New Builds in France - Choosing A Plot
If the French home of your dreams is a new build, the first hurdle to overcome, is actually finding the terrain a bâtir or plot! However, before setting out to ‘plot hunt’, it is wise to ask yourself a few questions that will help in the search. For many people, the first factor to consider is whether or not to choose a plot in a lotissement. A lotissement or housing estate is often a small-scale development of around five to ten homes. In the French countryside, they are often sited on the edge of towns or villages and can be a good way to be close to facilities and yet, retain a rural outlook. The plots are often developed by individuals or small-scale developers, so the houses tend to all vary slightly from each other. This is a bonus for those who do not wish to live in an environment where all the properties are identical. The plots usually range from 600m2 to around 2,000m2 in size.
Living in a lotissement also means that the occupiers get to know each other and often socialise together. Having neighbours can be a real bonus for those who want to improve their French and integrate into their new community. When you are learning a language, there is no substitute for a daily chat – even if it is just about the weather! Many lotissements are quite child friendly with very limited through traffic and quite a number of young families living there. Those with children or grandchildren may find a ready made set of friends for their enfants or petits enfants when they come to visit. Having close neighbours is often important for holiday homeowners too. If something should happen to your property while it is empty, knowing that your neighbours will spot it and quickly, is a real blessing.
Plots en lotissement will usually also have electricity and water readily available. Although these can be brought into most plots, they are a cost that must be factored into the budget. In general, with utilities, the closer they are, the cheaper it will be to connect. Obviously in terms of ease a lotissement will nearly always win out over an isolated plot. Yet, for all the advantages of a lotissement, for some buyers, they just do not offer that je ne sais quoi and the search for the perfect plot begins.
Once the geographical area has been chosen, it is a good idea to come up with a check-list of requirements for your plot. Obviously, it is highly unlikely that any plot will tick all the boxes, but it is a useful exercise. If you are planning to be permanent residents, the proximity to shops and facilities is important. An hour’s drive to the supermarket on holiday, changes from being a pleasant drive through stunning countryside, to a huge waste of time when it needs to be done every week. Proximity to schools and doctors is also important. Even outside of a lotissement-type situation you need to decide just how close you want to be to neighbours, at the end of a long drive or miles away?
We have already mentioned services. On a very isolated plot, these can prove difficult and/or expensive to install. Access is also an issue in its own right. A plot with limited access, for example a plot accessed by a bridge or a tight turn, will prove expensive and time consuming in terms of getting materials and supplies on to site. In some cases, large trucks will not be able to access the site and this will have an effect on the build cost and timescale. This is going to make the build slower and more expensive. Equally, difficult on-site access may well be more than compensated for by a stunning situation or view.
The physical aspects of the plot also need to be examined in detail. Orange plastic markers should show the boundaries of the plot. These are known as bornes. It is always a good idea to check the position of the markers with the outlines of the plot as shown on the land registry survey or plan cadastral. If the plot is on a slope, that will affect construction cost. It may be that there is enough flat area to build on and that you are happy to live with a sloping garden. Sloping plots are generally cheaper as they tend to be less sought after so you may be able to bag a bargain. An incline may even be an advantage when it comes to landscaping, meaning that it will be possible to install some stunning decking and perhaps an infinity pool! Even if there is a flat area, it is important to check the limite de la zone constructible. The plot may be 3,300m2 and a development of 220m2 may be allowed, but it is important to check where on the plot development is permitted. If the plot already has a CU (certificat d’urbanisme) or outline planning permission, you will be able to check whether or not things like a change of use from barn to living accommodation will be allowed.
The key document to look at is the PLU or plan local d’urbanisme. This will be available at the mairie and includes a large-scale map of the commune showing the boundaries of all the properties. The PLU is sometimes known as the POS or plan d’occupation des sols. The PLU or POS will reveal how large a property can be constructed on a given plot. This is known as the COS or coefficient d’occupation des sols and is usually expressed as a decimal figure such as 0.1, meaning that on a plot of 1,000m2, a house of 100m2 would be permitted. The PLU also shows the various zones of the commune according to their land use. This means that you can check that your new plot of land is constructible and not just terrain de loisirs or land that you cannot build on. It is possible to buy land like this and ‘sit’ on it in the hope that one day, it will become constructible. However, this is a long-term strategy with no guarantees.
If you know the size of house, you are planning to build, it is a good idea to cut out a paper model to scale and try it on the plan of the plot. If the land is an awkward or unusual shape, the planned dream home, may not fit or simply look wrong. Soil type can affect the build cost too. Most plots in the countryside will need a septic tank or fosse toutes eaux and different soil types will require different drainage systems, all of which vary in cost. The soil will need to be tested to determine its porosity and the results will determine the type of filtration bed that needs to be installed. Average installation costs for a fosse are around the €5,000 (£3,366) mark and this is another cost that needs to be considered.
It is also important to look at the presence of watercourses nearby. A babbling brook at the end of the garden is delightful but a swollen river about to burst its banks is not so nice! Time spent looking around the area is time well spent and can avoid any nasty surprises at a later date. Just like houses, every plot is different and there will be good and bad things about each one. Only the potential owner can weigh up the pros and cons and make their personal decision. Happy plot hunting!
Ask yourself
Would I prefer to live in a lotissement or not?
How far are shops and facilities?
Is access easy?
Will I need to install a fosse?
Are services nearby?
How far are the neighbours?
Essential vocab
un terrain de loisirs – non-constructible land
un terrain a bâtir – building plot
un certificat d’urbanisme – outline planning permission
une risque d’innondation – flood risk
la zone constructible – constructible area
une borne – boundary marker