Idealfrance

I have notified my professional indemnity insurers of the imminant potential collapse of dozens of roofs that I have designed over the last 17 years. Glad to see you're taking responsability for your actions. Bravo. I hope it's not too late. By the way, I can think of a much better place you can put your accro props. Bob, still no recommendation forthcoming? Ben Symons MEng CEng ImechE http://www.idealfrance.com

Don't bin it. If you don't find a buyer call the EMMAUS - a charity organisation that sells cheap furniture and other things to people in need. They'll come and pick it up for free if you call them. Ben Symons http://www.idealfrance.com  

I've always found Avoriaz to be quite warm - during the day at least. I think it's south facing - maybe that's why. You could always try at the end of the season, but the skiing's not as good. It's a nice station, too. Possibly my favourite. You don't have to ski from dawn to dusk. Why not go on the slopes from 1 to 4pm, say. If the cold is too much, then back to the chalet for a fondue or raclette and and a vin chaud . I don't remember ever being cold there either on or off the slopes - in fact I often find the chalets and restaurants overheated. I hope you get to go skiing. It's great fun and I'm pretty sure your daughter will love it. All the best. Ben Symons http://www.idealfrance.com

There's possibly some confusion here between green oak (mycelium stained) and green oak (evergreen) - http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C3%AAne_vert . In any case, for oak, the tangential shrink rate is up to 8%, and the radial rate is up to 4% from green to dry (6% humidity) state. This means that a freshly cut 8cm by 23cm beam could, once it's dried, measure 7.7cm by 21.1cm depending on the orientation of the cut. Axially, of course, there is no shrinkage. Imagine if you'd used it for some parquet? (not 8*23, obviously, unless you like your floorboards on the thickside ) The idea is to use a wood that's at approx the same humidity as the environment it's going to be used in. That's why wood for interior is dryer than wood used on the exterior. I've never heard of any professional using green wood. The idea is almost absurd to me... I'll ask our charpentier compagnon tomorrow. The Châtaignier (chestnut - edible kind) is an excellent wood for construction. Very expensive to buy. Ben Symons http://www.idealfrance.com 

Be careful. Green oak does not mean oak that is freshly cut; It's a variation of the species. *Never* use fresh wood for construction. Get it dried out first. Depending on the type of construction, wood should have a humidity of between 12 and 20%. The risk is that your wood will shrink by a huge amount with catastrophic results for your construction. Ben Symons http://www.idealfrance.com

The risks for yourself are minimal - it's the architect that's taking the biggest risk by facing being struck off the register if he gets caught out. If there is any problem during the construction that is due to the planning permission then it could get messy in terms of insurance and liability. No self-respecting architect would stamp another persons drawings without getting involved in the project and anyone willing to take this kind of risk may well neglect to declare the project to his insurance company... He'll probably need paying, too, and you may find that the price difference with a "real" architect is not as great as you think. You would also have the added bonus of having someone design your house to add value to it rather than a builder who will design it to make his own life easier when building it. Ben Symons http://www.idealfrance.com

It's got to be at least 100 miles to the nearest UK transmitter from Bayeux. I suspect that the aerial that you would need - if it's even possible - would cost much, much more than a simple satellite dish / box / freeTV card. You could probably get all the later for £100 or so. Have a look on www.satcure.com to get an idea of what's involved and how much it costs. Ben Symons http://www.idealfrance.com

It depends on the thickness of the concrete. We normally use a base of 1 day setting time per cm of thickness. It also depends on the temperature / weather conditions. If your concrete floor is outside then give it longer. Ben Symons http://www.idealfrance.com  

