Renovating a Ruin Over Time

[BritinBretagne]

Errr... No, wrong again. You once asked if I lived in Brittany or the Limousin and I pointed out that I knew house prices were cheap in the Limousin because I'd look there. What's your point or are you playing the boring game that really is all you have to offer?

[BritinBretagne]

Don't rise to his bait. He knows exactly what he's doing. He knows that the majority of people who have renovated properties are more than pleased with the result but us also aware that a few chosen words can stir up a response. He is not interested in facts, he enjoys upsetting people. All in all an unpleasant individual.

[Chancer]

Most of us need a roof above our head, here in France there are 3 main choices:

 

Rent as ALBOF does and watch his €100K renovation profit earn a measly 0.25% interest if he is lucky, never have security of tenure, have to chase the landlord for repairs, either be prohibited from doing any improvements or lose all the money you spend doing them, you wont have to pay taxes foncières though.

 

Buy a new build papier maché pavilion at a stupid price and then  have to spend loads of time and money rubbing down bandes done by a Turkish plaquiste, painting every wall and ceiling, fitting a kitchen, laying a path to the front door, creating a drive, fencing etc.

 

Buy and renovate an older house where all of the above will already have been done, a 10 year old house will be far better value than a new one taking into account all that would need to be done on a new one and it will be cheaper to buy, or buy an old wreck and do exactly what you want with it to create your perfect home.

 

I dont think that I know of anyone over here who has done or is doing a renovation with the intent of making money, they have done it for the satisfaction of creating their home with their own hands, I have a strong suspicion that ALBOF did it by signing cheques, that is not a criticism but he is in the wrong country, his skills could earn him a fortune in the UK and it certainly is not the thing to do currently in France so what he says is correct but only for cheque book rénovations, my experience is that the cost of materials is overall lower than it was 12 years ago due to more competition and availability.

[alittlebitfrench]

Who are you BinB ?

You are trolling me on the green forum (where you have not gone down well with the others to be fair) and this one.

Hmmmm !!!

I really don't want to wake up with a dead horse in my bed.

P.S...forum expert talking....you are trying too hard. Chill more.

[alittlebitfrench]

Chancer said 'I don't think that I know of anyone over here who has done or is doing a renovation with the intent of making money'

There are plenty, and they are not British. Promoters around here will carve up a beautiful old house into apartments. Not that different to what you have done. lol. But it is true. promoters will get their hands quickly on the best property.

[BritinBretagne]

Count my likes per post on the other site, I'm hardly unpopular. I have annoyed some of the old hands but all I did was point out that the facts they posted with such confidence were actually incorrect. What's wrong with that?

[Patf]

B in B I've sent you a pm.

[Hoddy]

I'd like to remind all posters that we have a long-standing 'gentleman's agreement' not to discuss other forums on this one.

[alittlebitfrench]

B&B said.... 'What's wrong with that?

You have to read between the lines. People are generally not bad on forums, they just express themselves differently. I am completely illiterate and if it was not for auto correct 'spelling' my posts would be eligible.

You had a pop shot at Chancer in another thread....but Chancer is a wise old owl. He knows his stuff.

Not as much as me mind you...lol.

Don't go around calling people trolls or bad people. You are just misinterpreting what people are saying.

[Chancer]

[quote user="alittlebitfrench"]Chancer said 'I don't think that I know of anyone over here who has done or is doing a renovation with the intent of making money' There are plenty, and they are not British. Promoters around here will carve up a beautiful old house into apartments. Not that different to what you have done. lol. But it is true. promoters will get their hands quickly on the best property.[/quote]

 

They were not as quick as Chancer in 2004 which is why I still have several enemys plus their extended families, allowing for consanguinité that means pretty much everyone [:P]

 

Good always comes from good (deeds) and in my case it was having helped out someone here voluntarily several times who was well in with the Notaires secretary, and I dont just mean that figuratively speaking [;-)], well deserved of a bunch of flowers and a box of chocolates.

[BritinBretagne]

Err again... Talking of elsewhere I'm sure you referred to me as a Troll less than 24 hours ago. I know your game, I'm also not taken in by Chancer's hard done by tales. I have however restored a ruin which is I believe what this topic was all about.

[woolybanana]

Well, my ruin is 70 years old, the roof is thin, the walls bulging, the plumbing dodgy. And it seems to have various structural defects which may of may not be serious, judging by the sounds it emits. Any thoughts on where to start?

[mint]

Yes, Wools, if I were you, I wouldn't start from wherever it is you are now!

