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

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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

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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

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