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Building and Renovation in France
Building a New Home in France
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Site Selection
- 3. Getting Free Advice
- 4. Architects in France
- 5. Selection of Builder
- 6. Building Estimate
- 7. Building Contract
- 8. Terms of House Building Contracts
- 9. Planning Notices
- 10. Financial Guarantees
- 11. Building Guarantee
- 12. Handover
- 13. Disputes
- 14. Local Property Tax
- 15. Household Insurance
Guides to France
Property in France
- Buying property in France
- Buying off-plan in France
- French property auctions
- SCI Ownership
- French property rights
- Renting property in France
- Selling property in France
Building & Renovation
- Building a house in France
- French planning system
- Property renovation in France
- French property rights
- French Mobile Homes
Work & Business
Money & Taxation
- Banking in France
- French mortgages
- Currency Exchange
- Taxes in France
- French inheritance
- French home insurance
Living in France
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- French Health Insurance
- French Home Insurance
- Inheritance Tax & Law Consultancy
- French Planning
- Transfer Money to France
- Metric Unit Conversion
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France Insider.
If you require advice and assistance with the purchase of French property and moving to France, then take a look at the France Insider Property Clinic.
If you require advice and assistance with the purchase of French property and moving to France, then take a look at the France Insider Property Clinic.
2. Finding a Building Plot for a New Home in France
- How to Find a Building Plot
- Site Checklist
2.2. Site Checklist
The following checklist may help you in deciding if a particular site you have found is right for you:
- Does the site suit your current lifestyle and needs and will it also be suitable in the future?
- What is the likely density of development that will be permitted on the site and will this meet your needs?
- What other development is likely to take place in the area over the next few years?
- What is the likely orientation of buildings on the site?
- What arrangements will be necessary for the provision of public services – electricity, gas, telephone, drainage?
- What are the precise boundaries of the site and might it be necessary to arrange for boundary determination, called bornage, to be carried out?
- What is the nature of the soil? Is it suitable for construction? Is it necessary to have soil tests carried out? You may well find that the planning authority insists on such tests before planning consent is granted.
- What are the septic tank requirements of the site if mains drains are not available? A soil test is obligatory if you are to install a septic tank.
- What will be the access arrangements onto the site and who will own the land on which access is obtained?
- What public and private servitudes may there be on the land, e.g. rights of way drains, cables?
- What is the value of building land in the area and how does the purchase price of the site compare to the local average price?
- What is the likely overall cost of the project and can you fund it without overstretching yourself?
You may well find it useful to refer to some of our other pages to get more information on some of these questions.
You can find detailed information on the legal formalities of the buying property in France by visiting our pages on Buying a Home in France.
Next: Getting Free Architectural/Planning Advice
Back: Finding a Building Plot
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