Our hall was something that most house-hunters never saw beyond when looking at our home. I must admit it was with some imagination and naive enthusiasm that I glimpsed its future potential.

After renewing every surface in the hall, it was time to take on the stairs.  The stone walls exposed, all trim and doors stripped and painted, new ceiling and underfloor heating and tiling was taken on very early on.  The opening up of the hall and adding French doors to the newly added terrace seemed to make the stairs look even darker and more foreboding.

Deciding on our look

The stairs are solid elm and stained dark brown, like so most things here in old Gascon France. They have very few redeeming features and in my heart, I wanted them gone.

I had dreams of a romantic reclaimed stone staircase with iron railings. However a quick word with a local stonemason and his ball-park figure given and that idea was quickly shelved.  A few glasses of red to drown the sorrows and it was time to move on to Plan B.

Our next idea of replacing them and perhaps re-configuring them, went the same way as my stone and iron plan due to budget sensibility. We needed a Plan C.

Wood bleach solution

I love browsing hardware stores and seeking out new DIY products. A visit to Leroy Merlin’s paint department had me discover something called Decolourant.  This Ebinistes product (I love their range) claimed it would bleach wood. You can read about it here

With my potential plan C purchased I began testing it on the underside of the stairs and was delighted to see it did what it said on the tin.

A quick warning here – if you use this product, ventilate the area well and wear a gas mask.  I didn’t and we nearly had to call the ambulance.  Anyway, we learnt our lesson and now approach using this stuff in a new and safer way.

Husband quickly came on board with the idea and the stripping and sanding began in preparation.  However, we still had the problem of very heavy horizontal heavy timbers up the side and around the top plus the ugly newel posts.

The thought of pulling them apart and adding a new look with spindles and perhaps nicer newel posts had me reeling.

We decided instead to remove two of the three horizontals and take it from there. If after the rest of the project was completed we still hated them, we would removal all of them and add new spindles or some other safety element up the sides.

The project scope

We decided to bleach the handrail and stair treads. Every other element would be painted in a light antique white eggshell.

It was also decided at this stage not to refit the cupboard under the stairs and leave it open. This meant that every surface had to be pre-prepared ready for a full reveal underneath.

Prepping the surfaces

First – remove the ugly horizontal balusters.

Second – fill all major the holes and damage plus the large holes left behind from removing the balusters.

Next – sand all surfaces top and bottom of the stairs and underneath as they were now revealed.  This job took ages! We allowed a couple of days but in reality it was double this.

The bleach will not work well if old shellac/varnish is not removed evenly.

Et voila – a clean raw set of stairs.

The bleaching process

As mentioned above, the bleaching solution is brilliant but it is highly toxic.  After a day on hands and knees applying with a brush I began to feel sick, could not get my breath and my heart began racing.  Decision time – Google the problem or call an ambulance?  Google confirmed the problem and with a lot of fresh air and coughing, I began to feel better. However it did take a few days to get all the nasty gases out of my system.  IDIOT!

I found using a natural bristle brush the easiest way to work in the bleach. It takes a while to perform its full magic (overnight) and to see the full effect. We applied two coats to most surfaces not being painted although there were two or three areas that had some additional touch up.

The end result of the bleaching was that the “wear and tear” was still visible and I was thrilled that their “antique” look was not totally lost.

Finishing to exposed wood elements

We were introduced to a wonderful wood floor finish in the early days of renovation here and it has been used on over 300 square metres of floors throughout the house and guest annex.  It is not cheap! Something magic happens when it reacts with the wood? You can read out it here

It was explained to me (in French) and I got the gist of the natural oil and cellulose reacting to create a new structure. Better than it forming a strong durable finish, it is also matt, natural, odor free, easy to apply with a brush or foam roller and relatively quick drying/setting. What’s more – brushes and rollers wash out in soap and water!

As most of our original floors were in pretty bad condition, it has not only protected the new finishes we have created but strengthened the wood in the process.

We used this product for both the stair treads and hand rail.

It was decided to oil the wood before painting the other areas for easier clean up and masking. Once the wood is sanded and bleached, it needs protection quickly.  Working on them and general everyday use meant that they were becoming marked and damaged without this protection.

Painting the remainder

The rest of the finishing was relatively easy if a bit fiddly in parts.  We used a slight contrast colour for the first riser (at front and underneath) to match our floor tiles.  In our case this was Autentico Almond Eggshell, the same colour we had chosen for our door trims.

The eggshell paint is lovely to use and gives an old worldly look – not too matt or glossy.  A few tips:

• eggshell paint does not like being overworked. You must not keep working over an area that is painted or you will get drag marks and clumping
• eggshell paint needs some weeks to fully harden and then is almost indestructible. Take care not to knock or kick the risers and balusters until totally hardened.
• Tape up your wood areas well – although any mistakes or brush overs on your oil finished wood will wipe clean fairly easily.
• A job this size will take some time to complete.  Keep your brush in a zip lock bag in between usages to save on washing out.

I use Autentico paints for furniture and fine finishes although there are many other brands jsut as good.  However, if like me you like to order it online and love the “current” colours, you can order it here

Time and costs

This project was completed over the winter months and took some weeks to complete.  However, all in all it was less invasive than having the old stairs removed and new ones installed and of course there was the cost comparison. No comparison really.

Cost of materials:

One bottle of Ebinistes Decolourant (wood bleach) €24.90

One 5 litre can of Blanchon Huile Environnement (natural floor/wood oil) €112.00

One 1 litre tin of Autentico Corfu White Eggshell paint €27.95

Other materials (sandpaper, painters tape and leftover Autentico Almond Eggshell paint) were part of our workshop stock.

Total cost of stairs less than €150.00 not including our time, which of course is FREE.

In my mind many thousands of euros were saved by taking on this Plan C and the end result well worth the effort.  However, I will let you be the judge!

Now on to the annex stairs – a new plan for these ones though.  Stay tuned!

The post Budget Stairs makeover appeared first on Our French DIY & more.

You can see the pantry project here Painted concrete part one – the pantry

Weight, budget and choice – decisions!

At over 75 square metres, the cost of finishing our terrace in tile such as thin travertine would add up to over €1500 for tiles plus glue, grout and sealant. The tiles I was eyeing up would have cost over €4000 so I was actually looking for an interim solution whilst we decided.

Budget, as usual, was the key driver in the decision. As chief procurer of all “decorative” things, it came down to me on both look and costs.

