Farmhouse Renovation Project In The South Of France
By Nick Dowlatshahi
When undertaking a renovation project in France and in fact anywhere in the world it is important not to get too carried away with building your dream home. You need to make a plan and stick to it as otherwise the cost of renovation can quickly spiral out of control and before you know it you have a half finished house and no money left to complete it.
Unlike in England where it is standard practice to send in a chartered surveyor before you buy a property who can estimate the various costs of building repairs; this is not the case in France. You will need to ask a local builder, architect or a British chartered surveyor in France to check the structural state of the building and estimate what the repair costs will be before you buy. You should then add at least 25% for any hidden extras that the architect/surveyor may have missed. It is important that you are realistic about the time frame at which you are ready to move into your new home. A job that you might expect to take six months in England will probably take a few months longer in France especially if you don't speak the language as it will take some time to find builders who come recommended and whose work you approve of.
Once you have bought your quaint but dilapidated farmhouse in the south of France which you have chosen for its laid back atmosphere then don't be surprised when your tradesmen adopt the same attitude in their work regime. You will have to keep on top of them at all times to ensure that the work is completed on schedule and that everyone is synchronised: if for example the electrician is booked to rewire the house within a certain time frame and he is delayed or does not turn up then other jobs such as plastering that follow will also have to be delayed and rescheduled. Rescheduling may not be viable for a few weeks which could in turn ruin the schedule of other jobs- patience is something you'll have to learn!
For instance an English couple that relocated to the Rhone-Alps region in the south of France found that their project actually took two years rather than one year as predicted and spent the first few months cooking with camping gas and portable cooker while the kitchen was being built- so be prepared to rough it a little during your adventure! Not that it's a bad thing: It can be incredibly fulfilling cooking and eating outdoors watching your hose slowly take shape after a hard day's work. This particular couple actually spent the first few weeks living with their neighbours rather than staying in a hotel while the house was unlivable. The two of them simply went over to say hello and in a great gesture which you would find hard to come across in any part of the world, they were invited to stay for as long as they needed
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even though just moments before they were complete strangers!
The project was finally completed two years after they first bought the house and regardless of all the headache and hard work they put in if you ask them now they would say they really wouldn't have done it any differently. The stone farmhouse has become a haven of tranquility and something that they can both be very proud of as every evening when they drink local wine and eat Provencal food in their scented, colourful courtyard they can look up at their house and truly say "We did that".
A French Property expert, Nick Dowlatshahi is also Managing Director of Leapfrog Properties who are a French property agency specialising in the sale of French property to English speakers. www.leapfrog-properties.com
