French Property Renovations
Friday, November 30th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
French Property Renovations
A Few Ground Rules
Many people are buying international property, often for investment and sometimes as a holiday home for themselves and their families and friends. France has become a very popular country that many people are choosing to buy additional properties in… In France, many of the stone houses that were built centuries before are now on sale to new property owners. While these homes have survived many years, they are often in desperate need of renovations because they have either been neglected or have stood unoccupied for a long period of time. Often French property renovations are initiated in order to convert an old and damaged residence into something that is more modern and equipped with facilities and amenities that the occupiers have come to expect these days.
Period properties are very common in France. While these properties are quite liveable, a new owner may feel the need to have them upgraded and modernized. Before embarking on a French property renovation, it is advised that an expert or expert en immobilier check the property, so that the authenticity of the period property can be accurately established. Likewise, the drainage and septic tank system, and other parts of the French real estate structure like the walls and roofs, including the electrical wirings, should be checked to make sure that they are still operational and safe. This critical inspection is vital in order for the new owner to know exactly what needs to be improved or totally renewed.
It is prudent that before commencing French property renovations, the new owner has an accurate estimate as to how much the entire home improvement project may cost. When making cost estimates, the owner should allow a substantial margin to allow for underestimates or for unscheduled and unplanned project delays. If you are not currently residing in France, to monitor the progress of your renovation it is recommended that a local architect or project manager be engaged to oversee the tasks that need to be performed. As well as these professionals knowing a great deal about building construction, the local architects will also ensure that the property restoration project complies with French and local building regulations.
Guidelines in Hiring a Builder or Architect
A building permit may sometimes be required before a new owner is allowed to undertake specific French property renovations. This is a pre-requisite, particularly if the French property in question is the subject of a preservation order, or if it is included in the preservation list known as Inventaire Supplementaire des Monuments Historiques (Additional Inventory of the Historic Monuments or ISMH).
Typically, it is the architect who secures the permit before any renovation can be commenced. In hiring an architect or professional builder to supervise your French property renovations, a property owner should make sure that they are engaging someone who is properly licensed and registered in France. To verify this, the home owner should obtain important information from the builder or architect, such as their Siret Number issued by the France Chamber of Commerce or an appropriate Decenel Insurance, which is an insurance coverage that protects a client or a third party insurance that will cover the costs in case the builder unintentionally damages a surrounding property.
When considering a French property renovation it is crucial that the homeowner hires someone who is knowledgeable with old buildings so that the extent of any current major building defects can immediately be identified.
Technorati Tags: french property improvements, french property renovations, french property restorations
Related Tags: No Tags
Possible Related Posts
December 7th, 2007 at 11:50 pm
This is good advice - some of which I managed to follow; Here is my story about renovating a property in south west france . A labour of love but one which will be finally worth it.
March 12th, 2008 at 8:40 am
And now the house is finished, we are very reluctantly offering it for sale so we can do another one. We have perhaps caught the bug.
renovated french house