Husband kept reminding me to minimize the weight of paving to the terrace.  As we intended to host large parties on this terrace, weight was to be kept to a minimum.

The terrace is south facing with bright sunshine year round, so highly reflective surfaces were also off the list.

Seeking a WOW factor

Designed as a natural extension from the inside to outdoors, it forms our “FFI” factor (Fab first impressions), from the entrance out through the newly installed French doors to our lake.

We chose flagstone look-alike tiling from Pavan for the new hall and kitchen/living areas. It was important to me that this look flowed through to the terrace.

Of course following our aim of a rustic modern old French house was also important to the overall effect.

Painted concrete offered a low cost, low glare/low weight option even if a bit labour intensive to create.

A confession at this point.  It took nearly two years before I finally decided on painted concrete – even if just a temporary option. I am so glad I waited for the right inspiration.

The plan….

With our usual naivety and enthusiasm motivated by a budget relieving idea, the terrace was approached with a “can do” attitude, especially after the pantry test success.

Like the pantry, the plan was to mimic stone tiles. However, this time large Persian styled carpets would become feature areas left and right of the french doors.

Husband and I had both admired a very simple painted concrete idea at Bab al Shams resort outside Dubai. This became the basis for my inspiration.

Here is how we did it.

Step one – Preparation of surfaces

Basically it was the same process as the pantry – only many times the size. Also it was outdoors in the elements creating other complexities not the least being weather dependent schedule.

Husband was well and truly on board from the start and helped with the power washing, acid wash and vacuuming of the terrace. All of this was much easier on an outdoor project compared to the pantry prep.

He left me to the creative part in the later stages which I was secretly pleased with.

Step 2 – the base coat colour 

Husband agreed to be chief painter’s assistant for the painted concrete base colour. Both armed with rollers and extender poles, it was completed in a relatively short time.

We chose to use Taupe for the first coat as a darker “grout” look than the stone colour we had used in the pantry.

After painting the areas to have faux tile applied, we masked off the two large areas for the Persian carpets and painted them in a lighter contrasting colour.

Like the pantry, we added a lighter coloured contrast edging to get us a straight line around the exposed stone walls and step out from the doors.

Like any floor surface, plan where you will start and finish so as not to paint yourself into a corner.

Try not to apply first coat in the heat of the day but ensure your surface is bone dry and concrete well cured before applying paint.

Clean, dry and cured – a must for painted concrete projects!

Dampness under your paint will lift it over time – we learnt the hard way.

Allow to dry 24 hours without walking on it. Cats ignored this advice but luckily most concrete paints are touch dry in a few hours.

Step 3 – taping up the tile elements

As mentioned, we to create a flow from inside to out. We marked up the area immediately outside the french doors with the same pattern and dimensions as the interior tiles.

However, beyond this to the left and right we decided on a simple pattern to the larger size of tile from this pattern. The time and effort to try and replicate the “Versailles” tiling grid was mind numbing.

No one has noticed and it saved a lot of time, effort and masking tape.

As with the pantry, we made cardboard templates from our actual hall tiles to help with the laying down of the pattern and tape. We did the Versailles pattern strip first as shown here:

Ensure your tape joints neatly fit one another. Any gap or overlap will show up when you remove the tapes after the next step.

Step 4 – Painting the tiles

I applied the “tile look” paint to this area first to test the look. Using the same sea sponges, a scratchy brush and the assorted colours on plastic lids as I did in the pantry, the look emerged.

We finished the central “tiled” area and then I decided to get started on the carpets and after I would carry on with the “tiles” extending outwards from them.

Step 5 – Painting the concrete carpets

With a lot of the hard work out of the way, I was finally going to start on the area I was most looking forward to.

I chose strong Persian carpet colours for these areas that I had previously tested in the pantry. Red, dark blue, grey, yellow and soft green plus a few custom highlight colours I made from paint tints as I went.

Look for inspirations

At this point I could be seen running backwards and forwards between various actual Persian carpets inside the house for inspiration.

To form the base carpet pattern I taped off concentric portions from the outside in and painted alternate colours with a wide soft brush.

Be careful not to allow it to bleed under tape – although it can be touched up later.

Then came the feature areas in the centre of each carpet. The aim was for them to match in colour and style but be different in design.

I outlined some of the feature areas with pencil and painted the edges free hand, whilst more simple decals could be taped as per tile and stripe method.

Note the vacuum cleaner constantly on stand-by to keep surface clean of dust and grit.

The pantry painted concrete experiment proved that a large amount of stenciling wasout of the question. The size and nature of the concrete paint meant I had to devise alternate ways to apply the smaller details and design.

I used stencils at the corners of the carpets and in large motif areas in the centre of each carpet and then free hand, added simple colour highlights and details.

Experimenting with different ways of applying detail, I found lots of easy ways to create what looked like fine detail but was in fact simple to produce on a large scale.

By layering these up and repeating around between the solid colours, patterns that were simple gave an overall impression of fine detail and complexity.

The trick is to make sure you keep multiple colours in these design areas and make each stripe of design a repeat pattern or with some form of repeating element.

Easy home-made embellishment tools

Here are things I used to apply the decorations:

• The end of a chopstick dipped in paint made fantastic dot designs
• Various pencil erasers such as flower shaped etc from the dollar shop
• Cut up Wettex sponge into basic shapes could be smudged with paint and then pressed on stamp style.  I made simple circles, squares, diamonds and even a paisley inspired shape.
• Rubber key rings in various shapes
• Fine brushes for the occassional straight line or flick in conjunction with the stamps
• An old schnapps glass rim dipped in paint created small circles.

Layer up the design elements and colours

The trick is to use simple easy to apply in bulk shapes and colour elements and then layer them.  Below you can see a stripe, spot or serious of dots which when applied in various colours create a more complex effect.

If using a stencil, apply in one colour and go back to your various stamps or stabbers and make them look more complex by adding more colour and detail.  As per photo below.

Easy colour block elements by taping & painting as per your tiles and easy dot and dash design elements. When viewed closely here you can see they are a bit wonky, but from afar not being perfect actually makes them more realistic.

Raid the house for shapes to trace

I drew around plates, bowls and other kitchen items to get basic shapes and then added a stencil or stamping and a bit of fine brush detail for large decal elements.

When viewed as one it looks complex but actually it is very simple and requires no artistic skill whatsoever.  Please don’t tell my husband this though.

