Clé France

Hello Sharon,

Thanks for all the work done by yourself and your agent here in France. With a few exceptions everything has moved along well and we are settling into an easier live-style as we speak!

I would be happy to recommend both aspects of the operation; the initial contact via the web followed by the reception we encountered here in France.

Overall an very good experience.

Kind regards,

Dr C Scott MBCS.

So glad we found a great property for our client, we have passed his kind words onto our agent on the ground as well.

If you are looking to view and buy a house in Normandy, let Cle France guide YOU through the French Property Buying Process!

And as several of our clients say "Follow your heart and make the move"

Hi Cle France,

I'd be happy to put my positive comments on your website as the service with yourselves was excellent! 

We are settled and extremely happy with our new home in Guillac (in the Morbihan department of Brittany).

Cle France made buying a property in Brittany hassle free!

Their communication was amazing - any queries I had, Sharon responded almost immediately.

I thoroughly recommend Cle France to help you buy a lovely French Home! 

Nicky.

Nicky bought a house in Brittany with ease, so why not let Cle France guide YOU through the French Property Buying Process!

And as several of our clients say "Follow your heart and make the move"! 

This week the Government provided every household in the UK with a leaflet that sets out why the Government believes that voting to remain in the EU is the best decision for the UK.

The leaflet was delivered to households in England from 11 – 13 April, ahead of their local election period and in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland throughout the week commencing 9 May to avoid disruption ahead of their local elections.

If you did not get the leaflet then download your own copy here.

Keep up to date with the EU Referendum debate and all manner of news by visiting the Cle France 'News in General' Blog pages.

Or Visit GOV.UK for more information and to access the source information for the EU referendum leaflet.

Blog submitted by: Alex at The French Property Network - Cle France.

It’s Springtime! – Open Windows in French.

Le printemps est arrivé (Spring is here) and the longer days, changing seasons, and changing clocks bring up thoughts of le grand nettoyage de printemps et les fleurs épanouies (spring cleaning and blooming flowers). The end of the cold months means that people will start opening up their houses and letting in l’air frais (fresh air).

A great time of the year to Visit France to view some of the stunning houses Cle France have for sale across 80% of the country from Coastal Cottage to Countryside Chateaux and from Town Houses to Village Farmhouses, the choice is vast just click or call Cle France and we will lead you through the entire French Property Buying Process and beyond step by step.

I didn’t realise I had a big whole in my vocabulaire français until I was chez mon ami (at my friend’s place) and we were going to take a picture but le soleil (the sun) was too strong. I had an interesting conversation with mon ami:

Je peux fermer les stores.

Les stores ?

Oui les stores. Pour le soleil.

Et comment ça s’écrit ?

Les stores. S-T-O-R-E-S.

Ah d’accord ! Je ne connaissais pas le mot pour les stores !

I can close the blinds.

The shutters?

Yes the shutters. For the sun.

And how do you spell it?

The blinds. B-L-I-N-D-S.

Ah okay! I didn’t know the word for shutters!

I then realised that je ne connaissais pas many of the word for shutters, curtains, and other window related vocabulary. I started asking mon ami how to say all kinds of words, but left still confused about how to say some things.

Une fois à la maison (once I was home), I looked up the words I could remember, making sure I would never have trouble saying:

Est-ce que tu peux fermer les stores ?

Can you close the blinds?

One thing is for sure, I’ll be happy to profiter de (enjoy) the warmer season, possibly even enjoying une bière sur la terrasse (a beer outside)!

Voici un petit vocabulaire de la fenêtre :

La fenêtre – Window

Le rideau – Curtain

Les rideaux – Curtains

Les stores – Blinds

Le volet – Shutter

Le balcon – Balcony

Le patio – Patio

La véranda – Lanai

L’air frais – Fresh air

Le rebord de fenêtre – Windowsill

Le carreau – Window pane

La vitre –  Window glass

La terrasse – Terrace (or generally “outside”)

Le brise-soleil – Awning

L’appentis – Lean-to.

Blog submitted by: David at The French Property Network - Cle France.

This blog was originally posted on The French Language Blog pages.

It Comes In Pints! – Beer In French

I wonder how many people think "that's easy, ordering a beer in French" but after saying "Une bière s’il vous plait" it can get complicated, like most things if you say the first phrase so well the French person thinks you speak good French so lets enter into a deeper conversation! I know we can all speak better French after the first beer so here are a few tips on ordering your second.

When ordering something in a new country there are always surprises waiting in all the small differences from what you would expect and what actually arrives.

One of my first times dans un bar français (in a French bar), on top of not knowing how to toast, I didn’t know how to order a beer. I guessed that it would be similar to “un café s’il vous plait” (a coffee please), so I said:

Une bière s’il vous plait.

A beer please.

Then le barman (the bartender) asked me:

Laquelle ?

Which one?

I was not familiar with any of the bière, but I knew I wanted a stout. Cependant (however), I had no idea how to say stout in French! In my confusion, I just asked for whatever name I saw first, but then le barman asked me:

Un demi ou une pinte ?

A half-pint or a pint?

Le problème was that I did not understand what he said! I did not know une pinte was a French word, and I had no idea what un demi was referring to! So I said:

Une bière.

A beer.

My response wasn’t very helpful to le barman. I’m sure he was just as confused as I was. Looking for a solution I pointed at the glass of le client (the patron, the customer) next to me and said:

La même chose que lui.

The same thing as him.

That got me une bière, but once I told mes amis what had happened they had a good laugh explaining how to say different types of bière in French and also that une pinte is just a pint and un demi is a half-pint!

Voici un petit vocabulaire de la bière :

La bière – Beer

Le verre – Glass

La bouteille – Bottle

À la pression – On tap

Bière à la pression – Draft Beer

Une pinte – A pint

Un demi – Half a pint, A half-pint

Bière brune – Stout

Bière blonde – Lager

Bière blanche – White beer, Wheat beer

Bière anglaise – Ale

Le houblon – Hops

Le blé – Wheat

Le froment – Wheat

La brasserie – Brewery.

Blog submitted by: David at The French Property Network - Cle France.

This blog was originally posted on The French Language Blog pages.