Hello
Have you approached any construction companies directly in your area to see what their thoughts on this might be ? sorry if that sounds like im asking you to suck eggs but where i live i know off one person who did this and it was successful ! best of luck and forget the sentence ' we dont do that ' we are english we can do anything !!
Bonjour Anne
I am an estate agent (a real one, not an agent commercial) and am willing to have a look at your property and take it on my books. My clients come from all over the world and many of them have outlandish desires and projects. You never know.
Simon Oliver
Snap ;-)
jealousy where success is involved, yes, but I've seen that elsewhere too ;-)
Yes, as we know, Josephine Baker's little place, which is not too far from you was auctioned, so they do do that in France! I also had a chateau, in a very poor condition , in the Dordogne (which we were, by the way working on restoring, with a valid permis, ) however we came into "a little local difficulty" so were casting around looking for solutions and at one point were told the commune wouldn't buy it from me, even for a euro!
I think you may be better off selling it for its market value and moving on.
What’s the market value? Start at 10k and go up in fives till you get to a reasonable giveaway price. Then advertise it extensively. Good luck.
Well, Ken, I have my days when I feel the same. As an American in Europe, I find the general negativity to be the weakest point of all. But this is where I have chosen to live and I would like to find a way to work with people and to make the best of it. Unfortunately, my savings in the US were wiped out by some over-zealous (for their own gain, anyway) bankers. Now THAT is one of the things I am glad "we do not do here in France". The class-action lawsuit failed. I will never see that money again. So, I must either sell the house or find a partner with cash to do something creative. It is so big, it could be two houses, each with a ground floor shop (do it up as 2 and sell 1?), or it could be an art centre, a museum, four or five little offices (do it up as a little business centre, use 1 and rent out the others?), even a small cinema/theatre. But I cannot do that alone. Surely, there must be one innovative French person or organisation out there?
Ken, the Aveyron is also famed for it's low unemployment and work ethique, the aveyronnais who set up all the bistro and bars in Paris and others have gone as far as Argentina. This work ethique is certainly born out by all those on the aveyronnais side of my family, if you want to see work-shy lay-abouts, take a trip the otherside of the Larzac ;-)
yes, crédit vendeur is the normal term, as I've already said, it can be a can of wrms as the people interested are often those who can't borrow from the banks i.e. they're too risky - I found this out to my cost and although I'm covered (hypothèque) it takes years to get anywhere/ get the money and if you seize the house you'll usually have to pay back what they've paid you but you won't get the plus value back, plus if the market has fallen since and the property has deteriorated... :-O
"Sold the Stone" I like that!
Thank you SO much Debra!! I will start reading.
exactly right, Debra, I paid the plus value on a house before receiving a penny. I wouldn't got for a location vente for all the same reasons as not renting a place out (if things go wrong). If you go for a vente a terme make sure everything's stiched up well and that you keep a hypothèque on the place - I did and now it's all gone pear shape I've called in the hussier, now lawyers and a barister - it takes years to get your money (if you can). We're at a standstill as the barister says it isn't worth siezing the place and selling it at auction as nobody's buying at auction where the house is situated - similar cases have failed to attract any buyers to the auction.
Anne - yes this is France and you have to look at property very differently. Devcelopers don't exist in France as they do in the UK because it just isn't worth it outside the big cities - the money isn't in it/they're taxed to death. Same with all the admin and bureaucracy which makes associations/charities not willing to go in for that sort of thing. I've seen many derelict properties knocked down as it's cheaper than/not viable renovating them (parents in law did that with a house on their farm and then sold the stone)
Hmm, could you maybe explain more what it is, then, please? Or send me a link?
Thank you Debra, but unfortunately, that is not possible. It has been gutted to the bare walls and has no plumbing, electricity, etc. I had begun the work, you see, before the crash took all the money.
Good thinking Batwoman. Yes, lots properties that are rented also go that way later as well.
Really, I am interested in alternative ways to use it or sell it. Something creative, for the community, shared? Don't the French do that?
Aha! I shall tell no one and I shall investigate Hamptons. Thank you.
As to use, it has a precedent of being both commercial and residential, so there would be no problem as to it being put to either, or both, uses.
Cassini only shows some houses, but there is a way of transposing cadastrial plans over what is shown of roads, fields and little spots where houses might be that I have never done but is frequently used to show whether or not demolitions, renovations and so on are allowed. The early 19 century maps actually make most houses pre-Cassini because the time between the final C-versions and those are not a period of very much construction. If your village is listed then it would inhibit change of use which even if it was faithfully restored might not be permitted, which seems rather stupid to me. If anything, I would look for an agent who is mainly residential property selling, but does a fair number of properties that need restoration that is not France based. I believe Hamptons take them on, but UK and not their French operation. There are others I believe. I know I am not supposed to be saying that, but since my resident agent is away with work for a few weeks, it will not reach her ears or eyes.
Thanks for this, Brian. I do hope mine would not fall into the category of those to be bulldozed! But it is in a protected village. No individual houses of the village show up on the Cassini, but the house is on the "carte napoleonienne" making it most likely 18th century. Does your OH really recommend auctions?
Auctions are happening in the Dordogne, rest assured. My OH has had two of her portfolio, all of them in a single part of the Dordogne, put up for auction. That neither sold that way is beside the point. So your maire is wrong. Agents are however only slowly and cautiously moving into that area and mainly top end, 'highly desirable' properties.
I have no idea about giving it over to a charity for a low price, or even free, but know there are far too many once magnificent houses in this part of the world that are protected because they are on Cassini maps but still falling apart and will eventually need to be bulldozed away. Indeed, we have one opposite us that should have been demolished already but is still standing for some unbeknown reason. There are a few inside UNESCO listed villages even, so there is a 'problem' there.