Audemaison

Welcome to audemaison.co.uk, where you can find out about property renovation in France. If the resources and information on this site are interesting to you, why not consider subscribing to our RSS feed?

The property we had just purchased in the South of France had already proven to be more than we expected. There was a massive amount of work to do to the house and we realised that it was going to take us several years to complete. We also knew that unless we acted quickly, there wouldn’t be much of a French property to renovate.

When we returned to the house in November 2002, the electrician had fitted a consumer unit and a few circuits. In doing so, he had cut a deep trench through the (perfect) tiled floor in the entrance hall…. It’s always a good idea to be present when work is being done on your property – especially if you do not know the individual can be trusted to do what you want them to do!

While we were at the house, we began to lay a cement screed over the existing cement floor in the downstairs room. The floor level in this room is two feet below the level of the hallway and is uneven. To start to make this room comfortable, it is necessary to level the floor and raise it at least a foot in height. That means lots of bags of cement to mix!

We also started to work on the plaster in this room. After years of decay and water ingress, the plaster throughout the house is in a fairly poor state. In this room, it is completely unfinished French plaster (lime based and white in colour), which has hundreds of years of accumulated dirt, soot and smoke trapped within. We know we will never be able to get the walls flat (that’s a factor with a rough-built, rural stone house) but we can make the plasterwork sound and relatively even.

Also, check out our Beginners’ Guide on French Electrics attached to this post.

[imagebrowser id=5]

Filed under: Aude, Property renovation by Audemaison
No comments »

This blog will include a number of ‘Guide’ posts which are intended to introduce you to various aspects of French property renovation. This is the first of these guides, a beginners’ guide to French electrics.

French electrics are very different to the electrics in the UK and can be the source of some significant frustration, especially if you don’t get your head around the power supply system in France.

In France a customer’s power supply is regulated by a disjoncteur. This is a mains circuit breaker that limits the amount of electricity you can consume at any particular time. Generally, the lowest rating (the starting point for our house…) is 3Kw/h. This is about enough electricity to run a very small travelling kettle and a light at the same time. If you exceed the power (puissance) rating for your house, your power is cut at the disjoncteur and you have to run around your house turning off power consuming items before resetting it.

Puissance ratings go up in 3Kw/h. For a small house, generally 9Kw/h is sufficient for average use but if you have a lot of modern equipment, electric heating and water heaters, this may not be enough. 12Kw/h is enough for most modern homes but you can go up to about 18Kw/h if you need to. Every time you increase the rating, your standing charge can increase dramatically. It’s important therefore to make sure that the rating for your house is as low as it can be without causing the power to cut out.

In 2006/07, the French equivalent of building standards, Norms changed, making it necessary for EDF or a qualified French electrician to test all circuits before connecting new services or upgrading to higher ratings. This means that changes you make to your system may need to be checked, unless you employ a qualified electrician to install for you. It is worthwhile checking the Norms or asking for advice before starting work.

Electrical installations in France are a little different to the UK, although the basic principles are the same. In France, a ‘circuit’ does not return to the consumer unit, forming a ring like in the UK. In France, the circuit is a spur from the consumer unit and does not return. There are limits to the number of power sockets, lights and heaters that can go on one circuit.

In France, white goods that consume significant power have to go on separate dedicated circuits. These include electric ovens, washing machines and tumble driers. These circuits need higher rated cabling (thicker diameter) and higher rated circuit breakers.

Plugs in France are not fused as they are in the UK. In France, power relies on the effectiveness of fuses or circuit breakers at the main consumer unit. It is important that the system is properly earthed for this reason. An earthing wire is connected throughout the circuit and is connected at the consumer unit to an earthing rod. Metal pipework in the house should also be earthed in this way.

Wiring in France is different. Each of the three wires (earth, live and neutral) are separate. They are not together in a plastic sheath as in the UK. They are usually protected within a hard, ribbed plastic tube that is used to thread the wiring throughout the house. This is often safer than UK wiring as it is pretty difficult to accidentally nail through a tube and into a wire, or drill through it (we know, we tried!). However, it can cause complications threading these larger tubes throughout the house and back to the consumer unit; often you also need to allow plenty of space around the unit for all the tubes to come in to.

