Couiza, near Limoux. New to area

[Mayrac]

We have recently moved here from the UK and we love it. All the French people we have had contact with have been really helpfull and pleasant, even accepting our very limited French language, although we will learn. We have 2 houses on about 6.5 acres, with vines, fruit trees, vegetables, bamboo and riverside access.

We will need to generate some income to pay the bills, but living here is what it is all about, so we would be pleased to hear from anyone local who may be able to offer us advice on the usual do's and dont's.

We will be using one house as our home and hopefully convert the other into 2 or 3 gites for holiday rentals

[Piprob]

Hello Meyrac,

We are coming out to the area next April, to Quillan, just down the road, and if you need any work done, there is a first class builder in Campagne Sur Aude. You probably already know that there are not a few 'ex-pats' in the outlying villages. I'm not sure how much holiday letting there is locally. However there are some local business people with successful B&Bs using this site.

Good luck with your project.

[Kiraude]

I know your house well, I know Gino .. you're the lucky people that bought it!

Send me an e-mail, I'm very close by .. your rental people know me .. if you need any help or advice I may be able to assist!

The builder at Campagne is excellent however, he's the expert on new properties, new builds etc .. I can recommend a team of French builders used to older properties if you do need them!

Bienvenue et bonne chance!!!

[Washy]

Hi there Mayrac,

We are a little further from you, in the Haute Corbieres, but Couiza, Quillan and Limoux are our nearest shops, civilisation etc.  Get in touch if you are exploring the Corbieres anytime, come and visit the llamas!!  We are renovating a very old watermill slowly but surely.

Kira, I saw your message, how's the kitten, Caramel????  Also do you know of a registered electrician near us?  We drew a blank with EDF as they want the system to be completed by a french artisan and passed by CONSUEL before they will connect.  Sorry to hijack this post Mayrac!!  Good luck in your new venture.

[Stephenm]

Hi,

Hope you do not mind us piggy backing on your entry. For 2 years We have owned a small house in Rennes les Baines, about 5 kms from you.

We have more or less straightened the place out and are ready to start some redevelopment work. As we live on a floodplain in the village, the most recent restrictive conditions apply and we can only build upwards, not outwards. Worse - it will invlove lifting the ground floor about 1metre to above the last registered high water mark - which was in 1992 when the whole valley was flooded and the bridge in Rennes was swept away.

We are looking for recommendations for an architect and/or maitre d'oeuvre and subsequently a builder. We have had the property looked over by an architect from Esperaza, and although he was extremely helpful he was very reluctant to become involved in building and structural calculations, and appeared a little short on suggestions for a new structure that could be supported on the old.

Look forward to any suggestions readres may have - and to hearing from others in the area

Thanks

Stephen & Theresa Mellor

 

[Fionah]

Hi Stephen and Theresa

We live in Quillan and currently buying a property that needs the involvement of an Architect.  We are using Rob Lyell Architecture in Limoux - telephone number 0468 31 25 66.  He has quite a few members of his team and I believe they are all bi-lingual.  We have been quite happy with them. They, no doubt, will be able to point you in the right direction for builders etc.

Fiona

[Bones]

(HIJACK ALERT!)

Hi, we're looking into rennovating a small village house in nearby Pauligne, it still has the ceiling to floor concrete wine vats in place on the ground floor. Anyone had experience with this?

I want to rip it out myself but have been advised to contact a mason!

[Fionah]

Hi Bones

We're renovating a place that also has concrete wine vats and have been advised by our architect that the best (& cheapest) solution is to leave them in!  Luckily we're able to do that and have thus saved at least (10,000 euros!).  He also said he knows of 'locals' who set fire to the vats (leaving the fire going overnight) making them much easier to demolish!  Not that he was recommending this you understand.......  Anyway, the only knowledge I have of this is that generally it is a very big and expensive job to undertake.  Be interested to hear of anyone else's experience though.

[Bones]

OOh goody: I love to start fires!

I plan on emailing you re: this subject, hope that's okay.

Cheers for your reply.

Bones.

[GinaGGina]

Hi - we bought a house in Bouriege last year and have spent quite a lot of time out there renovating the property. There's a long way to go but we loved the area so much felt we had to have it. Has anyone got any idea of good english speaking notaires in the area - we've just discovered that there is a plan to build on a vineyard immediately behind us. After weeks of trying to work out what was going on I emailed the mairie who has finally admitted that there is a plan - I now need to move fast as I don't know if this has happened in a behind the door way to avoid our objection - any advice from any readers? Thanks Gina and Chris Groves