An imaginatively titled Belgian thread...
Nov 14th 2018, 9:18 pm
#76
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Joined: May 2016
Location: Antwerpen/Anvers
Posts: 7,265
Re: An imaginatively titled Belgian thread...
Thank goodness no mayor works to be done
I've got that here and I L.O.V.E. that system
Mine is electric so I have to anticipate the temperature in an hour time. One gets used to that though.
At this moment I survive with just the fireplace for 1 or 2 hours in the evening but colder weather on the way.
We had an open fireplace back in CH, but we never used it in all of our 19 years there.
Who needs to witness a cat on fire screaming though the house at 22:00...
Nov 14th 2018, 9:29 pm
#77
M.O.V.E.D. !
Joined: Mar 2010
Location: Charente Maritime
Posts: 9,346
Re: An imaginatively titled Belgian thread...
We did have a fireplace originally here, but we decided to have it removed, bricked up and plastered over. And the chimney was capped.
We had an open fireplace back in CH, but we never used it in all of our 19 years there.
Who needs to witness a cat on fire screaming though the house at 22:00...
We had an open fireplace back in CH, but we never used it in all of our 19 years there.
Who needs to witness a cat on fire screaming though the house at 22:00...
Here it's not an open fireplace but one with an ''insert'' (too late to look for English translation) and it warms this room (58 m2) perfect.
Another plus side, with a powercut (this is France you know) I still have a bit of light to look around for the candles
Nov 14th 2018, 9:51 pm
#78
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Joined: May 2016
Location: Antwerpen/Anvers
Posts: 7,265
Re: An imaginatively titled Belgian thread...
I think a cat has more sense than that
Here it's not an open fireplace but one with an ''insert'' (too late to look for English translation) and it warms this room (58 m2) perfect.
Another plus side, with a powercut (this is France you know) I still have a bit of light to look around for the candles
Here it's not an open fireplace but one with an ''insert'' (too late to look for English translation) and it warms this room (58 m2) perfect.
Another plus side, with a powercut (this is France you know) I still have a bit of light to look around for the candles
The cat thing is sadly true...
Just as OH and I were getting together, she would take a bath with some candles on the borders of the bath. Tache (predecessor of Pom) was still very much a kitten, and wanting to explore everywhere.
Tache came into the bathroom, OH playfully splashed her with some water, Tache backed up, straight into a candle. OH grabbed her and dunked her in the bath, I came in a few minutes later to find one extremely pissed off cat trying to hide in the kitchen...
Nov 21st 2018, 3:27 pm
#80
Just Joined
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 11
Re: An imaginatively titled Belgian thread...
Just spent a hugely fun afternoon/early evening with Team Renovation. They came over for coffee and cake – followed by beer (boys) and rosé (girls). We worked on the plan for fixing the last two niggles – really small stuff – then moved on to the ‘home improvements plan’ for 2019. 
How to hang all the curtains, mostly being the ones that we don’t currently have; the ones we brought with us are too short for downstairs big living room, so they’ll get hacked and put upstairs, also in the downstairs bedrooms, all of which have half windows.
How best to avoid having to ask the Gemeente for planning permission for converting a small chunk of lawn into a paved parking spot. Standard Belgian officialdom avoidance stuff, but better executed with someone in the know on board. The Gemeente started it anyway, on street parking is apparently frowned on. Go figure...
Loads of other small things, but TR now have a plan based on our wish list. We also discussed restaurants, we’ll invite them to one of our favourite places, and they’ll take us to one of theirs – which IQ reckons I’ve already visited…
On another practical front, we hope
to have the health insurance ‘dispute’ sorted this week, which would be the last obstacle to us finally being granted ID cards.
This would be extemely useful as otherwise we’d be forced to quit Belgium - albeit for just one night - and then start the registration game all over again.
How to hang all the curtains, mostly being the ones that we don’t currently have; the ones we brought with us are too short for downstairs big living room, so they’ll get hacked and put upstairs, also in the downstairs bedrooms, all of which have half windows.