Finally, French wiring is available pre-threaded or as separate packages. If you buy the pre-threaded tube and wiring, you can save significant amounts of time trying to thread the tube with the wires, which can be irritating. However, it costs more to purchase. You can save money buying each individual wire and the tube separately and threading it yourself. You will find this more time consuming.

Alternatively, you can pay someone else to do it for you!

Filed under: Guides by Audemaison
1 comment »

The first in our series of Tips sheets covers some of the things to consider when buying a property in France.

Some of these tips may seem pretty obvious to you, but it is amazing how many people forget some of the basics when they see a ‘cheap’ house available, or when they think that a property abroad is not as big a deal as buying one in the UK (yes, we’ve heard that said several times).

You should treat a house purchase in another country with AT LEAST as much care and thought as purchasing one in your own country. And many of the same rules apply.

Buying a house

• View a number of properties and set clear parameters. Don’t be pushed by the agent. the best way to do this is to write a list of the key things you are looking for in a property, the extras you would like if you could get them, and the price range you can afford. When writing your list, BE REALISTIC. You are unlikely to get a chateau for €100k. Look in an area at the properties you can get for the money and decide whether you are getting what you want. If not, look in a cheaper area.
• Have you found the perfect house? Consider a survey. Remember major defects mean major renovation costs. The main areas to look out for are the roof, electricity and drainage as these are fairly costly in France. Make sure the house is sound, especially if it is built of weak materials such as masse (a mud/mortar material used a lot in northern France).
• Make an offer via your agent. Beware of properties and vendors that include a ‘cash element’. In fact, beware of an estate agent who proposes this to you. This is illegal in France as it is an attempt to evade Capital Gains Tax and could result in your prosecution as well as the agent and the vendor. Consider the repercussions for you: you may seem to get the property cheaper than you would have otherwise, but the official price you pay for the property will be the figure given to the Notaire. This is the price you have paid for the property and will be used in the calculation of you Capital Gains Tax when you sell the property. And when you sell it, you can bet the purchaser won’t be as gullible as to agree a cash element for you! You will end up paying twice, once when you purchase and once when you sell.
• Offers are made and confirmed in writing and in French. This can be done by fax and is a formal agreement between you and the vendors. This is a good time to provide your agent with copies of your passports for identification.
• To make an offer you will need to provide your name, address and occupation. The Offre d’Achat also details the agent, the vendor, the offer price and details of the property, including a legal description of the property. Make sure that you are getting what you were shown by the agent and, if you have any questions ask them now; once you sign, the Offre is a legally binding document.
• Offer accepted – get a French bank account as soon as you can. The French use cheques everywhere and an account is essential. Try a major bank and get your helpful agent to assist. However, do not rely on your agent to do this for you – he/she will go to their local branch of a bank they are familiar with and you will end up with a bank branch miles away from where your house is. It is best to choose a major bank that is used to dealing with foreign property owners. From time to time, British banks offer a Euro account for property owners. Also, look at credit cards in your own currency that have preferential exchange rates and fees: Nationwide used to (recently stopped) offer a zero-rate exchange on all transactions using their debit and credit cards.
• Be aware that money transfers can take a while from the UK and usually require a form to be completed by most UK banks. As in the UK, it is essential that any money that is due to be paid (whether deposit or final transaction price) is cleared with the Notaire in good time for the transaction to take place. French accounts provide the IBAN (International Bank Account Number) for the account, which makes life easier.
• Compromis de Vente – the agreement to purchase. Once you receive this a 10% deposit is due to be paid to the Notaire. This is non-refundable, unless a major defect occurs (such as a termite survey turns out negative). You are now committed to purchase, as are the vendors to the sale. Please note, unlike in the UK, there is a financial penalty if you pull out after the Compromis when you do not have a valid reason. Equally, the vendors are tied too.
• The Notaire is an independent solicitor and acts for both parties. They charge fees and it is wise to allow 15 – 20% of the purchase price for the discharge of these formalities and other costs. Unlike in the UK, the Notaire will not necessarily draw your attention to details. You need to ask the right questions at the right time. If you do not speak French, get your agent’s help or hire a translator (some Notaires can provide this service). Remember, this is a house you are buying and the outlay may be worth it.
• If you are purchasing a property from several interested parties (due to a divorce or split inheritance) you are likely to find the purchase takes longer and uses a number of additional Notaires as each party can appoint a separate Notaire. In such cases, the purchaser will be liable for 50% of the fees. If any of the vendors disagrees with the sale, the price, etc., they can draw a halt to the sale. Usually this would happen prior to the Compromis but there is no guarantee!
• Remember: if you have agreed a cash amount with your agent, this will not be declared to the Notaire and will not form part of the purchase costs. This means you will bear the cost of this amount when you sell and have to declare your CGT liability. If you forget this during the completion stage and ask your Notaire why he is quoting a lower price on the document than the one you have agreed, you are heading for trouble…! We do not recommend you follow this course of action and suggest you walk away if it is suggested to you by either the agent or the vendor. We have walked away from several potential purchases for this reason.
• Completion and exchange usually takes place in a formal meeting of both parties at the Notaire’s office. It usually takes about an hour. Although you are able to ask the agent to act on your behalf (by confirming in writing – in French – to the Notaire), it is worth going to the completion ‘ceremony’. It is quite formal and usually quite interesting to observe!
• Before you complete, you will need to have obtained house insurance and you may need to provide the Notaire with a copy of the certificate and policy. You have a legal obligation to insure the property from the time of purchase, whether you have a mortgage or not. Your insurance must cover third party liabilities (i.e., in case it collapses onto someone).
• At the ceremony (or shortly afterwards if you did not attend), you will receive a confirmation of the purchase, which you will need if the local neighbours wonder what you are doing at the property and call the local gendarmerie. You may be challenged at any time by the authorities to prove your ownership, which is what the confirmation from the Notaire is for.
• You will also receive the keys, as you now own the property as you walk out of the Notaire’s office and into the nearest sports bar.
• Deeds are kept at the Notaire’s office while all the registrations are completed. A copy will be provided on request and once the registry formalities are completed you should be offered a copy by the Notaire (for collection, not posted to you). Any refund on fees will also be paid back by the Notaire at this stage.
• Now you own a French house and this is where the hard work begins!