For the fringes, I used a piece of Wettex cut in a circle which I stamped all along each end to make the knots.  Then with a fine brush I added a white swish on one side of the spot and a grey swish on the other.

With white and grey I then flicked lines with a fine brush to make the fringes.

Note: You need to let areas dry before adding new colour over them.  So keep working colour by colour and come back to areas previously started once they are dry.

Step 6 – Completing your painted concrete floor

Finish off any tiles, detailing and area edges and stand back and admire.

Know when to stop – something my Husband doubted I was capable with this project.

Decide if you are going to use a sealer.  In hindsight, I wish we had but I was terrified of the shiny and reflective surface from the pantry project, something we were trying to avoid in this bright sunny area.

The colours have faded a little but only I would notice. There are also a few areas that are wearing but if anything it has made the area look more organic and authentic.

It is now four years since we painted the terrace and it looks nearly as good as the first day.  We love it.

Time and costs

It is hard to estimate how long this project took as I would only tackle it on fine days when it was not too hot.  I suppose in reality it was a week long project once the base colour was down.

We spent approximately €250 on paint, tape and paint tints. A clear finish would have cost another €40 for a single coat.

I already owned the stencils and various elements used for dabbing and stamping.

All in all, we are delighted with the result, the costs and the fun of having something original and unique.  With all we have done on the house here it is still the area that gets the most comments.

For a simpler look you could simply paint an area in one colour and add a carpet in one other single colour. Stripes, checks/plaid, wooden rocker patterns or even polka dots would all look great depending on your floor is situated.

Find an area to practice and have some fun.

Give it a try!

*Some notes on concrete paints in France

Over the various painted concrete projects undertaken, we have tried several brands in all their quality options.

In all instances we have opted for exterior paint only.

Whilst a little more expensive, the “intensive traffic area” paint proved best for large areas.

Decorative elements such as stencil highlights or small design areas are fine with the basic exterior concrete paint variety.

We only used the water based brands.  Ease of washing out, quickness of drying and ease to mix colours all proved best with water based varieties.

To avoid having to buy a large number of tins to give you colour variations, the small tubes of colour concentrates available in most hardware stores work well in concrete paint. Purchase creams, white and/or light grey paints and various paint tint tubes to colour up small quantities.

However, for larger areas I suggest you use off the shelf colour for ease of touch up or repairing any damages in the future.

Top/sealant coats are available and we have sampled several. However all gave a glossy finish even though stated as matt.  The non-slip variety did have fine granules in it but when dried, there was little visible or textural difference.

The best value and widest ranges of concrete paint we found here in France were at Castorama and Leroy Merlin.  Dependent on quality and brand, large tins cost from  €29- €60 and small tins cost  €12 upwards.

The finest width tape (14mm) was found at Castorama although I had to order in extra supplies due to amount needed. Explaining what I needed it for tested my basic French skills to their exhausted limit. Confusion from man behind counter was worth the effort.

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Today’s excitement (and budget draw down) was the delivery of another machinery piece to our collection, a garden chipper.

France has banned bonfires. Fines of €450 for burning off your garden refuse is not something in our budget. Knowing this earlier, we would not have piled our trimmings and cuttings in huge stacks around the place for a burn this autumn.

I will mourn the loss of our annual fire ritual for some time however the new chipper will certainly replace some of the fun.

The relief of the truck driver when Husband explained he had tractor with forks to lift it off the truck was priceless.  It weights over 110 kilograms and is another example of having the right machinery to make life easier.

Our 400+ square metre home, two hectares of land and lakes/ponds all needed major attention, similarly the right tools to do the job.

Avoiding injuries

We were careful from the outset to reduce the risk of breaking ourselves. Hernias, bad knees and backs, and general “this can kill you” stuff is an everyday risk during such a project.

The scoping of said toys, I mean tools, became husbands job to define, price and procure. I however, reserved the right to name them all, as pets were not yet on the priority list.

Equipment essentials – budget recommendations from the very start

As we left our temporary home in the UAE to head to France, we did a quick shopping trip to Dragon Mart. The idea was to sort out some basic well priced décor or household items to be squeezed into our already groaning shipping container.

I looked at sensible aesthetic things that could be wedged in the almost full cartons but the reality of future and priority debates quickly became apparent.

The end result was a 0.75 ton palette truck, a very clever sack barrow and an articulated saw.

Husband was right (again) and these have proved invaluable in so many ways over the years, they even unloaded the said container when it arrived here.

We highly recommend both lifting/transport equipment from day one for any renovation, large or small, or even just to own to assist with everyday life; let alone renovation.

The sack barrow proves invaluable at the local wine annual wine sales.

Like all good multi-purpose tools, our collection has come in handy in ways we could never have imagined.

Initial budget hit – The works’ vehicle – very important!

Buying a sensible car sounds like stating the bleeding obvious. However, we have been surprised by the DIY-ers who chose glamour/image over practicality.

The vehicle must be both for transport of stuff as well as a family wagon. Above all it helps to be the right height for lifting out equipment and materials.

Furthermore it must be strong enough to tow a reasonable trailer whilst still allowing for wife to be transported in her best clothes without shedding tears.

Your main vehicle will do many miles here in France as procurement trips can take you all over the country or further. We buy all our house paint in Austria but that is another story.

Certainly make sure your partner is also comfortable, plus a navigation system to get you where you need to go without family debates.

We also chose 4×4 which was also a good decision.

Elementary you say? We were shocked to meet a DIY couple whose main car was a Fiat 500 convertible. They thought it was both economical and sensible. They can’t transport a ladder let alone a load of cement sacks or flat pack furniture. Perhaps a blessing in the city, but delivery costs in France for materials add up quickly.

The big boys “toys” budget – €50,000

Machinery rental and delivery costs, plus the inconvenience of not having it when you actually need it, will take its toll on any large renovation project and budget.

So many new friends here envy our (husband’s) foresight on machinery and tools purchasing.  After-all, you can sell your capital items when they are no longer needed.

Furthermore, the avoidance of some physical toll of tackling many tasks manually makes for a happier time of it.

It would seem that many look at the price of the house and then add their guesstimate of renovation costs without taking in equipment as a basic necessity. Many we have met regret it.

Husband set aside €50,000 for capital machinery items. Right again! The following is an overview of how he spent it and on what plus a few tips for additional items you will need.

