris to Spain! It was really nice to use our French again and so good to natter to Corine.

Friday morning we went to the notaire to sign the 'Communaute Universalle' and power of attorney. I drove - which was abig deal as normally Richard insists on doing all the driving. However, the likelihood is that I will be going to France on my own / with the boys so its something I need to get confident about doing. After groping on my left for the gearstick and handbrake a few times I finally relaxed and it was OK.

When we arrived at the notaires office (having to ask a few times for directions - easy to find huh!) the notaire told us the vendors were still making threatening noises - and wanted money for 'lost bookings'. I'm not sure who they were planning to let the house to but full of cobwebs, with ivy growing across all the shutters and doors and paper hanging off the walls I wasn't entirely sure it was fit to be let. Notaire told them to feel free to sue - they had Jack hope of getting anything from us! Particularly as they had taken four weeks to sign the compromis and we were only 13 days late in completing! We got the impression he just wanted to see the back of them.

After signing the notaire explained all the tax issues that would and could affect us - both now and when we move to France permanently. We were then presented with the keys - all 20 of them and that was it. Before we headed to the house we stopped for a drink. Ironically we had signed at the notaire's office in Neuvic rather than at his normal office in St Astier. Ironic because this is where we had visited many times with the children before the house hunting started in earnest. It was also where our first house hunting trip had started. So it was fitting really that we came full circle to sign there.

After a drink of beer in our favourite bar (not the champagne we had talked about - but nevertheless it went down just as well on a hot lunchtime) we headed straight to the house. It was frustrating because as it isn't technicallly ours until Wednesday the water and electricity are not connected so we couldn't actually do anything - but nevertheless it was a good feeling. Finally there.

Signing next week!

At long last we are off to France on Thursday to sign the mortgage offer and power of attorney. The Acte de Vente will be signed on our behalf the following Wednesday (28th) at which point it will be ours!!

We fly to Bergerac from Liverpool - both of these airports are new to us so this will be interesting. We will also be able to collect the keys next week so, even though (technically) its 5 days early, we are going to open the bottle we left on the side last time.

The vendors had been getting quite threatening and, one day last week, had telephoned the notaire ten times - becoming quite rude and aggressive at one stage. All because we were two weeks behind schedule. We had even paid their furniture storage for one month - at our suggestion - as a goodwill gesture but that wasn't enough. They were asking the notaire for penalties (10% of the value of the house!!) because we had gone past the lastest date in the compromis for signing. They seemed to have forgotten that they took four weeks longer than planned to sign the compromis which delayed our mortgage application by a similar time period. Fortunately they had misread the compromis. Rather than them being entitled to 10% of the value of the house as a late signing penalty - because we hadn't received the written mortgage offer by the latest date - we had the right to walk away from the contract without any penalties whatsoever. When that was pointed out things seemed to have gone quiet!!

Unfortunately we didn't realise we would be able to collect the keys when we booked the flights - if we had realised this we would have arranged to stay a little longer (well another day or so anyway as we still can't sleep at the house until 28th.) No doubt MOH will want to cut the grass again! I would like to look for basic furniture, bedding, bins - that sort of thing. And we will be able to buy the wire brushes and varnish for les volets (shutters) - one of the downsides of owning the house...summers spent painting shutters LOL.

We are staying with Jean-Claude and Corinne in Bordeille and are really looking forward to seeing them again. Jean-Claude makes the most wonderful vin noix (nut wine) and Corinne is a brilliant cook (plus we get on well - we have a lot of common interests, diy / decorating, needlework, cooking). Corinne epitimises my mental image of French chic - she is always immaculately turned out - even at 5.00am! Makes me feel very envious. I can spend three hours getting dressed and still look like a disaster area!

Finally!!!

We have finally got a medical report!

After four weeks of my doctor saying that the request for a medical report must be addressed and sent to him and the insurance company saying - no, they would only send the request letter to me, the patient, we finally resorted to contacting the Department of Health for help. The DofH said the answer was simple - the doctor simply addressed his report to me, the patient. Voila - both sides happy. Relief doesn't begin to describe how we felt. By Wednesday of this week, everybody (with perhaps the exception of the Bank) had tried to resolve the situation. Even the notaire's office had tried to act as mediator between the insurance company and my doctor with phone calls faxes etc flying backwards and forwards. Wednesday night we didn't sleep a wink. That afternnon the notaire's office had told us that they had had the vendor on the phone ranting about the delays and the extra costs he was incurring in furniture storage (he moved his furniture out in mid April - expecting to sign in May). We telephoned him that evening to try to diffuse the situation and too explain that we were genuinely doing our best to resolve matters. We also agreed to pay for a month's furniture storage for him. But we came off the phone not knowing, honestly, what else we could do and imagining him terminating the sale and demanding the 10% deposit in compensation - which together with the notaire's fees to date etc would mean we had no house and a bill for between £20,000 and £25,000. A pretty horrifying prospect.

Anyway - once we told the doctor what the DofH had said he telephoned his lawyers and finally agreed to do the report - which we collected this morning and which is now winging its way to the official translator. The translator will send the original and his translation directly to the insurance company so, fingers crossed, the next thing we should hear is that we have been approved for life insurance (my doctor's report said that everything was fine) and that we have a formal mortgage offer on the way.

We still have to wait 10 days before we can sign the mortgage offer and send it back (the official 'cooling off period') but once that is done we should be home and dry. The funds transfer from the bank will take four days and then we can finally sign :) .

The bottle of wine and two glasses are still at the house where we left them waiting for our return with the keys :)