Filed under: Property purchase by Audemaison
No comments »

September 2002

After several months looking at properties in the South of France, we have finally bought one. Located in a small village in the middle of Les Corbieres, this village house has an authentic rural rambling quality. The house was cheap to purchase. This means that it is not very well appointed internally (or externally for that matter). Indeed, the house has been uninhabited for the last 25 years, so you can imagine the extent of works required to modernise it.

Internally, at the front of the house, there are three double-fronted floors, each floor has two large rooms each. Additionally, at the rear of the property there are two floors of two huge rooms each. These rooms are in a very poor state and the roof is in a very dilapidated state.

Once we completed the formalities at the Notaire, we went to the property and did an initial assessment of what we needed to do. Clearly, this project is here for the long-haul!

We have included some details on how to purchase properties in France and what to consider when purchasing properties.

While at the property on this initial visit, we arranged for an electrician to install a new consumer unit (the starting point for a long saga with power supplies in France!) and found a builder to reroof the front half of the property and render the front elevation.

However, the earliest that the builder could start work was the next April. In France, we learned early to plan ahead where builders are concerned; they are rarely able to do work straight away and usually there is a wait for at least a year. As part of this blog, we will be giving an introduction to the way building work (and most work) is regulated in France.

The electrician managed to do the work fairly quickly, but in doing it, he condemned the existing wiring. We expected it, really. But it means that we have some work to do on a limited power supply.

[imagebrowser id=1]

Filed under: Aude, Property purchase by Audemaison
No comments »

This site is currently being upgraded to a new system. This has required us to remove all the old content and it will be reinstated over the coming months.

As you can appreciate, there are huge numbers of photographs and updates for the last 12 years, which will slowly be restored to the site over the coming months. Please bear with us!

Filed under: Uncategorized by Audemaison
No comments »