[Chancer]

[quote user="BritinBretagne"] I'm also not taken in by Chancer's hard done by tales. [/quote]

 

If you mean that he is not hard done by then you are correct, I am currently comfortably off, but it certainly has not always been that way, in fact compared to the dark days I feel minted at the moment.

 

I had zero income between 2004 and 2014 and during that time spent all of my savings on the renovation and living costs, in 2008 I had to drastically reduce my outgoings and by 2010 I was living on €348 per month down from €631 in 2007, but it was my choice, I was never hard done by.

[woolybanana]

Yes, I seem to remember that Chancer was living on something like 7 euros a day or less, and then he managed to almost blow his eye out with a bullet or somesuch?

Weren't you going back to UK and living in a garden shed, in order to earn some money to keep going, Chance?

[Chancer]

11 euros a dat Wooly.

 

I converted the garden shed to give me somewhere to live so that I could rent the main house out for some income, it turned out to be one of my best decisiions ever financially but completely by chance, not planned, just like the Apparthôtel.

 

I could have remained there to work but instead returned to the unfinished business in France.

[Théière]

[quote user="woolybanana"]Well, my ruin is 70 years old, the roof is thin, the walls bulging, the plumbing dodgy. And it seems to have various structural defects which may of may not be serious, judging by the sounds it emits. Any thoughts on where to start?[/quote]

Yes, clean underwear!

[woolybanana]

hahahahaaaaaaaa

[suein56]

woolybanana wrote:

Well, my ruin is 70 years old, the roof is thin, the walls bulging, the plumbing dodgy. And it seems to have various structural defects which may of may not be serious, judging by the sounds it emits. Any thoughts on where to start?

Théière wrote :

Yes, clean underwear!

Oh my, that is just such a perfect response (imagine smiley face here).

Sue

[idun]

BritinBritanny, I for one am glad that ALBF posts, don't always agree with him and some it is just amusing nonsense, I look upon it as taquiner the people on here.......... and at least he is posting.

Lots of members on here and beaucoup lurkers who don't, which actually I find slightly irritating, as the board has been so slow and so few posts sometimes that we need more posters.

And Chancer, well, if I was on my own, I could live on a shoestring too, and live well to boot. Why question what he has done???? Was it all to make money........ don't know, don't care.

[alittlebitfrench]

Thanks Idun.

I don't believe half the things I write but if gets people talking and bouncing ideas about then like you said it keeps things alive.

That Chancer bloke, well I would say (I think I have said it here or on another forum) has saved me over 20 k euros (and counting) since I have been reading his posts.

I have a big soft spot for Chancer.

[woolybanana]

ALBF, thanks to your last post, Chancer has just jumped off Cap Griz Nez, foaming at the mouth!

[idun]

Well when he did, hope he landed on ALBF's soft spot then[;-)]

[BritinBretagne]

I'm not questioning what he's done, I'm questioning the poor poor Chancer who was destitute. From reading about the assets he had behind him throughout his period of poverty I believe he has a different definition for down and out than many of the rest of us.

[mint]

[quote user="idun"]BritinBritanny, I for one am glad that ALBF posts, don't always agree with him and some it is just amusing nonsense, I look upon it as taquiner the people on here.......... and at least he is posting.

Lots of members on here and beaucoup lurkers who don't, which actually I find slightly irritating, as the board has been so slow and so few posts sometimes that we need more posters.

[/quote]

Never a truer word, Id.  There are posters who only come on when they have a problem they need solving.  The moment they get the appropriate advice, they disappear again into the woodwork.

Then there are others who come here specifically to ask a question and, if they don't like the answer, they badmouth the people trying to help them and then they too disappear without trace.

As you say, Id, if we all did that the forum will be gone in no time.  It's not as though anyone expect you to come on and be some sort of agony aunt or even to write anything serious or worthy.  Surely you could come just to give an opinion, tell a story, write about an experience, give a link to some news or something else of interest.................ggggggrrrhhhhhhhhh.........

The curse of our time:  I just can't be bothered!

As for ALBF, he's given me good advice, notably on how to treat my newly-acquired wood furniture.  Yes, he does try to rile me but I do not sense any malice; he tries to annoy, that is all.  Plus I do know how to deal with him.  I have 2 choices: 1) treat his silly question as though it were serious and give him a sensible, factual answer and that tends to throw him a bit and 2) give him a silly answer and that gets him to say sillier and sillier things or if it "out sillies" him, he goes away![:D]