Rural France

[Araucaria]

Thanks to the admin for allowing me to join. I live in a very rural part of France, in the hilly lower part of the massif central.

 

I was prompted to join because of a rather sad event. Our next-door neighbour was several years into an unusual ecologic self-build project when he died, very unexpectedly (and nothing to do with the building).

 

His widow will be selling the unfinished project at some time, and I wanted to get some ideas here of what options there are for finishing the property, and perhaps what value it has in its current state. I am consequently more likely to be lurking than posting in the near future.

[ToughButterCup]

Welcome. I sense some interesting posts in the future ... Eh bien vas y!

[SteamyTea]

Bonjour.

 

Sound a sad situation.

 

I suspect the first thing to do is get a valuation.

Then look at the taxes, France has some odd ways with properties, well they did 40 years ago when we sold up.

 

Then there is the 'eco' bit to think about. 

[Temp]

Welcome to the forum.

 

Was he literally building it himself or using a builder?  If a builder was doing the work try and obtain details of any contracts and payments already made. 

 

A Quantity Surveyor could calculate how much of the build has been completed, what that's worth and how much more is required. He could slso tell you if the amount paid to the builder was reasonable for the work done to date. Eg has he been over or under paid? However a QS would charge a significant fee. Depending on the financial situation it might or might not be worth continuing with the existing builder. A New builder might be prepared to quote to finish the project if plans exist. 

 

As @SteamyTea said best check out the legal and tax position. Would you even have the legal right to finish it or would you need permissions of some sort? Does the existing build match approved plans etc. What would be needed to transfer any rights to that permission.

 

Some countries charge VAT on sale of houses. Not sure about France but would the sale to you be liable to VAT if not completed?

[Mike]

France has some strict laws on defects liability & hidden defects that kick in once a house is eventually sold - you can't just sell 'as seen'. So, if there's any doubt about the quality of the work or whether or not it complies with building standards I would get a professional survey done so that any issues can be resolved during the completion of the work.

[ToughButterCup]

Hmmm, the paper-work - where the hidden FookOops are - is likely to be just as hard as the physical works.

 

Come on, we want pictures - romantic sunsets, dusty, swifts screaming, strongly cross-lit images , long tables laden with bottles of local rough wine and cheese smelling to Hell ..... so we can all fanatsize about how we'd [... ]  come and offer to help over the summer .... eh bien? 

Edited July 4, 2023 by ToughButterCup

[joe90]

Welcome, sounds very interesting but, as said above be very cautious, tax and liabilities are renown for being complicated in france.