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During our recent live webinar hosted by Fab French Insurance, we had the pleasure of discussing “Renovations and Property Maintenance in France” with a variety of experts, including Carmel from Les Bons Voisins, a property maintenance expert, Sue from SAS S.R Charpentier, a renovation expert, and DIY enthusiasts Jack and Becs, a couple from New Zealand living in France who have renovated their own home.
Below are some of the questions asked during the webinar, along with answers from Sue, our renovation expert.
I would say for general building materials it’s best to buy in France from your local supplier, there is no need to bring them from the UK. You risk being charged import duty tax on them plus the extra cost to bring them over in fuel/trailer etc. It is sometimes counterproductive or not cost efficient to import building materials. General building materials aren’t that much more expensive in France. That being said, for finishing and decoration materials such as light fittings, soft furnishings, paint etc there is much more choice in the UK and a lot cheaper.
Is solar power popular?
Solar power for residential properties has become increasingly more popular over the last 5 years, many properties are having them installed on their roof. They do require planning authorisation in the form of a “déclaration préalable de travaux”.
If a septic needs to be replaced what is the cost or does it depend on the size?
It really does depend on the size but on average between 8 000 – 10 000€ to be installed by a professional. The company needed is an “entreprise d’assainissement”- sanitation company.
Is there typically a ten-year warranty with a registered artisan or does this differ based on the artisan. Is this the duration of the insurance coverage for work.
All registered artisans legally must hold 10-year warranty to cover their registered activities. This includes and is not an exhaustive list carpenters, joiners, masons, roofers, tilers, plasterers, plumbers/heating engineers, electricians and professional painters and decorators.
The ten-year guarantee covers damage occurring after the work has been accepted by the project owner and for 10 years. The deadline starts the day after the signing of the minutes of receipt of the works – PROCES VERBAL form.
What is the approximate cost per square meter to entirely replace a traditional tiled roof?
This is difficult to answer as there are many variables that can affect the overall cost. For a complete roof replacement including the frame then you would be looking at around 180€-300€+ per m².
I'm sure it varies widely by region, but how bad is the current backlog for contractors? Around this time last year, a friend told me they couldn't get anyone with shorter than a 1-year wait.
Like you say this will vary by area, all I can say is that as a company we have had a 12-month rolling waiting list for the past 4 years. There is a shortage of artisans, and it is always important to factor in a 6 – 12 month waiting time for larger works. Electricians and plumbers are normally available sooner than that. In France it is always best to plan way ahead and be patient.
Where can I check the PLU on the cadastral parcels I own?
If you visit your local town hall (mairie) and ask they should be able to tell you.
Where do you get your region’s PLU?
At your local town hall.
Won’t a contractor take care of the permits?
Some companies offer a service to assist in obtaining authorisations particularly for the works that do not require an architect so in answer to your question yes, they can. I have done some DP – déclaration préalable du travaux, forms for our clients and also guided clients in doing their own so they know the process.
If plumbing pipes are small and not up to the task, can they be replaced with subsidies?
Unfortunately, not. Government subsidies are for works that improve the energy rating of a property and not for general renovation works such as plumbing pipes unless it was part of a larger project to replace a heating system, hot water system that met the criteria for energy saving works.
We would like to install solar hot water and solar electricity and maybe an electric boiler too…but we don't know what permissions are needed, and where to find artisans to quote for the work to see if it is affordable, and whether in France one gets three different quotes etc….and how long the process might take? Might it be possible to have a session on solar and moving to electric from gas?? Many thanks.
Your first port of call could be your Marie, they may be able to recommend local companies that do this. Yes, it is always best to get several quotes to compare. Permission to add solar panels to a roof is required but is a simple and free process in the form of a DP – Déclaration Préalable de travaux (prior declaration of works) form, this can also be obtained from your Mairie. You would need a heating engineer and an electrician that specialises in solar installations.
When you purchase a property, if there were renovations done (without receipts) would all of the permits and requirements need to be provided and disclosed at the time. So purchaser is not held responsible for any requirements not complied with.
Yes, they would need to have been provided to the notaire. Notaire’s have tightened up when it comes to asking for all the paperwork for works carried out on a property. If authorisation for the works was required and granted and carried out, then that paperwork will need to be provided. One of the processes when having permission to do any renovation works, is a form to open and close the works. It is important that this procedure is followed to avoid any headaches in the future if the property is sold on. This proves that the correct permissions were granted, and the works were compliant with the rules and regs. In some cases when the correct permissions were not carried out the purchaser has had to do it retrospectively which doesn’t guarantee approval.
For inquiries about property renovations in France, you can visit SAS S.R Charpenterie website here.
Don't miss the replay of our “Renovations and Property Maintenance in France” webinar, available here.