I would recommend going to the areas you are interested in and looking intensively at plots for sale. If you find one that you really like and the price is right then it's best not to hesitate too long before making an offer - good plots get snapped up really quickly. You can try the local agents but also look in local papers, talk to the Mairie to see if they know of anyone selling land - most Maires know most of what's going on eveywhere in the commune. Notaires are also a good source of information on what land is available. The internet is always a good source of information for getting an idea of what you can get for your money but in my experience it's rare that plots that you see advertised are still for sale when you come to see them. When looking at plots, look at the existing houses / buildings around. If they all have a steep roof or slate tiles then the chances are good that you are going to have to have the same - extra cost. If your land is steeply sloping then your construction is going to cost more. People often underestimate the cost of extensive excavation. If there are any listed buildings in eye-shot of your prospective plots then there may well be architectural constraints placed on you when you come to submit a planning application. If you do come to sign a sales agreement then it is vital that you get a clause included in it for the obtention of a "Certificat d'Urbanisme Operationnel Positif" - this is the document that tells you that you will be able to build a house on the land. It is sometimes called outline planning permission. Full planning permission will be necessary at a later stage once you have a definite idea of the house you want to build. I can't stress how important this certificate is. It means that if it turns out that you can't build on the land you'll be able to get out of the agreement with no penalties. If at all possible you should get the vendor to arrange for a géometre to mark the land out precisely before sale and supply a drawing of the land. This'll be useful later for planning permission and will help protect you in case of a boundary dispute. Getting a geological survey is a good idea so that you'll know what kind of waste water treatment system you'll need and how deep your foundations will have to be. Again, if at all possible, get the vendor to pay for this. Finally, I always recommend getting as much land as you can - it's your only guarantee against having someone else build a house close to you. Hope this helps. Ben Symons. http://www.idealfrance.com    

[quote]HiI may be completely wrong, but I understood that there is no longer the possibility to acquire dual nationality within EU states ?In any event, the planned EU passport will presumably eliminate this...[/quote] I seem to remember hearing something about this, too. Although you can still get a carte de séjour and I'd recommend it for anyone doing anything involving speaking to French Administration a lot. Last time I checked (a few years ago now) you had to prove residence in France for the previous 10 years unless you married a French national in which case it was 5 years. Ben Symons http://www.idealfrance.com

"Je/Nous vous présente/présentons mes/nos sinceres condoléances pour la mort de [votre mari/marie/père/mère/fils/fille]/M. [name]/ Mme [name]]. N'hésitez pas à faire appel à moi/nous si vous avez besoin d'aide." "I/We offer our sincere condolences for the death of [your husband/wife/father/mother/son/daughter]/Mr [name]/Mrs. [name]]. Don't hestitate to call on me/us if you need anything." Hope this helps. Ben Symons http://www.idealfrance.com

You need to make sure that you have a clause (condition suspensive) in the sales agreement (compromis de vente or soussaing) specifiying that the obtention of a "Certificat d'Urbanisme Operationnel Positif" is a condition of the sale. Be careful, there are 2 types of CU, and neither has to be positive. The CU operationnel means that you will have specified the project you intend to do (ie. barn conversion) and if it's positive you should have the right to do this - subject to planning permission at a later stage. If you're financing, then you need a get-out clause in there for non-obtention of a loan - this should be a legal requirement anyway. You will be signing a sales agreement (compromis de vente or soussaing) at this stage and every condition and detail of the sale needs to be included on it. Once it's signed and the 7 day (calendar, not working) has passed you won't realistically be able to change it. The final deed is based on the sales agreement. Make sure your cheque goes to the notaire's sequestre account and that you get a receipt for it. You should also, if at all possible, get the vendor to use a géometre to measure out the land you'll be buying precisely (bornage) and draw up a plan of the land. This'll make planning permission easier at a later stage and also protect you in case of dispute over boundaries. The cadastral plans are notoriously inaccurate. You might want to put a condition in for getting permission to install a waste water treatment system (demande d'assainissment) if you are not near any mains sewers. You won't get planning permission if you can't put in a fosse séptique. Good luck! Ben Symons http://www.idealfrance.com

If the total surface area of the project is under 170m² (including all levels) then you don't need an architect to sign off and it's quite possible that your builder will be able to draw up the necessary plans for the application. Generally the floor plans should show the position of toilets, bathrooms and bedrooms as the authorities are only interested in the interior for taxation purposes. Not much precision is required here and once you get permission you can do whatever you want inside. The main part of the planning application concerns the exterior appearance of your property. The exterior though should show exactly what is going to be done pretty much to the nearest centimetre / colour of finish, etc. You'll also be required to state the waste water treatment system that is installed and make sure it is adequate for your intended use. Obviously, no problems here if you are on mains sewers. Ben Symons http://www.idealfrance.com

The POS is the Plan d'Occupation des Sols - it's a document that defines where can or cannot be developped in a given commune and also contains the guidelines for the architectural styles that must be adhered to. Not all communes have one - yet - in which case there is generally a PLU (plan local d'urbanisme) which is pretty vague. At least with a POS everything is clearly laid out and that there's no ambiguity. Ben Symons http://www.idealfrance.com  

You'll need to go to the Mairie to get your new CU. The notaire only normally gets involved when it's a condition of sale. Ben Symons http://www.idealfrance.com