1. Introduction

Whilst the majority of those who buy property in France choose to buy an older property for renovation, an increasing number are interested in the construction of a new home.

It is not difficult to see why this is happening.

The number of suitably located properties for renovation is in short supply, as the costs and difficulties of renovating a property have risen substantially in recent years.

Planning permission to build in France is easier to obtain than in many other countries and, if you seek a property in a specific location, adapted to your needs and in perfect condition, a new property provides an ideal solution.

The choice is helped by the fact, provided you go about it in the right way, the whole process is highly regulated, with a strong degree of protection afforded to the client.

The purpose of these pages is to guide you through the process of getting your own house built, from site selection to handover of the property.

We consider how you should go about the appointment of the professional and building teams. The fact that a builder or architect speaks English is not necessarily the best qualification for appointment!

We show you how you can get free planning and architectural advice before you need to appoint an architect for the project.

We review the different types of building contract you can use and the key issues you need to consider before you sign the contract.

We set out the guarantees that are offered by these contracts and we also tell you about the building insurances you need to take out.

As even the best-laid plans can go awry, we also outline the claims procedures under the main house building contract, and advise on whom you might be able to turn to in the event of a dispute with your builder (or architect!).