We have just bitten the bullet and invested in a little house in the Vendee, France! We are now in the process of furnishing it while back in Ireland and would welcome any recommendations from anybody who 'has been there done that' in the St Gilles area. We need a new kitchen and all the basic furnishings to eventually make it rentable. Yes we have noted IKEA but other suggestions would be most welcome.
Personally I like the stuff in Fly- do they have a branch near your house? www.fly.fr We bought a good deal of bathroom fittings in www.lapeyre.fr but they also have kitchens.
Fubar - I'm sorry to butt in, I'm afraid I can't be of help to you, but I was wondering how you went about buying your property in Vendee - any advice would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Vanilla, my sister and her husband have a daughter married and living in France. They themselves have also bought a small place in Normandy. They just go to the local hardware stores or the big places like Costarama - I don't know if costarama do that stuff - and load up the trailer with their requirements which by the way are at a fraction of the Irish prices. If you google bathrooms etc in France you will get choices.
Ciadan, I have been to france for the last few years on holidays and basically knew what area I wanted to buy in. From there it was a question of searching estate agents in the area. I was also referred to the Century21 agency through a collegue who purchased with them previously. The girl there had good english which was a big help. I had some viewings lined up with her before I went out this year and one of those came up trumps.
Ciadan, send me a PM if you would like the name of the person we worked with in Century21. She is located in St Gilles Croix de Vie and has good english.
We use Ikea a lot and I love their stuff. Have bought some items from conforama and leclerc and the other hypermarkets and I would say the quality is inferior. On the outskirts of most big towns there are usually a few exclusive shops with lovely stuff and lovely (expensive) prices.
Just another thought. If you like 2nd hand or antique don't forget to take a look in the Brocantes. Also there are Depot-Ventes in most big towns where you can sometimes get real bargains. And if there is an Emmaus near you (similar to Oxfam Home but huge) you should take a look.