These buy a house in France tv programs

[idun]

I hadn't put it the one that was on last night, another family member had, but as it was on, some of it caught my attention and I did see the end.

A property in the Dordogne, asking price £285k, they offered something like £260k and the owners came back and said £273k which they took.

Now they didn't say, but notaires fees and taxes and especially agents fees could add a HUGE chunk onto that price.

So, anyone any idea if these programs are net, OR all the fees/honoraires are on top?

Do you watch this sort of thing, and know??? Or have been on one and bought??

I am rather curious about this, as these programs never seem to go back and see what happened.

[woolybanana]

Have watched the odd one and felt that the prices were way way way over the top. In some cases should have been halved.

Agents ramping I reckon and owners trying their luck.

[mint]

I watch sometimes for the locations:  places in France or Spain that I know or would like to know more of.  Have to turn off sometimes because the buyers/presenters are too irritating!!!

Don't pay much attention to the prices but sometimes like to guess whether the properties are French or British owned; eg by the shape of the pillows on the bed, the plants in the garden, the furniture, etc.

Always annoyed when they say things that are patently untrue such as "you can add a bathroom here for a few hundred euros", "you could have this barn done out to provide gite accommodation for about 2000 euros", "you could knock this wall down to enlarge this space".

NEVER do they mention that renovations cost an arm and a leg, that not all walls can be simply "knocked down", bathrooms and toilets need to be sited where they can easily be connected to the existing drainage system, that charges for communal gardens and swimming pools can be high and are likely to increase year on year, etc.

Still, during the hot weather when I was in front of the goggle box for hours on end in a darkened room, the programmes helped to pass the time[:)]

[suein56]

Idun wrote : Now they didn't say, but notaires fees and taxes and especially agents fees could add a HUGE chunk onto that price.

So, anyone any idea if these programs are net, OR all the fees/honoraires are on top?

Some of these programmes do say, usually at the beginning, that you need to add 10% for this and 7% for that .. depending on the country concerned.

Other programmes seem to gloss over this so it is unclear whether the buyers are aware or not.

One name who stands out for me for being more accurate/realistic as regards fees etc is Jasmin Harmon (sp?)

Edit : Jasmine Harman

[Patf]

Some friends of ours were on one of the less wellknown series, ages ago. They were looking for a holiday house in the SW, eventually bought one in the Gers, near us.

They eventually sold it on Leboncoin.

I'm still in touch with her and will ask her about it. I know they did tell us about the experience, but I can't remember the details.

[andyh4]

Mint wrote:

NEVER do they mention that renovations cost an arm and a leg

Indeed they often give the absolute opposite impression. "I talked with a builder about converting this outbuilding and knocking through into the house. He says he can do the work for €25000." Which could well be right but omits the fact that (unlike the UK) the builder is just doing the basic stone and construction work. You are still going to need and pay for the roofer, plumber, electrician, carpenter, tiler, …..

[Beckett]

In that respect, teh French ones are much more realistic. he distinction between porteur and non-porteur walls is always considered, and the cost of putting in eg a bathroom is usually quoted as a range, per m2.

[suein56]

Flaneur wrote : In that respect, the French ones are much more realistic. The distinction between porteur and non-porteur walls is always considered, and the cost of putting in eg a bathroom is usually quoted as a range, per m2.

Perhaps .. but like Kirsty the French equivalents are always keen to knock down walls .. with little regard for the cost of re-establishment of the electrics or the decor which will need to be redone afterwards.

[suein56]

Edit : post deleted .. for some reason I managed to double post.

[Doodle]

Hi idun, haven't been on one of these programmes but a while after we bought our house the previous owner showed us the video on utube where they had been on 'a place in the sun'. Their house was not for sale at the time, they were chatting to the presenter and a couple that were looking to buy a house and the chat was taking place in their garden. That garden is now our garden as a year after the programme the couple decided to move into a property with less work and to be in a nearby town with all facilities on their doorstep! Fortunately the OH new all about buildings from his career and so we knew what we were taking on work and money wise and oh my what a lot of it there was too!