If I could live my life like a TiVo, I’d be hitting that fast-forward button right now and bypassing the next few months before we move to France. Even though we are planning to ship a huge container full of our stuff to France, we have loads of things we must get rid of before we go. Like every thing we own that plugs in. It’s not just a matter of the plug that goes into the socket. France’s electric system is 230 volts and the US runs on 110 volts, so you can’t just convert the plug and hope that your blender will make your margarita. Nope, every electrical thing we own has to be sold or donated. Now think about that for a minute. Everything that plugs in…my Cuisinart that I’ve had and loved for close to 40 years, the toaster, the blender, rice cooker, egg poacher (don’t judge), waffle iron, Crock Pot and Instant Pot (of course I have both), and every other electrical kitchen gadget I apparently can’t live without, all the power tools in the garage, and my zillions of small fans around the house that keep me (and my mood) at a cool temperature. My beloved sewing machine :::sniffle:::: that was a gift from my parents, and my favorite clock radio that fits perfectly on my tiny bedside table. We’ve been told we can take our lamps and just use a plug converter, and switch to French lightbulbs. Fortunately, our computers and cell phones are not a problem, but we’ll need to buy a new printer and monitor asap in France. Thinking about what to do with these things is a black cloud hanging over me. Eeeeeek.
Hopefully, someday soon, this will be me, except in female form.
We may be dreaming, but we hope to be living in the new house by April, 2020. Our plan is to move to France in April, 2019 and be settled into a nearby rental house before the extensive renovations begin.
The architect’s crew spent five hours measuring every inch (or centimeter) of the house and property, producing a detailed set of drawings of how it looks now. This is one of their initial drawings. The structures on the side are utility rooms and a few chicken coops. The property is quite large and there are several more structures that are not attached to the house. The architects are now working on plans for a master bedroom and bath annex, and the expansion of one of the outbuildings into a small garage.
The next step is to submit those plans to Bâtiments de France, the agency who governs any exterior improvements on structures in an historic area. Then we wait. We’ve been told it can take months to get the approval. Their mission is to “ensure the good integration of new buildings and transformations around protected monuments,” and since our house is about 300 feet (91 meters) from historic Chateau du Grand-Pressigny, we must follow their guidelines.