And di you reckon that it was still cheaper to do it that way, or was it just to enable you to get what you wanted?
Andre,
One legal point on “renovation”, as French Law offers tricky consequences for people who undertake such a renovation themselves…
In this country, we have an institution called “garantie décennale” (in other words a ten year guarantee), which will benefit to the potential buyer of your renovated house (if ever you sell your house less than ten years after completion of the renovation works).
When such a renovation is undertaken by fully licensed and insured professionals, they will bear such a “garantie décennale” (applicable to main works such as masonry, roofing, tiling, plumbing, electrical works, etc… )
If you undertake any of these works yourself, you will then be personally liable to your buyer within ten years from the finishing date of these works, in case any of your work fails to comply with French technical regulations or safety rules…
In other words, don’t ever undertake large or technical works yourself, unless you are fully qualified (not abroad but right here…)
If you are absolutely sure you will not sell your house within the next ten years, then it could be fine…
One of my DIY British client just paid a very heavy price to learn this lesson from a French court lately!
Philippe Péjoine (reads “page 1”)
Avocat
16 bis cours du Maréchal Juin
33000 Bordeaux
T: 0674284766
Courriel: philippe-pejoine@wanadoo.fr
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