As a part of our overall budget spend, machinery was never an afterthought. Here is a master budget and costs. DIY Reno Budgets – the basics to begin

Our capital budget machinery list

STORMY – THE TRACTOR.

Pre-ordered and arriving only days after us was our tractor. Husband undertook significant research over some months. This included machine sizes and dimensions.

He studied which size of machines require separate licensing/permits etc. and also what can squeeze into small situations such as down paths or under verandas.

Stormy’s roles as a fork lift, general garden work, mowing lawns and much more required it to be easily maneuvered.

Finally he chose a new 4WD 25hp Dong Feng with a back actor (digger thing with multiple buckets) and front loader with 4 in 1 bucket, adjustable forks and a large mower attachment for the back.

Husband also wisely had it delivered with turf tyres, which cause minimal damage to lawns and surrounding areas, especially in damp conditions.

In hindsight, we perhaps should have included a flail arm and log splitter in the deal. However,  we have managed without them. Husband has since created many labour saving elements and accessories but I will cover these in later posts.

Total cost delivered from UK to SW France €16,500. This was several thousand euros cheaper than purchasing the exact same brand and model here in France.

MAC – THE RIDE-ON MOWER.

Purchased new at Brico-Marché locally on a special offer, our 107cm wide ride-on has been marvellous, and for more than just it’s mowing.  It’s amazing how much more these things can do especially when the optional trailer is purchased.

Again Husband has designed his own accessories for the trailer and I will post pictures of these eventually.

We recommend buying both the mower and trailer from the very start if you have the need of a ride-on.  If not, look at a small motorized trailer anyway.  The mower was approximately €1,500 and the trailer accessory an additional €240 and worth every centime.

DOUG – THE DIGGER.

Although this was added to the toy box a little later, purchasing him earlier would have saved on our initial equipment hire costs.

Drainage, trenching, tree removal, stone and rock relocation, lifting, gravel and materials movement are renovation basics. He has handled most with ease.

Again, husband surprised me by purchasing quite a small model and again, he was right.  Doug manages most of the jobs whilst able to fit in tight places. With the multiple buckets also purchased this toy has fulfilled many tasks that would have required hired help and/or machinery.

A good second-hand one with low hours was searched for and collected from Toulouse. Doug is a pre-used 2.2 ton Komatsu with various buckets approx €13,000

DELORES – THE DUMPER.

Once again this “must-have” was scoped back on the size of what I had envisaged and once again, you guessed it, husband was right.

I love her and the many tasks she has helped with. Added to that the fact that I can drive her thanks to the hydro-static drive.  She lifts her skip to over 2.0 metres (it is already a metre off the ground) and tilts at any height for dumping. Second hand ex-rental purchase €6,500.

Husband has customized some palettes to make platforms and she becomes a mobile scaffold as shown in the photo above.

TRAILOR (NO NAME YET)

We initially had our sights on a larger one but that would have required significant additional paperwork and registration (a carte gris).

We decided to fore-go the tipping aspect in favour of a simplified (less expensive) version.

After five years we sometimes regret this however our trailer with an all up weight 750 kilo capacity has paid for itself in a very short time.  The French made “remorque” was purchased locally for around €1,000  on special offer and has proven sturdy and easy to use.

LIST OF OTHER KEY TOOLS TO BUDGET FROM DAY ONE

• Heavy duty electric/rock breaker.
• Basic medium quality drills (and if tools battery driven – get all that use the same batteries such as Ryobi +One). Cheap tools from Aldi or LIDL generally do not last or cope with the jobs undertaken.
• A good mobile scaffolding which is light to erect and move around. This is invaluable inside and out. Ours extends up to 3.4m with ground brace attachments and was purchased from Castorama for around €600.
• A good concrete mixer – size is important. Hot tip: bolt it to a palette and then you it can be moved with your tractor forks.  Most of our equipment is now set up this way.
• A variety of ladders – for both inside and out work and I suggest you label them that way. Risks of indoor stuff becoming covered in concrete and building muck are high. At least one ladder should extend to reach your guttering.
• A compressor for any render removal with a sandblaster if you are going to strip beams/structure or clean up stone features.
• Chainsaws -one traditional and an extendable one. Many of the extendable versions come with multi attachments such as hedge trimmer and strimmer.
• Industrial wet and dry vacuum cleaner dedicated solely for the renovation works. This ensures your internal vacuum cleaner does not migrate to the barn or workshop.
• Palettes – source some initially and then don’t throw any away as they are invaluable for storing all your materials and sorting them for storage.
• We have a variety of garden tools but I will cover these separately.

Basic stuff to add to day one purchase/arrival list

I am adding some basic stuff below that should arrive with you. The purchase costs of these can add up. Don’t ignore these basics as they are essential.

• Add a significant sum for work gloves and safety glasses. Buy good quality as cheap ones do not survive or simply hurt. We seem to need new ones every other month.

I suggest you write your name on them or they are quickly adopted by your significant other or temporary workers. 

Good leather work gloves €20 per pair.  I estimate we have spent around €1000 so far.

• Buy builders grade apparel for the job – good work boots with steel toe caps.  The right kit puts you in the right frame of mind as well as the various safety elements in them. Allow for both winter and summer sets.

It is easier to sort them come wash day and once again reduce wife’s tears.

• Husband has a hard hat that looks like a baseball cap purchased from Brico Depot.

It has saved many bruises clambering around a work site.

• Drop tarpaulins and indoor outdoor carpet pieces become invaluable. Giant poly bags and trestle tables also fulfill multiple roles. Protection of all surfaces means any space can become a work space without causing unnecessary damage.
• We have several very huge sacks with handles for the fork lifts – they can make life easy. These are available at any hardware place that sells gravel and sand by the scoop.
• A good first aid kit x 3. Have them handy around your home and site with one by the bed. Basic advice but worth the investment.  Top up a good store bought one with:
  1. burn creams, insect bite ointments, Voltarol or other muscle stress balms, tea tree or other good multi purpose antiseptics and balms.
  2. plasters of every size and configuration.
  3. Bath salts to soak away the aches such as Radox.  If you are flusher with funds and excitement than we were – add sauna to initial must-have list.
  4. Find a good pharmacist at home – they can recommend additional items to add such as heat/cold packs.

Get a tetanus injection!

Random stuff

Here are a few random budget and renovation survival tips.

No matter what size of house you buy, the cost per square metre will generally be the same. Please do not make the mistake, as so many do and buy a huge old chateaux you think you could renovate for a modest budget.

