Phill66

Hi all, would be interested to know if any members on this site either live, or have lived in this area of France recently, as we are thinking on purchasing a property here

All information would be gratefully appreciated

Many Thanks Phill

G-J-B

Hi Phill,

I can probably answer a lot of your questions on Confolens - anything you specifically would like to know?
What I can tell you is that it's a beautiful medieval town (I'm sure you've visited), with a great deal of fascinating history (having been given guided tours, by foot and by river).

Confolens is a strange mix in some respects. It is full of British, so just be prepared for that (some people find it a blessing others a curse), it is also a little run down sadly. There's quite a few Romanians who live in a few of the more of the run down places. The other old buildings are often left to ruin because nobody has the budget to purchase and restore them. ARThe (tea rooms) brought a bit more life to the place, but the owner is retiring in a month or two. The old hospital across the river is being converted into luxury riverside apartments, which could bring a good element to the town, but at the same time they're overpriced and I fear the project is liable to fail (I believe it's already changed hands within the last couple of years)
Although the town runs some wonderful events, it can be quite dead at times too, but there are bars, music events, international shows, wonderful fireworks on Bastille Day. The schools are okay, and you have supermarkets and DIY shops to hand, but nothing in the same league as Saint Junien for example.

You can get a lot for your money in Confolens, and neighbouring Saint-Germain-de-Confolens is just 4km away - another beautiful place, where you can get a good, well priced pizza by the river, run by French owners, but again you'll find a lot of Brits there, some living full time others as second home owners.

Phill66

Hi G-J-B Thank-you for your response to my post, All that myself and my wife are looking for is, as we are both retired is some peace and quiet, living amongst other ex-pats is not a problem, our priorities are that we live in a safe environment and that crime is not prevalent in the area.

Thank-you again for your comprehensive information

Phill

G-J-B

You're welcome... I would say Confolens is a peaceful place; I've never experienced lots of noise or antisocial behaviour. You've got a new hospital close to hand, gendarmarie, open door swimming pool, cinema, rubbish tip, restaurants, shops, reclamation yard, petrol station, supermarkets, vets, train station (used as a vélorail these days, you can go down it pedal powdered!) etc. etc. There's nice walks in and around the area, and if you like to venture further afield the whole region is beautiful - many an interesting place to see and explore.

Phill66

I assume that you have lived in France for some time now and wondered if you have encountered cement fibre boards ( asbestos ) the property we intend to purchase has these boards on the lower level around what we think used to be a old kitchen / bakehouse, apparently we can leave this in situ as long as we don't drill or cut into it or even batten and board over it and leave it. We being responsible people who care about the environment would not really like to pass this problem on and would like to have it removed by approved contractor would you be aware of the costs involved for this undertaking

G-J-B

I haven't encountered them I'm afraid, although I have come across houses with asbestos exterior insulation... It's not uncommon if buying a property from a certain period, and shouldn't be a major problem, but if you do have any work done on the property you obviously have to inform the artisan, as they will need to be properly suited up, and it's likely to be more expensive as a consequence.
I'm not sure of the costs of removal, but I would recommend getting a few quotes first, and use someone who is properly registered, with decennial insurance. Can't be too careful with asbestos.

Phill66

Thanks for that i have asked our agent in France to see if they can get us a quote to remove it prior to moving in
,,and as you say need to be very careful with asbestos. much obliged