Cost of building a new house

[Blaze]

there are no building control officers in France ie there is no one that comes and check every stage of your build

This house in Saint Lunaire (35), known as la Maison de la Folle, epitomises the above ! Jeanne Devidal started building her "chateau" just after the Second World War and it was only pulled down in 1991, a year after her death.

Maison-de-la-Folle-2.jpg

[Spectrum]

If anyone is in doubt about why we need someone to look out for those that are putting their and others lives in danger need to look on the lotisment at Pressignac a person started a many years ago its totally made out of OSB his Rafters and Purlins are made out of thin strips of wood about15mm X 80mm screwed together so about 120mm deep when he started to put tiles on the roof as expected it started to bow inward and push the walls outwards, I managed to sneak a quick look inside once, his solution was to put in about twenty Acro props to hold up the roof, the OSB sides have been open to the weather for about six years, there is now a covering of plastic around the sides, not been for many months so dont know if still standing. Another case a Brit hired a Brit building firm after two or three month he came out and was horrified that the blocks had been stacked one on top off each other not staggered so you just had straight vertical line from floor to roof height, had to be pulled down, another classic and have seen and heard of more than one is here we build with a single wall, UK we dont normally do, Brits come here build a single wall and that's it, they are not told that a ring beam has to be put all around the walls, connected to all the strengthened corners, and in some areas the window/doors as well, end result the roof starts to push the walls out the only solution is to jack up the roof and put in a ring beam a very expensive job, that's why we have Building Control/Inspection Officer's in the UK.

[Nomoss]

Here's a local building, presumably meeting current regs.

O House La Croisade.JPG

[Nomoss]

This is some info' on what might be hidden under the pretty façade of a French house. Work done by a Dutch property developer.
Another of his triumphs inside is a spiral staircase which ended up a few cm short of the first floor level.
It's quite a strange experience walking the last couple of metres towards it on the sloping floor.

Before.jpg

After.JPG

[Spectrum]

Char dont be put off by my comments, just be sure you know what you are doing, don't make it too big, Finance for us wasn't a worry for the first house, we just spent what we had each month that's why it took 11years, when it was nearly finish we was so proud of what we had achieved, the people that saw it could not believe it, it was so not French, sunken lounge, cloud ceiling with 4mtr projector screen built in, brick wall "Lancashire bricks" re-claimed oak beams. We use to just sit inside on an evening with a drink and think how lucky we were, we was not to know what was round the corner so we hope you go and find your dream.

[rsm]

In reply Spectrum, my 30 years in the french construction industry, from building houses to industrial buildings ,to doing lots of bulidings in between, tells me differently,you haven't come across building control that isn't a problem but to say it doesn't exist mmmm!
something to read
https://www.letsbuild.com/fr/blog/inspe ... nstruction

[Spectrum]

In reply Spectrum, my 30 years in the french construction industry, from building houses to industrial buildings ,to doing lots of bulidings in between, tells me differently,you haven't come across building control that isn't a problem but to say it doesn't exist mmmm!
something to read
https://www.letsbuild.com/fr/blog/inspe ... nstruction

I have read it and its a firm you hire to over see the construction of what ever you are having built, have you ever built a house or extension or even a garden shed in the UK? if you have then you will know that the inspectors, for want of a better word, don't work for you, they work for the authority's to en-sure you don't wipe out yourselves and family, if you are so upset about me saying that there are no such body here in France then I apologize and recommend you go and lie down in a darkened room for a day or so.

[rsm]

I don't really need a lecture in how it works in the UK I served my time as a bricklayer there!

[Spectrum]

I don't really need a lecture in how it works in the UK I served my time as a bricklayer there!

Then you should know the difference between a Planning officer a Building Control officer and Project Manager. Have a Nice day.

[L Austin France]

I, with the help of my neighbours little building company, built a quite large extention & swimming pool at my last UK house.
Architects drawings & structural calcs were required to obtain planning & building regs. permission before work could commence & building control staff were in regular attendance to verify the works.
By contrast, my current stone built French house was purchased as a wreck with works including the demolition of a later rear addition two storey storage extention with a single storey kitchen built on the same foundations. All services were required including a fosse toute eaux & adjacent barn & longere were re-roofed with new timbers & tole.
Simple sketches & superimposed photos were all that was required to obtain the Permis de Travaille.
During the 12 months it took to complete the works of what was effectively a 'new build' using only the existing 4 walls & roof the only 'control' made was one guy who turned up to check the fosse installation & nobody has been to check what was done in the 18 years since we've lived in the house.