We have witnessed so many optimists run out of money and/or inspiration. It is tragic for those involved and for those having to watch it happen.

Take on a project that is a manageable size in every way – not the least being able to achieve your vision with the monies you have.

Divide your project into bite sized pieces and prioritize.

Give yourself a realistic timeline. Above all, DO have deadlines and/or target dates by project to aim for and celebrate.

Celebrate everything and often – it helps.

Our last other tip – 

Lastly, if you are buying in France, the amount you spend on your project does not mean that your much loved slaved-over home will increase in value by what you have spent and more. IT WILL NOT.

To set your renovation budget…..

Set yourself a total budget based on the price of homes around you that are already at the stage you envision yours to be. Then, deduct what you paid for the house (and costs) and the difference quite simply should be your maximum renovation budget.

That is of course unless you want to gift all expenditures over that amount to the next owners.

Above all, enjoy the actual renovation project – put on those new gloves and get on with it.

I am off to help Doug, Stormy, Delores and Husband fell some dead trees around our boundary before Floc o’clock* (apero hour).

Be inspired!

*Floc is a Gascon aperativ derived from fresh wine and white armagnac. Served in a low wide glass it is the starter drink of choice here in the Gers.  It is sweet, sticky and simply delicious. Here is a good article http://www.thesommelierchef.com/article/get-floc-out

The post Renovation Budget often ignored appeared first on Our French DIY & more.

Once the euphoria subsided and the countdown to moving began, the tough task of creating an actual budget to renovate became a priority.

We had created a final budget number we were prepared to spend on our house both on the purchase and cost of renovation and decoration at the beginning of our search.

When we viewed a house that was missing what had on our “must-have list”, we would take into account our guesstimate for adding the mandatory new life elements.

Getting an idea of what large elements cost before you begin a serious house-hunt is a must. Hopefully, the actual costs of ours below will help.

Here is another post that outlines the purchasing must-have list we used to get to this point. Tips to assist buying property in France

Consequently, we added these costs (or in some cases try to negotiate a reduction) to the sale price.  If the total of existing and building works needed was beyond our budget, we moved on.

For us, the planning and dreaming at each property viewed was half the fun.

Certainly, most of the houses viewed required an over active imagination, a thick pair of rose coloured glasses and a strong shot of courage to find their potential.  A “menu de jour” lunch beforehand also helped.

Our Project scope

“It seems a lifetime ago that we fell in love with the renovation potential of our new home here in SW France.”

It became obvious very quickly that as DIY renovation novices we were the only ones that could see or feel the true potential of our new found home.

We chose to ignore the visible flinches as people viewed it for the first time, whether onsite or via the excited emailed photos we sent to family and friends. We have learnt to control the same nervous ticks when viewing friends’ renovation dreams in their raw state.

However, from the start we stuck to our guiding budget and the maximum number we knew was not silly to spend.  In other words, we did not want to over capitalize.

Because we fell in love with our new home, we could see her inner beauty waiting to emerge.

The transformation only needed removing the weather stained grey render (crepi), relocating the unsightly external wiring and plumbing and the replacing the peeling cracked windows and exterior woodwork.

Whilst the the budget line was in place from day one the YouTube tutorials bookmarks was an ever changing mark.

Man shed heaven

The huge stone barn (man shed) was what actually clinched the purchase deal for Husband. He denies this of course.

“Man cave” envy expressed by male friends regularly confirmed my suspicions. Husband grows several centimetres when glowing green eyes view it for the first time. This continues today as the workshop upgrades and machinery collection continues to fill and improve the space.

However, for a DIY project of this scale we knew that a good sized workshop and a machinery and materials storage area were essential.

Invisible spending

Budget reality was a must at all times and had to include not only the costs as outlined below for the project parts but also the logistics of achieving it. Beautifying of our house was to come very late in the renovation process.

We knew all of this on our first visit to our house. The to-do list was significant and our “must-haves” list had many gaps to be filled.

Certainly, most of the initial projects needing attention would largely be invisible after the big bucks had been spent and before any dreams of a pool or gite/guest wing could be realized. Let alone the beautifying process.

The to-do list at purchase

Because the major works needed were detailed in the property settlement report provided by the Notaire, we had no illusions about the task/s ahead.

The comprehensive offer/purchase document is required by Law in France and must be undertaken by the vendor and provided to the buyer.

The report includes expert opinions on all the basic utilities, the energy rating, pests, lead and asbestos. Furthermore, it covers surrounding area anomalies/threats and even seismic activity.

DIY vs Contractors?

Our first step was to define our works versus those that needed professional help.

We then sorted the big jobs that needed certification or were beyond our strength or (yet to be acquired via YouTube) skill set. Then prioritized according to sensible order of works schedule.

Removing walls, pulling ceiling, floors and structure apart came first.  As did any external digging and major works to allow for septic, new mains water and sinking of power underground.

From there we could begin to install utilities and begin putting the house back together.

Top of mind was always the balance of budget savings versus importance of technical installations.

Neither of our past lives brought the necessary skill sets needed for complex building works. Nor did we yet have a grasp on the local language – something one might think is a must before taking on such a life change in a foreign country.

A warning:  do not assume that English speaking builders are better or easier to use. A lesson learnt the hard way!

The purchase contract mandates

The daunting “to-do” report in our purchase contract largely needed qualified trades-people.

French systems for electrics differ from those of our home countries and English standard systems will not be well received from the Electrics suppliers such as EDF.

Our work orders included all utilities and waste systems which did not meet any of the minimum standards and/or were dangerous. There was also lead paint, asbestos but luckily NO pests.

Apparently in France new building standards are only applied at the time of sale of a property which are then applied to the new owners. Beware!

Our costs for the big ticket utility upgrades

The amounts below are our actual costs for the mandatory works.

We had estimated these before purchasing without any real understanding of costs in France. During the house search process we grilled real estate agents and through this came up with an average based on their estimates.

In every case except heating, our cost guidelines were very close to the actual costs incurred.

We set a medium standard to each project. In other words, we were not hoping to turn our ugly duckling into a chateau nor were we looking to cut corners and re-create her to a minimum standard.

New installed utilities and waste management were specified as traditional. If we had decided on new technologies or cutting edge smart home systems, these costs would have increased significantly. As we have always based our time here on up to 15 years, costs were amortized and looked at as “our” return/savings on investment.

The numbers below reflect this decision.

