Hi everyone,

Just wondered if anyone had any links to french sites that sell the following:
wood burning stoves
calor gas hobs
water heater
cassette toilets
We are moving some of our belongings over to our new home in Brittany but it needs total renovation, obviously the first step is to fit a fosse but until we get that done we will be living in one of the rooms that is water tight. I want to compare prices whether it would be cheaper to buy the above here in UK or in France but I'm having difficulty finding where they sell such things in France.
A friend told me some items such as paint, domestic brushes, mops etc... are more expensive in france but everything else I am at a loss
Any helpful tips from people who have lived similar to this whilst doing up their property would also be much appreciated
also anyone know of any salvage yards in Brittany?
Many thanks
abby

www.leroymerlin.fr

http://www.castorama.fr/store

http://www.mr-bricolage.fr/

Cheap but poor quality can be found at Brico depot, Sizes are also rarely the same as other outlets which can cause issues down the road.

wow!! that was fast lol thanks a lot Ka Ora - I'll go and look x

Sorry KO, Brico Depot is often good quality, prices better than Bricolage etc; one needs to shop around and perhaps have a look on Leboncoin. Our 7kw Invicta came from Brico Marche and we bought in autumn as prices were keener. If you bring from UK, then ensure pipework can be matched. I think you will find sizes are now European, rather than just Imperial. Most important is a good supply of aged wood.

I deg to differ. Better Price does not denote better product in my book that aside they have limited ranges of types of stock. They are aimed at one end of the market.

On a side/similar note 4 double glazed units I have that came from them 4 years ago have all failed and need replacing.

To be fair, I've not bought other than base items for electric, plumbing, plaster filler and cement and a few wood items, so for off the shelf windows etc, perhaps quality is not so good. However, a friend did buy a 'climatiser' and it's been spot-on.
Mr Bricolage I find to be pricey and choice limited as restocking is poor. Leroy Merlin, big shed, prices okay-ish ...
... there was a previous posting (not trying to hi-jack this one) about paint. Now that is an issue. Apart from price, I and friends have found quality very poor indeed. Is there something about French paint I am missing, say, when one compares the quality (yep, price is important) with UK versions. Is it preparation, method of application ... I remain, even after several years here, at a loss.
Best white paint I found was in Lidl, made in Germany!

I prefer to pay a bit extra and have English paint, I have yet to find a French brand that is either not to runny or smells bad. Although it is annoying because the dulux colours only come in 2 ltr tubs whereas the white comes in big tubs. We can get farrow and ball paint and they deliver anywhere in France now.

Do't forget to ask local shops and builders for an estimate as you may get VAT at 5% if they install it instead of 19.5%

You will need to own the property and pay local taxes (fonciere)

Wish you all the best on your move.

This isn't quite true, the 5.5% VAT rule is available to all customers (except businesses) as long as the property where the work being done is over two years old. There are a couple of other rules too, like you can only have a maximum of 5 trades invoicing you 5.5%, the 6th and any others you have to pay 19,6%.