How best to avoid having to ask the Gemeente for planning permission for converting a small chunk of lawn into a paved parking spot. Standard Belgian officialdom avoidance stuff, but better executed with someone in the know on board. The Gemeente started it anyway, on street parking is apparently frowned on. Go figure...
Loads of other small things, but TR now have a plan based on our wish list. We also discussed restaurants, we’ll invite them to one of our favourite places, and they’ll take us to one of theirs – which IQ reckons I’ve already visited…
On another practical front, we hope
to have the health insurance ‘dispute’ sorted this week, which would be the last obstacle to us finally being granted ID cards.This would be extemely useful as otherwise we’d be forced to quit Belgium - albeit for just one night - and then start the registration game all over again.
I just recently moved here as my partner is BE born. I’m still working in London so I commute a lot.
I can atttest to how difficult it was to get insurance. Nearly cost me any hope of getting the ID card.
Weird thing is if I didn’t work it would have been easier to get it, instead I contribute to society - how stupid of me.
Nov 21st 2018, 3:46 pm
#81
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Joined: May 2016
Location: Antwerpen/Anvers
Posts: 7,265
Re: An imaginatively titled Belgian thread...
Afternoon
I just recently moved here as my partner is BE born. I’m still working in London so I commute a lot.
I can atttest to how difficult it was to get insurance. Nearly cost me any hope of getting the ID card.
Weird thing is if I didn’t work it would have been easier to get it, instead I contribute to society - how stupid of me.
How come you say that it would have been easier to secure the health insurance if not working? It's still causing us grief big time, and we don't work. This appears to be the problem...
Nov 21st 2018, 4:04 pm
#82
Just Joined
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 11
Re: An imaginatively titled Belgian thread...
Because I’m still working in UK my health insurance is there not BE. So if I didn’t work my health insurance would have to be here. I had to get an S1 form from UK, and never thought I say it but the tax man came through and sent it quick time. Then quick visit to Ziekenfonds and they registered me. I’m still paying a top up in Flanders but I guess that’s the price I pay for the great beer 🍻
Nov 21st 2018, 5:33 pm
#83
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Joined: May 2016
Location: Antwerpen/Anvers
Posts: 7,265
Re: An imaginatively titled Belgian thread...
Because I’m still working in UK my health insurance is there not BE. So if I didn’t work my health insurance would have to be here. I had to get an S1 form from UK, and never thought I say it but the tax man came through and sent it quick time. Then quick visit to Ziekenfonds and they registered me. I’m still paying a top up in Flanders but I guess that’s the price I pay for the great beer 🍻
I'll dig a bit deeper on S1, I've been chasing my tail on E104 & E121.
Nov 21st 2018, 5:39 pm
#84
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Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 11
Re: An imaginatively titled Belgian thread...
E104 and the other is the old forms. Form S1 is the new EU form that your health insurer should issue. In the UK that should would be HMRC.
However with Switzerland being half in and half out I don’t know how they operate.
Wish you all the luck.
However with Switzerland being half in and half out I don’t know how they operate.
Wish you all the luck.
Nov 21st 2018, 5:57 pm
#85
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Joined: May 2016
Location: Antwerpen/Anvers
Posts: 7,265
Re: An imaginatively titled Belgian thread...
Whereabouts are you in Flanders, if I may ask?
Nov 29th 2018, 8:31 pm
#86
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Joined: May 2016
Location: Antwerpen/Anvers
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Re: An imaginatively titled Belgian thread...
Unfortunately, we have now entered into a heightened state of hostilities with Swiss health insurance vis-à-vis them supplying completed S1 forms – proof of current health insurance – in order to satisfy the Belgian authorities for issuance of ID cards.
Whereas here in Belgium the authorities as well as the health insurance companies (we have three potential insurers) continue to bend over backwards to assist us, the Swiss are unhelpful at best, to be honest bloody well obstructive would be a better description. They are refusing to supply the completed S1 forms, as yet I have no idea on what realistic grounds. I have their view as to why not, but as far as I’m concerned that can go into category ‘utter testicles’. Jobsworth/fonctionaire/whatever. Gits.
