-
The reality of restoring an ancient façade in France
Nick Inman charts the ups and downs of renovating an old French farmhouse
-
Warning over sophisticated holiday rental scam across France
Holidaymakers are warned to be alert to a fraudulent site when booking holiday rentals
-
Fitting new gates on a French driveway does not have to be hard work
Nick Inman completes his project with a little help
Quick reliable help at home
If you need a tradesperson urgently to fix a leak or mend a broken lock, then the website mesdepanneurs.fr could help.
It puts you in contact with professionals you need in a home emergency, from plumbers and electricians to locksmiths, glaziers and experts in domestic appliances.
They have all been vetted by mesdepanneurs.fr (a subsidiary of energy giant Engie - formerly GDF Suez) and have signed a charter promising expertise, honesty and good service.
Ordering via the internet or phone allows a fast service.
A clear price-scale given in advance avoids nasty surprises that residents (already stressed) can face when presented with bills for emergency repairs.
On the site, you choose the kind of work and the nature of the problem. When you order, you are given a fixed price range and the amount of the top price is blocked against your bank card, as security.
You should then be contacted by a professional in no more than around 20 minutes.
Once they have visited and you have signed a devis (quote) and the work has been done, the amount on the devis is debited from your account.
If you choose not to sign and do not take up the quote, there is nothing to pay.
The service is likely to be more reliable than relying on “useful number” cards that are often left in letterboxes.
Despite appearances these are usually printed by tradespeople to promote themselves, and have not been vetted by the mairie or your syndic.