Septic

(fosse septique) sand filter system  €11,500 including ground works, new venting and connections.

Electrics

Total re-wire throughout

Splitting of three phase incoming power

Installation and splitting of power distribution boards

Plus sinking of wiring to house underground and new metre box

Significantly more power and power outlets

TOTAL CIRCA €15,000.

Plumbing

Five bathrooms

Two kitchens

A laundry

Boiler room creation

Plus external watering outlets etc

TOTAL CIRCA € 20,000.

Heating

Refurbishing and moving of existing oil tank

A new Bosch blue flame oil boiler

Summer use electric hot water heater

TOTAL CIRCA €7,000. 

We did not choose solar which may have been a mistake but the costs at that time were exorbitant.

Underfloor heating (lower/ground floor level only)

We decided to refurbish the cast iron radiators on the second floor and laundry/utilities areas and add thermostats.

This budget number is almost impossible for us calculate as we had to remove all floors and excavate, add a damp course and drainage which did not exist.

However, total costs for all of these were in the vicinity of €11,000.

Ceiling Insulation

Ceilings to high thermal standards €6,000 plus VMC (moisture control system)

Contingency budget – utility phase

We were lead to believe that there were no major structural elements needing attention.

However, things such as roof or physical structure that may have evolved as we peeled the layers away were covered by a €25,000 contingency utilities budget. We also had a total number of 10% contingency across the entire project.

I am delighted to report some years on, other than a few additional beams here and there to cope with our house amendments (wall removals or floor strengthening for additional bathrooms) this stayed the case.

The new elements to complete our dream – the “must-haves”

After actual infrastructure and utilities had eaten away at our capital, it was time to draw on the budgets set aside for the additional elements.  It also meant trying to put our house back together again.

NEW WINDOWS

New high spec and finish (no painting required) double glazed PVC windows throughout. >€17,000 for 21 sets of 2m high double french panelled R57 rated.

RENDER REMOVAL

Exposing the stone facades – we initially thought we would do this ourselves but €20,000+ later we are thrilled with the professional job undertaken by skilled stone masons.

To save on costs however, we undertook much of the pre-works ourselves and laboured for the works teams.

INTERIOR STONE REVEAL (Pierre apparante)

After a quick lesson from our neighbour, we purchased pre-mixed bags of lime mortar from Gedimat at €12.50 a bag to create the exposed stone wall features on the interiors.  The hall, fireplaces and laundry were true DIY and apart from the great physical effort of removing old render and plaster and digging out the original mortar, it did not require outside help.  One bag of mortar would complete approximately 2.5 sqm.

SWIMMING POOL

Our initial budget guestimate of €45,000 included an electric cover and terracing. I am thrilled to report that our 11m x 5m concrete pool came in slightly under however some quotes received were more than double.

Beware of companies that think English speakers have bottomless renovation accounts.

GITE/ANNEX

We allowed €100,000 for the 120sqm plus 6mx10m covered terrace including landscaping of the area.  This included husband and I working side by side with the builder who and completed the annex to a shell with basic utilities in place. We completed the kitchen, two bathrooms, tiling and all decorating chores.

We undertook most of the procurement within this budget number.

Key items such as the 5m bi-fold oak doors were imported from the UK. As this was a new build but attached to the house we worked on €1000 per square metre as it shared many house resources. In the end we achieved slightly less than this to full finished specs.

For a free standing gite/guest accommodation we had in our original plan, we estimated a budget of minimum €1500+ /sqm which also included a high percentage of DIY elements and medium quality final finishes.

REAR TERRACE ADDITION TO GROUND FLOOR

15m x 5m and elevated to include carport underneath outside of cellar areas. Our budget of €20,000 was thought by many to be optimistic but we achieved it only by scoping back some of the finishes.  A post will follow showing how we saved around €5,000 with a few rolls of masking tape, a mad idea and naive enthusiasm.

WINE CELLAR

We deemed this to be a must-have to store all the wine we envisaged tasting and selecting in our area. However this is still on the to-do list as are all cellar areas which are currently used for storage and garden projects. Budget – none allocated

LAKE PONTOON and pier by the lake

Also still on the to-do list along with the tea house/gazebo I dream of. Budget €4,000

ELECTRIC FRONT GATES and stone wall entrance.

Still on the to-do list but for different reasons.  We want to make sure that all major deliveries, tree removal and general landscaping is completed before installing.  It will be done by mid 2019. Budget €5,000 including stone mason assistance.

Tools and machinery budget – husband wisdom

We quickly learnt that machinery rental on major jobs to be done quickly eats into budgets. Hence, Husband took on the scoping and eventual purchase of our own inventory. Here is Husband’s list and the costs of delivering it against an additional budget of €50,000. Renovation Budget often ignored

Our Budget (and actual costs) in review

Our new utilities including heating system and insulation, windows and exterior stone reveal approximately €70,000 which included many small to medium “fixes” along the way.

The new gite/cabana/annex circa €100,000 including furniture and fixtures whilst the pool and its landscaping came in well under the €45,000 allocated.

We had three quotes for pool and annex which differed by over €85,000!  One pool quote was over €80,000 which did not include electrics, plumbing or ground works!

Add to that €17,000 for windows, €20,000 for the new terrace and the many hundreds of materials procurement trips for general hardware, paint, furnishings and the like, we are at the end of our major budget spend.

I have not included the room specific budgets here as these are very specific to each person/team.  However here is a list of those areas we have taken on and completed:

• Turned the 90 sqm attic space into a master bedroom suite with large walk-in wardrobe, ensuite bathroom and adult relax space.
• Fitted out three bathrooms (one original plus creation of two new) in addition to those two included in the gite build price.
• Created a 90 sqm space by removal of walls to make a new open plan kitchen, huge island bench, dining and lounge space.
• New ceilings in most rooms.
• New tile floors in major ground floor areas.
• Renovated all original timber floors, beams architectural features.
• Created large pantry/larder, laundry, utility room.
• Major garden installations including revitalizing of large lake and two ponds, creation of a stream, boardwalk, potager (raised vege garden), white gravel paths and significant plant and tree purchases.
• Then comes the decoration such as curtains, lighting, furniture and the like.

However, the largest budget elements remain those outlined in more detail above.  Many of the room by room projects will be covered off separately in later pages.

In fact the original budget is spent. We now make every new “home improvement”decision based upon how it will enhance our lifestyle. That does not mean it is a sensible investment decision but one we are prepared to absorb..

