House in France under Renovation

RedHerring · Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 4:55 pm

The following are a pictorial record of our house renovation in France. bought in April 2008. Feel free to comment.
These are from when we were looking for somewhere in Summer 2007.

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Existing Entrance ampamp Neighbours

Entrance Drive

Hangar

House

House ampamp Garage

Rear of Top House

Rear of House

Rear Field

Rear ampamp Bottom Field

Bottom Field

Bottom Field ampamp Hangar

Main Entrance to House

Top House

Middle House

Bottom House

Garage

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The plan is to live in a caravan in the garage during renovation.

RedHerring · Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 5:29 pm

A few days after moving in April 2008.
A few days of clearing up also![img]

House

End of Top House

Rear of House

New Driveway

From Driveway Entrance

Home for a few months

Hangar

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I think the continental approach is for the previous owner to move his stuff out after the contracts have been exchanged, not before!

RedHerring · Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 5:55 pm

We had a couple of quotes for an Architect to draw up plans & submit for approval but the quotes came in at about 6,000 Euros. This included fees, PP and Project Management. I think their fees tend to be about 10% of the project cost.

After a few sharp intakes of breath we decided on a cheaper route.
The top house, although had been used recently for agricultural use, had been used in the past for domestic use. We were going to try to place an application (it's actually more of a declaration) for renovation. Fortunately the Marie (who is over 80.) was on our side and when he said "I've known people born in that house", the area Planning officer backed down and allowed our declaration to go through. The ground floor limit (upstairs & downstairs) also helped.
That was a "Declaration" (albeit about 10 pages long) stating what you intend to do, with plans, including proposals. I asked if DIY plans were OK and they agreed. So a few evenings drawing up plans, taking photos and paint Shop Pro saw these photos presented, accepted and agreed. The only stipulation was the roof covering: blue slate only accepted.
If the council do not respond within 30 days you can assume your declaration is accepted.[img]

Existing Front

Proposed Front

Exisitng Rear

Proposed Rear

Detail of Front

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kevindgas · Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 6:07 pm

hope you have the requisite paper like the certificate de urbanism
the mayor of the town holds all the aces so to speak and you will need him on side or you will get nowhere.

sewerage is a hot potato in these projects and that should be one of your first priorities

I backed out of a similar project in the Vienne region (just outside St Maxient Le'cole) because the local mayor was a retarded french **** who was totally against the english buying in his town!

RedHerring · Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 6:13 pm

Yes, Kevin, You're dead right. Fortunately, at the suggestion of our immobilier we made the CU a condition of completion. The fosse sceptique was installed in September 2008 and fully functional. The local Marie is definitely 'on our side'.

RedHerring · Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 6:22 pm

Our first priority was to make ourselves as comfortable as possible in the caravan in the garage. Fortunately the garage is about as big as a one bed bungalow.
We constructed a full bathroom in one corner, a kitchen in the other corner, the caravan is parked in the third corner, leaving plenty of space for lounging around.
The first picture is the corner before installation of a bathroom, full of our unloaded junk.[img]

Garage Interior

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Then we rendered the internal walls and painted. Sealed and painted the floor. Installed water, electrics & installed the bathroom.
The next two photos are late July when a few friends came over camping on the back field.[img]

Garage interior

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Sometime in the future I'll install a ceiling, a bedroom wall (after the caravan is out) a front door amd install a wood burner. The garage door will stay and act as a shutter.

kevindgas · Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 6:26 pm

your home and dry then

, as you have overcome the two main stumbling blocks in french property ownership all you have too worry about now is the relative you didn't know about!!

anyway hope it all goes well, what department is it in? i love the Charente region personally as it is not too far to drive in a day but far enough south to get the weather (find it changes as you pass through the Vendee)

RedHerring · Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 6:41 pm

Removing the roof on the top house in early August 2008.
We decided that we'd be replacing all the timber and slates on this roof except for the crook frames.[img]

Rear roof

Front roof

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Yes Kevin, I agree you can notice the climate change as you travel south. I find it's as you cross the Loire.
The property sale/purchase has all been via a Notaire.
Incidentally the previous owner lives about 1 K away by road, which is about 750 metres across the field. We're very good friends, dined with them, he's lent us equipment and given advice. Initially there was a shared water supply which he has paid to seperate. Also, when we arrived after contract completion I was expecting to have to create a new entrance drive, but he'd already done it.
The new access was facilitated by the sale, 'cos the previous access went across the neighbours land.
Incidentally we're in Brittany. Cote D'Armour

RedHerring · Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 6:54 pm

Roof removed, except for crook frames and ridge board, by late August 2008[img]

Front Roof removed

Rear roof removed

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Joists removed, Crook frames supported and braced.[img]

Joists removed. Crook Frames supported

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Lots of fires and a lot of timber stored in the hangar.
Piles of re-usable slate and a pile of broken slate which will be used eventually, perhaps on the garden.

RedHerring · Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 7:01 pm

Creating the openings for windows and doors and for new lintels, this was September 2008. Notice the crook frames hanging by the braces alone.[img]

Front

Rear

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RedHerring · Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 7:16 pm

October 2008 New lintels cast in situ and the steelwork which went into each lintel.[img]

Example of Lintel steelwork

Front New Lintels

Rear Lintels

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New joists intalled and temporary floor upstairs (as working platform)[img]

Joists in

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Notice the 'chainage' concrete blocks on the floor in the picture below. The idea is to place a triangular length of rebar in these and pour concrete in to give a continuous concrete beam. We laid a course of these along the top of the innerskin of stone at lintel height and tied into the lintels. Then another course at the top of the innerskin for the wallplate to sit on.[img]

Joists in

Temporary floor down

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RedHerring · Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 7:31 pm

November 2008, a very wet one. Walls rebuilt and wallplate in. Bracing removed from crook frames, except for a couple of little supports until dwarf walls can support those crook frames 'cos they are a bit suspect.
Purlins going in with scarfed joints., and additional ridge board. When we'd finished the purlins it was difficult to decide whether the crook frames were supporting the purlins or the other way round.[img]