IF your holiday home website needs a bit of a makeover then there are some very simple steps you can take to make sure it sparkles.
Even if you entrust the updating of your site to someone else just make sure that they follow these rules so you get more ‘bang for your buck’.
The main function of your site should be to create a welcoming feel, build a sense of trust and make it easy to book your place for a holiday.
WHAT to do with a room full of walnuts, drying out waiting for market, is just one of the challenges facing Philip Voice.
He and his wife Donna, and two children sold up in the UK, packed up their belongings, brought over their pet dog Hector, and moved to France two weeks ago.
THERE’S nothing like a bottle of champagne to add a bit of sparkle to an occasion, but which variety to pick and how much to pay can be a real problem.
So here is a look at choosing good champagne from Jon Catt, who holds a French Regional Guides qualification for the Champagne Ardennes region. He writes…
THE attraction of buying an older property lies in the atmosphere that time brings to a farmhouse or watermill for example.
However, time can also bring many challenges and jobs that draw on hard earned cash so it is worth looking into any financial help that may be available.
THERE is a good chance that once you have bought somewhere in France you will want to do some work on it.
Depending on the size of the project it may be necessary to apply for a permis de construire or building permit.
Applications for the permis are free and can be made either by yourself, or the builder or architect handling the work in you name.
MESSAGE boards about moving to France are still full of questions concerning the swimming pool security legislation that came in earlier this year.
Many people ask which types of pool the law covers, what security measures need to be taken and how severe are the fines?
But now that there has been some time for the rules to ‘bed-in’ pool suppliers are able to provide clear advice and information.
WITH autumn around the corner the air is full of the sound of chainsaws preparing logs for winter fuel.
Many homes in the countryside still use wood burning stoves and open fires as a major source of heating as the dark nights draw in.
But if you do not have any wood already stored most villages will have someone who sells logs.
THE banking industry has warned people to be on the look out for a new wave of cyber-crime targeting online bank accounts.
Many people use the internet to keep track of their UK accounts as well as buy goods and items online.
But APACS, the banking payment association, has launched a new website to inform people of what to look out for and so protect their account.
NOW here’s something a little different for you property hunters – a 19th Century chateau near the border of the Charente and Dordogne.
Set in 14 acres of rolling countryside the house has gargoyles, a depiction of Joan of Arc, balconies and parapets, as well as two towers and all the original fireplaces.
The chateau was constructed in 1890 and it has a ballroom, pillared reception area and nineteen bedrooms.
PETS travelling between European Union member states must have an official EU Pets Passport from next month.
October 1 marks the official launch date of the system that will allow pets and their owners to travel easily between member states.