Extracts from an artcile in Homes Away From Home magazine,
March 2004, Issue 3
Even the most lion-hearted among us are likely to blanch at the
thought of organising builders and decorators to carry out work
on our precious homes.
Now - how much more difficult is this likely to be when you've
bought a property abroad that requires renovation or redecoration?
But, for those of us who choose to buy a second home abroad, that
is indeed the grim reality - because the demanding jobs that have
allowed us to fund such a purchase are the very things that don't
allow us the time to be on site to supervise the work ourselves.
Is there an answer to this dilemma? Well, you can either learn
the rules of the game yourself, or get an expert to help you. Marie-Pierre Saint-Martin of London Paris Dream Home is an expert
home-finder who helps British people find their ideal property
in Paris. Here are her top tips on supervising builders and decorators
in Paris:
Be sure of what you want
Deciding at the outset on what you want and staying with it will help make
your builder's life a lot easier (and keep your costs down!). Get expert help with layout, interior design,
special decorating finishes and colour schemes. That way, you will form a
clear idea of your requirements before the builder is even appointed.
Understand the rules on modifications
In France, if you want to make external changes to a property, especially if
they're going to be visible from the street, you have to apply to the town hall for permission. If the building is very traditional, it is unlikely that permission will be
granted unless the proposed changes are very minor. However, if you want to change something
minor that isn't visible from the street, you might be able to obtain permission at the level of
the managing agent for the building. For significant internal structural
changes to a property, such as modifications to load-bearing walls, you may
occasionally have to ask permission from the residents' association and have
an architect draw up the plans. For most other work, you
probably won't need an architect and, in such cases, if your advisor is competent
at drawing up simple plans themselves, they may be able to provide this service
for you. Always take advice from an expert, who will guide
you through the rules and regulations on external and internal modifications
to buildings.
Centralise it
Choose a general builder with their own team of plumbers, joiners, electricians,
plasterers and painters. "That way, the process can be centralised," says
Marie-Pierre, "making it much easier to co-ordinate both on site or when
the work is being supervised from the UK."
Shop around
Make sure the builder is reliable, produces quality work, is reasonably priced
and can work to a timescale. It's also a good idea to ask for references. Good builders are always in demand, so you need
to give them a few months' advance notice. "I always source a number of quotes for my clients, " says
Marie-Pierre, "and I then go through the quotes in detail with them, so that
they fully understand the tasks, pricing and timescales involved."
Be there and be firm!
No matter how good your builder is, no matter how simple a job seems, the unexpected
can, and often does, happen. Being on site is essential. If you can't be
there yourself, you might want to ask an expert to do it for you. Says Marie-Pierre, "It's
essential to be on site a lot of the time, in order to supervise the work.
I split my time between London and Paris, so that I oversee the process on
a regular basis."
So, whilst organising and supervising building and decoration
works on a property abroad might seem like a challenge initially,
by understanding and implementing the rules of the game yourself
or by enlisting the help of an expert, you can help turn that potential
nightmare into a pleasant dream!
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