We’re now on a short time fuse; we’ve used most of our 90 days required to complete the A-Z formalities here, but we won’t make the final hurdle within the 90 day period. I’m confident that we’ll be granted the 30 day extension here, so that means I’ll be spending a fair chunk of December back in CH, which is just what I don’t need, especially at this time of year.
Not currently a happy bunny.
On the bright side the house remains perfect, we still (amazingly) have two cats, and the food in local restaurants is excellent, plus I'm now beginning to speak Flemish to the French equivalent of a Spanish cow...
Whereas here in Belgium the authorities as well as the health insurance companies (we have three potential insurers) continue to bend over backwards to assist us, the Swiss are unhelpful at best, to be honest bloody well obstructive would be a better description. They are refusing to supply the completed S1 forms, as yet I have no idea on what realistic grounds. I have their view as to why not, but as far as I’m concerned that can go into category ‘utter testicles’. Jobsworth/fonctionaire/whatever. Gits.
We’re now on a short time fuse; we’ve used most of our 90 days required to complete the A-Z formalities here, but we won’t make the final hurdle within the 90 day period. I’m confident that we’ll be granted the 30 day extension here, so that means I’ll be spending a fair chunk of December back in CH, which is just what I don’t need, especially at this time of year.
Not currently a happy bunny.
On the bright side the house remains perfect, we still (amazingly) have two cats, and the food in local restaurants is excellent, plus I'm now beginning to speak Flemish to the French equivalent of a Spanish cow...
Nov 30th 2018, 3:07 pm
#89
Excess Baggage
Joined: Jul 2006
Location: UK
Posts: 5,479
Re: An imaginatively titled Belgian thread...
Hoi!
Hope you don't mind me interjecting but this is a thread about Belgium and I can't see a specific forum.
Anyway, just a quick question. If anyone can answer that would be great.
I've been offered a job in Belgium but on a Contract/freelance basis, with direct engagement of me as a consultant. I currently work as a Sole Trader in the UK but it doesn't look like I can set up the same way to work in Belgium because of the residency and tax rules there. Does anyone know if there's a way to go about this or have any experience of it? Is there a reciprocal tax arrangement in place? I've been told I need a Limosa...whatever that is.
TIA.
Hope you don't mind me interjecting but this is a thread about Belgium and I can't see a specific forum.
Anyway, just a quick question. If anyone can answer that would be great.
I've been offered a job in Belgium but on a Contract/freelance basis, with direct engagement of me as a consultant. I currently work as a Sole Trader in the UK but it doesn't look like I can set up the same way to work in Belgium because of the residency and tax rules there. Does anyone know if there's a way to go about this or have any experience of it? Is there a reciprocal tax arrangement in place? I've been told I need a Limosa...whatever that is.
TIA.
Nov 30th 2018, 4:37 pm
#90
M.O.V.E.D. !
Joined: Mar 2010
Location: Charente Maritime
Posts: 9,346
Re: An imaginatively titled Belgian thread...
Hoi!
Hope you don't mind me interjecting but this is a thread about Belgium and I can't see a specific forum.
Anyway, just a quick question. If anyone can answer that would be great.
I've been offered a job in Belgium but on a Contract/freelance basis, with direct engagement of me as a consultant. I currently work as a Sole Trader in the UK but it doesn't look like I can set up the same way to work in Belgium because of the residency and tax rules there. Does anyone know if there's a way to go about this or have any experience of it? Is there a reciprocal tax arrangement in place? I've been told I need a Limosa...whatever that is.
TIA.
Hope you don't mind me interjecting but this is a thread about Belgium and I can't see a specific forum.
Anyway, just a quick question. If anyone can answer that would be great.
I've been offered a job in Belgium but on a Contract/freelance basis, with direct engagement of me as a consultant. I currently work as a Sole Trader in the UK but it doesn't look like I can set up the same way to work in Belgium because of the residency and tax rules there. Does anyone know if there's a way to go about this or have any experience of it? Is there a reciprocal tax arrangement in place? I've been told I need a Limosa...whatever that is.
TIA.
For Limosa, quick search brought this up
https://www.international.socialsecu...n/limosa.html#
Can't help further, sorry, but I think Google is your friend
