New Build - Diary of a French New Build (Iss 190)

On the last day of February 2006 we took delivery of the new house.This important day marked the transfer of ownership from the building company to ourselves, and the start of the guarantees on the construction, roof and equipment. The project manager explained the workings of the under-floor heating system, the integral vacuum cleaner, the electrics and water-heater and officially handed us the keys.

It was one year, four months and seventeen days after we signed the initial contract, and just two weeks later than the promised delivery date.We signed the acceptance form and handed over our cheque for the last 5 per cent of the price – the final stage payment. Finally it was ours and it felt fantastic.

Kitchen construction
But it wasn’t quite ready to move into yet! First, we moved the sink and its base unit that had been supplied with the house from the kitchen into the back of the garage.We installed a new washing machine and racks for storage to make this area into a utility room.

Then we started on the kitchen. I’d designed the kitchen layout more than a year before, so the power sockets and plumbing could be defined in the detailed spec. I’d ordered the units from Ikea near Paris and had them delivered six months before – they were waiting in our barn along with our furniture. We’d made several trips to Poitiers to buy oven and hob, sink and taps, dishwasher and extractor hood, worktops and tiles.

This was a major operation, even before we started to put it all together! But we were old hands at making kitchens and before long the base units were constructed and fixed in place.We cut holes in the worktops for hob and sink, then tiled the walls and worktops, adding wooden edging strips. Installing the extractor hood involved unpleasant crawling around in the loftspace among the fluffy fibreglass insulation, to connect the flexible ducting to one of the roof vents.

Having forgotten that French windows open inwards, we discovered the tap we’d bought for the kitchen sink was too tall, so we used the one originally supplied and put the new one in the utility room. It took us two weeks but was hugely satisfying to step back and admire our new kitchen.

Furniture and fittings
Gradually the house was furnished, with some items brought from England and others bought new. Pictures and mirrors were hung and curtains were made.The shower included with the house had no screens, so we ordered a rather extravagant shower door and side panel and with a struggle and scant instructions fitted them in place.We even installed a cat-flap and painted the garage walls white.We still couldn’t move in yet, as we were waiting for our connection to the drains.

Down the drains
It was on Good Friday that the contractors making the new village drainage system finally came, dug up the road and laid a drain to the end of our driveway. We had to wait another tantalising three weeks for the return of the terrassier and his digger to lay pipes from there to the back of the house.

At long last it was done. He also dispersed the mounds of earth and lorryloads of roadstone around the house up to floor level and along the driveway. Suddenly it changed from a building site to a garden, or at least a potential garden.

Moving in
On 12 May 2006 we moved in, with a celebratory bottle of fizz and a sigh of relief.Over the following months we set out paths and borders, a vegetable plot and lawns, and a full year later after allowing soil and stone to settle we made terraces on three sides of the house.

My self-appointed task all throughout the build has been to chronicle our project with photos and text and publish it on my own website, for family and friends and anyone interested in watching how a new house is made in France. It’s still there, and still growing, at www.limousinliving.me.uk so take a look.

Building a house was not an easy thing to do, at times it was stressful and frustrating, but in the end we have a fabulous home in a place we love. Nothing worth having was ever easy! Have we ever regretted taking it on? No! Would we do it again? Well, we hope to be living in this house for many years yet, but the funny thing is, we’ve just bought another building plot in the next village.

Summary of costs (excluding the land)
• To the building company as quoted €111,316 £77,712
• Groundworks, including excavation
and backfilling for the pool, drainage,
landscaping and driveway €11,220 £7,833
• Compulsory insurance €1,220 £851
• Preparation of site (removal of trees) €1,213 £846
• Swimming pool, including solar
heating and shower €18,884 £13,183
• Water supply €1,246 £869
• Electricity supply €241 £168
• Telephone connection €80 £55
• House fittings inc. kitchen units, oven,
hob, dishwasher, washing machine,
light fittings and two sofas €11,067 £7,726
Total (Sterling equivalent based on October 2007 exchange rate) €156,487 £109,428