Talk to most people about their French renovation project and they will tell you a sorry tale of spiraling costs, schedule delays and stressful experiences. Renovating can be hard and waiting for your project to finish can be frustrating. For many people, one of the biggest issues they face when tackling a project in France is failing to achieve the result they wanted, often because they have overspent the budget and have to adjust their original plans. The current financial situation has made things even tougher for many homeowners and changes in exchange rates may mean that the original renovation budget has been further reduced. The good news is that it is possible to achieve a high quality renovation on a budget. The key to this is to ‘think like a pro’ and reduce costs without compromising on quality.
So how do you do this? Once again, planning is key and from the outset of the project, you should take a long hard look at the predicted costs. Aim to eliminate all unnecessary outlay and make sure that you are getting value for money. If you are using artisans, ensure you are paying a reasonable (ideally fixed) rate and if tackling work yourself, keep a firm check on material costs. Managing the site efficiently and ensuring that there is no wasted activity or materials is also vital. Keeping the site clean and tidy is something even the unskilled owner can take on and will enable artisans to work more efficiently. As time equals money, this is another good way to reduce costs for very little effort.
Before the project even starts, you should have clearly thought out all the aspects of the design. This is where most renovators lose money, by making changes along the way that could have been thought of and planned for at the outset. If you are a first time renovator or builder, it can be difficult to foresee all the issues that may affect a project so it is a really good idea to ask an experienced friend or professional to look over your plans and check that you haven’t overlooked anything. Even if you need to pay for this, it will be money well spent as it could save paying for avoidable changes or alterations later on. The old adage ‘two heads are better than one’ holds true and highly experienced developers often consult colleagues about their plans before embarking on a project.
The costs of any project break down into three main areas, labour, materials and overheads. With a little know how, it is possible to reduce costs in all of these and save extensive amounts of money in some areas.
Labour costs are probably the hardest thing to reduce when renovating in France. Obviously if you take on the work yourself you can make significant savings. However, you should be aware that unless you are highly skilled, the rate of progress is likely to be much slower than employing professionals. This can affect the overall build cost. For example, if you need to complete a project within a set timescale, perhaps to open a gite for the summer season, overrunning the schedule will cost you money in lost bookings. Equally if the project is not time sensitive, using your own DIY skills can lead to significant savings. Even those without extensive DIY skills can get involved, clearing and tidying the site, tackling labouring or landscaping jobs, painting and decorating and perhaps even doing second stage carpentry and plumbing work. Generally French artisans tend to charge reasonable rates and you are unlikely to be able to haggle the price down much. This is especially true in rural areas, where there will be a limited supply of artisans in any case. You may be able to offer to source materials directly which can save money and you could also offer to work with them, taking on the labouring aspect of each job. This is a good way to reduce costs and you will learn some new skills. Plus, it might even keep you fit!
Do make sure you plan key design elements of kitchens and bathrooms at the outset. The soil pipes, plumbing, gas and wiring all need to go in exactly the right place at the first fix stage before being covered with render, plasterboard or flooring. Making changes later on will add hugely to labour costs. Equally keeping things simple, like having the bathrooms sited close together will reduce labour and material costs.
Overheads can also be reduced by hiring your trades direct rather than using a professional or Maitre d’Oeuvre to manage the project. You will need to be on site regularly and be able to source and manage the tradesmen. If they are working to a price and with a clear specification and drawings, then this should not be too problematic and will help to keep costs down. You can also look at hiring in things like plant and scaffolding as you may be able to negotiate discounts with the hire firms. This is time consuming and will require some knowledge of construction. Living on site can also reduce the overall renovation costs. If you are prepared to rough it for a bit, in a mobile home or perhaps just live in one part of the building, you can save a considerable amount on rent. This is especially true if you are planning to tackle the bulk of the work yourself as the project is likely to take some time. It is useful to be on site all the time if you are managing the build yourself; however, it can be relentless and is not for everyone. Think carefully about doing this if you have children. Living in a confined space can be very stressful and building sites are dangerous places.
Where you can really save money is on material costs and with a little thought, you can achieve a stunning high level finish for a budget price. Research combined with canny shopping will save you €1000’s!
The first thing to do is think about the finishes, materials and fixtures you would like, then go and search for identical products for less. The internet is a brilliant source of discount everything from flooring to door knobs. You can also check out big discount centers for things like floor and wall tiles. These are found in most large towns and will have ranges that are very similar to the top end products. They will also have discounted brand name products. They often have end of ranges in limited quantities. If you are lucky, you could end up with quality products for ridiculously low prices. Using a small quantity of an expensive product is a great way to achieve a luxury look for minimal expenditure. This is particularly true of tiling where a small run or even just a border of expensive tiles, will give the room a designer look. Opting for own brand paints is another good money saving trick and you could also try making your own paint or mixing your own colours.
Using end of line materials and goods is another area where you can make huge savings. Most large towns have discount stores selling brand name white goods at hugely reduced prices. You can also look online. In either case, go to a showroom and have a good look at the options available. This will then help you make a decision between discounted items that might vary slightly from newer models. The same applies to kitchen ranges and many other items. Buying ex-display models is another money saving trick with discounts of up to 40% often available.
When buying anything, including goods from a discount store, you should ask them for their best price or le meilleur prix. There is nearly always some further haggling to be done! You may be able to get a further discount by offering to pay cash or to collect the item yourself, rather than having the store deliver it. In the case of white goods, you may also be able to negotiate an extended guarantee for no extra cost.
Using reclaimed materials is another way to reduce costs. Buying salvaged materials can be expensive but if you shop around there are bargains to be had. Luckily France is also well supplied with Depots Ventes and Trocs. These are full of items which can be given a new lease of life. You are unlikely to find floor tiles in sufficient quantity to tile the sitting room but you may well find enough for a splash-back, as well as items like sinks and shower trays. Emmaus is another great source of materials which can be reused. A couple of months ago, our local branch even had a mobile home for sale which would have made ideal site accommodation. With all these places, you need to visit on a regular basis to find the best bargains and it is also worth chatting to the staff about what you are looking out for. If you are a regular customer they will be more than willing to give you a quick call if something comes in that you are looking for.
Trocs and Depots Ventes are also a good source of furniture and some of this may be ideal for turning into other things. Pieces that are ugly or dated tend to be very cheap and with a little imagination can form the base of a kitchen or be revamped as storage.
Choosing good quality off the shelf door, windows and staircases will be far cheaper than opting for bespoke models. You could also opt for softwood interior doors and paint them; this is far more cost effective than choosing hardwood doors. Always keep your eye out for special offers. Buying an item when it is en promo will mean you either pay less for the same item or you get a better quality product for the same price. You may need to store the item but if you have the space and it will not impede work on site, this in an excellent thing to do. Kitchens, bathroom fittings, roof windows and flooring are all items which are frequently on special offer in the French DIY superstores and you will be able to make considerable savings by shopping like this. Do make sure you measure carefully and get the quantities right, otherwise the savings could be wiped out by wastage.
Renovation projects always have a habit of throwing up unexpected costs which can eat into the budget and compromise the finished result. So think carefully before parting with your hard earned cash and you will be able to create a great result for a sensible budget.
Cost Cutting Tips
Find out about making your own paints at www.anniesloan.com
Think about using some of the building spoil to landscape the plot at the start of the build; this will keep costs down.
When getting quotes, always ask for them to be broken down - this may give you the opportunity to negotiate reductions on certain aspects of the job.
Always ask for discounts.
When bargaining, always appear to be prepared to walk away if you don’t get the deal you want.
Don’t take on too much and stick to what you have the time and skills to complete.
Copyright - Catharine Higginson