Cote sauvage Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 Hi all,this is my first post on the site, which i have found very informative indeed. My wife and i are in the early stages of planning to come and live in France, after visiting many times on holiday over 18 or so years. We would be looking to buy a house to renovate with some land. Would there be any planning conditions with regards to living in a caravan whilst renovation took place? I have searched on the internet but have not been able to find anything of use.Many thanks in advance for any help/ advice on the matter.RegardsSteven Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gyn_Paul Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 This varies from dept to dept - if not in actual law, then certainly in application of that law. In one Department the local mayor may send the heavy boys round after six months but in the neighbouring one a caravan could be there and occupied for anything over 20 years and nobody would notice.Technically, you can't live permanently in a caravan, but if you were manifestly building or renovating on the plot, then it would be a hardhearted mayor indeed who would object to you living in the caravan while the work was going on.As always, the soundest advice is when you have found your dream plot to go and see the local mayor and ascertain from him the local interpretation of the law.In reality if you can hide the caravan behind the house while you renovating nobody will be any the wiser anyway.p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 In our village you may have got away with it for 3 months, but the Mairie and the DDE would have to decide any longer than that and probably wouldn't allow it. We, like all the french people we know, rented whilst constructing or renovating. It cost us all a lot to rent and that for us and the french was the right and decent thing to do. So personally I would object if the mairie didn't intercede. My son's mate couldn't even camp with a small tent on his own land whilst renovating a barn, to be a barn, it was in the middle of nowhere in mid summer and should have been for a few weeks. The Mairie came round and chased him off his own land.; Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NuBeginnings Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 "The Mairie came round and chased him off his own land."That is ridiculous to be chased of your own land not sure I would have put up with that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Roy Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 I must say that from various postings you've made, Idun, you seem to have lived in a very unfriendly area of France! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG MAC Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 I seem to live in the reasonable part where people are tolerant of each other and our Mayor is a diamond ...he doesn't suffer fools but is 4 squuare behind anything which benefits his commune. I simply could not imagine him saying 'stop spending money in the local businesses pack up thy tent and do one' he may find some obscure 'tent tax' though lol! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyv Posted October 28, 2011 Share Posted October 28, 2011 I just "parked" my (touring) caravan in my field for over a year while I was doing renovations. It was certainly visible from the road. I never heard a peep of objection.Not having to rent a place meant I had more money to spend on local artisans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gyn_Paul Posted October 28, 2011 Share Posted October 28, 2011 I don't know. Maybe there are special, local, circumstances which influence the commune's attitude. Are you, perhaps, in a very densely populated area, Idun ? Your avatar doesn't say which department you live in..I suppose I could understand it if it was an area beset with travellers and potential squatters. But it certainly doesn't seem like the attitude we Limousiniers would routinely expect to encounter, eh? Rob Roy.p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Roy Posted October 28, 2011 Share Posted October 28, 2011 Well G-P the Limousin has got a (well deserved) reputation for being friendly! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG MAC Posted October 28, 2011 Share Posted October 28, 2011 I am unsure if the Mayenaisse are being cruel or kind sometimes....if they aren't apperatif-ing us into submission they are burying us in home made jam - cakes etc.. then again I love having a go communicating over the gate and I think the French think me bonkers which is just fine by me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gyn_Paul Posted November 10, 2011 Share Posted November 10, 2011 [quote user="NuBeginnings"]"The Mairie came round and chased him off his own land."That is ridiculous to be chased of your own land not sure I would have put up with that.[/quote] ...... and by a building, too ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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