We still celebrate the areas we managed significant savings and hard grunt. Thousands of euros saved by upcycling, recycling and restoring elements on site. Of course, bargain hunting and learning the where to buy had a huge impact on our overall spend.

Finally, whilst the infrastructure upgrade costs were significant, we purchased this house at a very good price.  Our end result is a habitable space over 400 square metres including the two bedroom/two bathroom guest house, a large swimming pool, landscaped grounds and fully furnished throughout.  We love it.

The final cost of this house is less than those we had viewed in a “completed” state during our house hunt. Ultimately this was the challenge we set for ourselves.

In other words, we have a achieved a house of our dreams, fulfilled a lifelong ambition to create one and all for less than those we viewed on our search with same specifications.

But …. most of all it has been fun. We hope the info above helps guide you to your dream and the satisfaction of living it.

This post assumes you are at the beginning. 

Specific project by project costs are included in other posts. Whilst the numbers outlined below are our actual ones, they are obviously specific to us.

This is our Legal disclaimer about it being appropriate to our project and as a guideline only for you

The post DIY Reno Budgets – the basics to begin appeared first on Our French DIY & more.

So, you have decided to buy a property in France or perhaps still considering? Whether it is your next home or place to while away a season, many of the same principles apply.

Just reaching the “which country” point is a major hurdle to overcome if you are considering purchasing in Europe – well done if you have already decided. The basic decision process on finding your house is the same regardless of nation or for a holiday place or new home.

At some future stage I will write up our tips for the process for getting to the decision of the final country.

We started our search across Spain, Portugal, Italy and France – eventually prioritizing key lifestyle elements helped us decide on a new French life. A good decision.

Once we chose France, then came the arduous decision of where to focus our search in this big country.

Where in France?

Deciding on the the region and department took us several trips, hours of consulting France savvy friends and the creation of a comprehensive list of priorities for both the area and the eventual home.

Weather, accessibility, prices, population (in-season and off-season), by the sea or in the country, standard of medical care, topography and even neighbouring countries were all vital things for us to decide. Importantly, it was also important that we both agree.

Own the dream together

For us a few good bottles of wine over several nights helped the intense discussion and eased differing opinions and perceived must-haves. We started out our search as a united team.

It’s important to point out that we have NO regrets on choosing the French department of the Gers as our place to be. However, it was not easy discovering it after nearly three years of regular trips, 15000 kilometres in rental cars and many disappointments. It was word of mouth that finally lead us here.

Ask lots of questions – some people really do have good advice and oodles of tips to share.

Following our dream was easy sitting on the sofa at night and browsing the many online real estate sites and scrolling the endless listings of houses for sale. It also helped a lot to identify potential areas of concern in advance.

I know that I wasted a lot of real estate agent’s time by not truly understanding an area before inquiring about it. I would see a listing thinking it was the perfect “just the house” and fly emails off at a rapid rate . A genuine apology to all those agents – I know a lot more now.

A special thanks to the team at French Entree where I focussed a lot of my searches and gathered so much invaluable info.

First of our Tips: Prices that seemed too good to be true often were.

A quick search on Google Earth often revealed why. Husband is the guru of cyber snooping house ads. Even without an accurate address he could track down a house from its advertised pictures. It was fairly obvious that a neighbouring farmer’s cow pens and three story muck heap at “our” front gates were a no go. One dream mini chateau showed up to be only metres from a major auto-route. My favourite fail was a gorgeous stone villa that required travelling the last 300 metres by foot – a permanent problem.

Agree your criteria

It is stating the obvious but from the start agree on your list of must-haves, nice to haves and “definitely nots”. All house shopping participants should be in complete agreement and honest from the outset.

With a good plot of land on our wish list, we soon learnt to state that the said land needed to be tractor accessible – not nearly vertical and only suitable for mountain goats, as one property had that we visited.

In short, we were also looking for a life changing project to take on. The eventual home was to fulfill a DIY dream we both shared. We wanted new skills (and language) to learn and new muscles developed. We were not looking for houses where all the work had been done and simply needed personalizing.

Refining our geographic search and house attributes was one of the hardest elements on the home hunting adventure but this is our list we finally adopted for our renovation adventure and new French life. I have covered off budget tips in another blog but I am assuming you have one at this point. If not, decide now.

Our French property shopping guide and some tips to help

Weather

Mild winters in other words, snow to be a rarity. We studied weather records to find long gentle in-between seasons and also enough rain that we were not in a desert.  Tip – wine maps can help with this if you know your varieties and their weather needs.

Lifestyle

Live, work or play? Ours was already clearly defined – a big challenging project amidst semi-retirement.

Fast lane vs slow lane

For us, it was to be slightly off the tourist map. Everyone loves Provence but we found most areas literally became car parks for the peak summer season. We wanted a rural existence with a good city/ies an easy day trip.

Low crime rates

This info is available on many French websites. Here is one you might find useful – Crime rates across France.

Weather anomalies

I hate wind so NO major prevailing winds. The Mistral wind that blows down the Rhone Valley to the Mediterranean is often unbearable and said to send people mad.  Tip  If you see wind turbines – move on unless sailing is on your leisure list. French Property Links provides a good overview.

Infrastructure

Not more that 1.5 hours to an International Airport

Sea, ocean, mountains, land

Preferably easily accessible to a sea.  NOTE: This is one of the few elements we had to forego – we are an easy two hours to the Atlantic. Point 12 was our compromise.

Leisure activities/facilities

Great places to explore within a three hour drive radius. A friend’s list has golf course within 10 minute drive a must. Luckily husband didn’t think this a priority.

Neighbours

As France is known for its regular strike actions, we wanted to be not more than two hours from an international border just in case we needed supplied or flights and France was in lock down. We were not fussed which country neighbour we had.

Regional specialties

Our final area had to produce great wine and preferably a good bespoke spirit. We purchased a wine map poster and used this to refine our search. online wine map poster

Outlook must haves

We wanted to see and experience vineyards from our house but not have any cost or responsibility for them. Must have an outlook or view of some sort and not down a hole.

Land features

The house must have its own lake or large water area.

Area style/character

The area’s buildings must predominantly be of white stone with terracotta roofs and a general feeling of history.

House construction/style

The house to be constructed from limestone, be at least 100 years old and have some character even if not yet revealed and to be structurally sound with a solid roof. Our DIY dream did not include propping up a ruin. Tip  It is not usual to get an engineers certificate in France and can be difficult to include in your offer.  Friends have often brought their own with them from the UK or beyond prior to settlement.

