Choosing an Architect

[SteveH]

We've got the land in hand & so the adventure begins!

Could anyone please give me some advice regarding choosing an Architect?

We're in the dark here, trying to have a new build in Charente whilst living in the UK.

We've found someone who's come recommended & have requested some info on work he's done. We'll visit at least one property the guys done before instructing him.

Should they be qualified to any particular level or in any governing body? Do they need to have any form of insurance?

Any advice would be much appreciated

[Quillan]

If the habitable area of the house is 170m2 or more (that excludes integral garage and cellar) then you must use a properly qualified architect. If it is less then you can do it yourself or get the builder to do it and put them forward to the DDE for the PC. As I said before this is why most large houses are a couple of square metres smaller

There are all sorts of funny rules to this issue of habitable areas for not just the architect but for your taxes as well. For instance people have a separate toilet because it only has cold water which means you can't live in it so it is not classed as habitable. You can put a sink in but only with cold water, add hot water and the toilet then becomes habitable. Thats just one small example. Our house is around 324m2 on two levels, the lower level is a garage for four cars and storage, the top level which is classed as habitable is only 168m2. To give and idea what that equates to we have a massive lounge and dining room and five bedrooms of which three are comfortable doubles, one is a king size and the 5th whilst you can put a double in (and walk down both sides of the bed) is really a single. All of them have en-suite bathrooms, three with showers and two with showers and baths.

If you are going over 170m2 then you can find an architect by going through Odre des Architects

The prefered method if under 170m2 is to go down the route of letting your builder do the plans. Unlike the UK you don't, when under 170m2, have to do a full set of plans, all the DDE wants to know is the height, width and depth of the property and what it will look like from the outside. Of course you will still need detailed plans for the builder so he can build it which is why many use the builder for the plans. The house is built all in one go, no waiting for the footing to be inspected etc as the build progresses. At the end of the build the DDE reads the spec to ensure it is built to the correct specification as laid down in France then measures the outside to make sure you have not exceeded the size you stated on the application and it is where you said it would be built on the plot. A newish addition to the regs now is that an environmental impact report has to be done as well. This will involve photographing the plot and superimposing an image of the house on the plot in its building position so they can see what it will look like and what impact it may, if any, have on the local environment.

The specification on new builds in France is very high especially when you get to insulation, heating etc. In fact they are so tight now your house won't need much extra work to make it a 'passive' house. If you are tax resident in France there are interest free loans available of up to €30,000 for some 'green' parts of the build, you should contact the Agence de l'Environnement et de la Maîtrise de l'Energie (ADEME). for more information on this.

As I said before a good local well establish builder will do everything for you. One tip I will give you is that everything is done on a detailed 'devis' which when signed by both you and the builder becomes an integral part of the contract. It is important to get in writing that and 'extras' will only be paid for when a 'Devis' for those extras is supplied signed by both you and the builder. The sort of things you are looking at is extra power sockets, moving a power socket, adding a tap for a dish washer. The latter reminds me that you need to supply a proper kitchen plan as appliances such as washing machines, dishwashers and electric cooking appliances must have there own power supply and breaker so the electrician needs to know where they will be. Move them halfway through could cost a few hundred Euros for each point moved. Have it written into the 'Devis' that you will retain 10% for a set period (agreed with the builder) after the build is finnished until all snagging is completed. A good builder won't have a problem with this. With stage payments for sure have dates but also add in the state the build must reach by that date for the next payment to be made. Again a good builder won't have a problem with this. If a builder starts questioning you and trying to change these conditions then walk away from them. This helps stopping the builder walking off site to another job for a few weeks then returning as can often happen. If he is building two houses at the same time the person who shouts loudest gets the builder on site. Have his money in your pocket and he is also more likely to be more attentive towards you.