{"podcast":{"title":"French Reno Diaries UNCENSORED","slug":"french-reno-diaries-uncensored-7634906","podcast_index_feed_id":7634906,"rss_url":"https://media.rss.com/french-reno-diaries-uncensored/feed.xml","website_url":"https://www.frenchrenodiaries.com/","image_url":"https://media.rss.com/french-reno-diaries-uncensored/20260109_120115_21a0b9125d00ac1693f1d50371b2ba34.png","author":"Rosie Ellis, Micala Wilkins and Sue Peake-Russell","episode_count":20,"summary":"French Reno Diaries UNCENSORED is your honest, no-fluff guide to renovating, restoring, and surviving property projects in France. Whether you’re a first-time buyer, a seasoned renovator, or just dreaming of owning property in France, we provide real stories, insider tips, and actionable advice to help you avoid mistakes, save money, and navigate your renovation journey with confidence. From understanding French planning laws and insurance requirements to choosing the right people for the job when you haven't got the skills, time or qualifications to 'do it yourself', you'll find it here. And if you like hanging out with us, you can join us in between the 'meaty' shows for our 'rants and bants' episodes - where we get everything off our chests, no holds barred! Hosted by Rosie, Micala and Sue - three women who, along with their partners and husbands run trade-related businesses here in France and have completed a fair few renovation projects of their own - expect honest advice, plenty of laughs and a few WTF moments. Get more French Reno Diaries UNCENSORED! Subscribe to the podcast on your favourite listening app. Find downloadable guides based on each in-depth episode and sign up…","last_synced_at":"2026-06-16T18:21:01.137768+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/french-reno-diaries-uncensored-7634906"},"episode":{"title":"Rants & Bants! (The one where the London brain meets rural France)","slug":"rants-bants-the-one-where-the-london-brain-meets-rural-france","published_at":"2026-04-14T06:07:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/french-reno-diaries-uncensored-7634906/rants-bants-the-one-where-the-london-brain-meets-rural-france","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/french-reno-diaries-uncensored-7634906","url":"https://rss.com/podcasts/french-reno-diaries-uncensored/2685789","audio_url":"https://content.rss.com/episodes/362663/2685789/french-reno-diaries-uncensored/2026_04_03_07_46_06_7c4a39e6-5faf-45ad-a684-58c5566deb46.mp3","summary":"Micala's back - and there's lots to chew over! In this episode: a Facebook post about deposits that had Micala seething before 4am, the growing crackdown on cash-in-hand work in France, and a very public social media post from some new arrivals that raised more than a few eyebrows. Plus, working from home in your pyjamas, the French social system defended, and a lovely shout-out from a well-respected voice in the renovating-in-France community. Resources mentioned: Renovations in France — Professional tradesman, Peter Gerrit's well-regarded Facebook group. Fix Radio — UK radio station and podcast for the trades, referenced during the episode. CAF (Caisse d'Allocations Familiales) — the French family allowance fund that provides housing and other support. Mini glossary: Devis — a formal written quote that, once signed, forms a binding contract. Should always include payment terms. Travail au noir — cash-in-hand work that is undeclared to French tax and social charge authorities. Both the worker and the person employing them can face serious penalties. BTP (Bâtiment et Travaux Publics) — the construction and public works sector; one of the top three sectors targeted by French anti-fraud authorities. Cotisations sociales — social charges paid by businesses and workers in France, funding healthcare, pensions, unemployment benefit and more. CAF — the French family allowance fund, providing housing aid, apprenticeship support and other benefits. Mairie — the town hall; local planning and governance authority. Connect: Facebook | Instagram Subscribe to the newsletter: www.frenchrenodiaries.com Email: frenchrenodiaries@gmail.com","meta_description":"Micala's back - and there's lots to chew over! In this episode: a Facebook post about deposits that had Micala seething before 4am, the growing crackdown…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2458,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/french-reno-diaries-uncensored-7634906/episodes/rants-bants-the-one-where-the-london-brain-meets-rural-france/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/french-reno-diaries-uncensored-7634906/rants-bants-the-one-where-the-london-brain-meets-rural-france.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}