Situation 

The house must have living areas south facing.  This Australian could not survive a dark or damp existence.  Tip I travelled with a pocket compass at all times to ensure no fibs were told to us.

Land size 

For us a minimum two hectares (five acres) of land that is relatively low maintenance. Adjacent to woods would be nice but not essential. We did not want large animals – well at least husband didn’t.

Village, city, town or rural 

To be reasonably remote (not overlooked) but easy drive to basic daily supplies such as a bakery and small supermarket.  The privacy aspect a high priority.

Ruin, live-able or completed

As I had no intentions of living in a caravan or barn in the interim, the house had to have an internal area or annex for surviving from within the first few weeks of arrival.  A working toilet, power and hot water and preferably some form of heating were not negotiable.

Risks

House not near a river or flood zone.  Husband ruled out old mills from the beginning and I now know why.

Road access

The area should be easily accessible to an Autoroute but the house could not be on or too near a major road.

Outbuildings/additional needs

This point is way down the list here but I know husband listed it near the top during our search.  Must have a good sized barn and or outbuildings with space for a workshop. I secretly hoped for a studio also but the cellar will do for now.

Pool?

If no swimming pool, then the perfect south facing place to install one.

Architectural style

The shape of our stone house must be a classic “maison de maitre” style.

House size?

A minimum of four bedrooms with a gite or space/potential to construct one. Ease of making bedrooms en-suite also important.

Be prepared to be surprised!

We spent tens of thousands of euros in travel expenses and several years on and off searching which was fun.

However, it was also filled with disappointments, shocks and even horror at how some people showed their homes that they wanted to sell to us.

We have stumbled over sleeping naked stinky teenagers, climbed over filthy piles of washing up to move through a kitchen, hacked our way through stinging nettles to find a front door and even herded a donkey out of a living room.

Other things we know NOW ….

Hopefully, this list of basic tips is a good starting point for you if you are still to finalize yours. There are a few other points that we did not know at the time of our search and I am including them below.  I wish I had known tips 1 and 2 here at the time of our search.

1. Fast and strong internet connection – preferably fibre optic or at the very least WiMax accessible.
2. A strong mobile phone signal.  France is notoriously bad on both of these points and it is worth checking.
3. If in a rural location, know the crops around you and what chemicals they are allowed to spray. France is anything but organic.
4. Make friends with one or two real estate agents and work with them. They can make life a lot easier.
5. Don’t be disheartened when you send this list as your brief to an agent and they laugh. Most told us it was impossible but we found everything we were looking for in the end. A good brief can save both you and the agent a lot of wasted time and travel expense.
6. A cultural breakdown of your village or town. Find out who really lives there and when, where they are from, what they do (not do) and how social/active it is.  Closed shutters does not necessarily reflect a dying village.
7. If you are renovating, how far are local good hardware and building suppliers. Your life will be filled with procurement trips and often quick dashes needed.

Spend some time

Once you think you have found areas that you prefer, take a gite or apartment for a period of time in the area and actually experience the lifestyle, amenities, climate etc. Visit the tourist office and discover what if any events are scheduled, especially out of summer. For full-time movers, visit in winter and see if there is still a pulse.

Coming blogs will feature some additional home search and purchase tips plus our favourite French real estate websites.  For budget considerations during your home search see our page – DIY Reno Budgets.

But first – Write your list!

Open a good bottle of (French) wine, find a quiet place with whoever is joining you on this search and write your list. It is the brief and a reminder to yourselves on what you want/need, that you can afford and where ever it is, that it provides most of what you are dreaming of.

The initial list above was the foundation for us to find what we wanted – and we did!  You can too!

Good luck on your search. Let us know how you get on.

Au revoir

Penny

The post Tips to assist buying property in France appeared first on Our French DIY & more.

We purchased this 200 year old stone “maison de maitre”, previously an Armagnac producing property, with the knowledge it was truly a major project.

She was very tired and needing a lot of love, care and upgrading but her full potential was immediately evident to us. However, the scale of the works to be undertake would test our DIY learning curve.

Our rose-coloured glasses were hard to share with friends and family. Their unconscious flinches when shown the property or photos were something we learnt to ignore.

Under her blanket of grey concrete render, early to mid 20th century (moldy) wallpapers and years of being unoccupied, she was a Cinderella waiting to dress up for the ball.

On these pages we will share much of what we learned about searching for and purchasing a house in France, the projects undertaken and where we found the best renovation materials bargains.

Our property is also covered in fruit trees, berry bushes and has a very large potager (vegetable garden). We have had great fun creating recipes for food and drinks from our seasonal produce and will share our recipe success stories with you.

Managing our DIY priorities – the list was long

However, the Notaire who managed the sale process did not possess our level of enthusiasm. This was very evident as he read off the various mandatory reports that French Law requires. His tone was one of “not too late to change your mind”.

We apparently had work orders on the electrics, plumbing and the septic system, pages of warnings about lead paint and asbestos and essential things like boilers etc were all over 25 years old.

She “listed a bit to port” but we were not deterred.  She had thick stone walls, a good roof, various ponds and a large lake. Along with a couple of hectares of gardens, a huge stone barn and south facing outlook, we loved her, wanted her and everything else we would work out as we went along.

“In order to succeed, we must first believe that we can” 

Furthermore, we were total “newbies” to all DIY and renovation skills needed but definitely not short on enthusiasm or motivation.

My old adage of EQ>IQ is a daily mantra here and has kept us going.

Delivering the dream

The main aim (dream) of this renovation was to undertake most of it with our own hands and minds.

We knew that the little French language skills we possessed might create some procurement challenges – and it has. However, we now have oodles of tips to share.

Together Husband and I are now well on our way to living the dream in France and loving it.

Finally, our lovely old house is starting to emerge and much to the surprise of many, exceeding expectations. However, there is still much to do.

DIY tips, ideas and tutorials

We look forward to sharing our know-how and acquired skills. In addition we will include living in France tips, our projects and products, recipes and other fun stuff.

We hope that as a result of the dream we are following, we might inspire someone else to take on similar challenges. Perhaps we could inspire you to a move away from your comfort zone and a whole new life!

Have a great day, breathe and don’t forget to have a dream!

The post Our French reno dream appeared first on Our French DIY & more.