Custom Built French villas – Languedoc Roussillon
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Having your own house built in France
The facts and what you need to know
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Quick links:
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How
we will assist
Building
guarantees
Custom built property styles
Custom built prices and deposit
Types of plot available
Land purchase and payment
Land
prices
House and land package offers
Technical specification included
Optional
extras
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Custom built stage payments
NF
quality label
Example of building plots
Notary fees and Custom
built mortgages
Planning
requirements
Custom built time scale
Site visits during construction
What to do
next?
Photographs of
built villas in the Languedoc
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How A Place in France will assist
We will provide you with free comprehensive
bilingual assistance throughout the procedure
from enquiry to delivery and following completion. We
will arrange your first meeting with the construction
company for you to discuss your project and to view
plots. Once you have decided to proceed we will
liaise regularly with the construction company on
your behalf throughout the different stages of
design, planning and build.
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Building guarantees and financial protection
We work with established construction companies in
France who are members of the government regulated
UNCMI (Union Nationale
des constructeurs de
maisons
individuelles). UNCMI
construction contracts are strictly regulated,
provide all completion and financial guarantees and
ensure the implementation of the latest building
regulations.
- Building guarantees
see full details
- Suspensive
clauses (conditions suspensives)
These are conditions written into the construction
contract, with a time scale attached to them, within which a contract
can be cancelled with the refund of the deposit.
- Non purchase of the land
- Failure to obtain planning permission
- Failure to raise a mortgage
- Failure to obtain the building/structural
guarantees insurance
- Failure to obtain the delivery guarantee insurance
- Building works insurance (Dommages-ouvrage)
This is a compulsory insurance whilst building works
are ongoing. It is normally the responsibility of the
client to subscribe to it at an additional cost of
approximately 5% of the price of the house.
However, construction companies often include it
in the overall project price for ease of
administration. This is confirmed at the time of
signing the construction contract.
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Custom built range of property styles and
architecture
There is a wide range of architectural styles to
choose from for both traditional two storey and single storey
designs. The property sizes (habitable area) range
from 60m² (646
sq.ft) to over 150m² (1615
sq.ft). Our property
styles section features the
selection of styles currently available in the
Languedoc Roussillon
region.
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Custom built property prices and deposit
Prices for Custom built properties are
extremely competitive and offer you complete
flexibility in terms of budget as they are based on
your personalised specification (your chosen size,
style and interior finish standard).
As a guideline allow between € 1 500 to € 2
000 per m² of habitable area for the build,
including services and connections (price indications as at
January 2008). Land price and Notary fees are
additional. We are able to provide a more accurate
quote once a style is selected.
Construction prices in France are government
regulated and increases are linked to the
Construction Industry Index. Once a construction
contract is signed the price is fixed.
A statutory deposit of 5% is normally required
at the time of signing the construction contract.
(Some companies may only require an initial down
payment of € 2 000/€ 3 000 at that time).
At the time of signing the construction contract
you will be requested to provide evidence of having
sufficient funds to cover the cost of the entire
project (attestation de solvabilite)
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Types of plot available
Plots can be purchased “en lotissement” or “en
diffus”.
Buying a plot “en lotissement”.
Residential lotissements
i.e. new estates are divided into varying size plots
which are all connected to the mains and public
services (viabilisés) bringing
substantial savings from the start. Residential lotissements are located in or
on the edge of a village or town.
In packaged offers (land+house) the plot is
“en lotissement”
Buying a plot “en diffus”. This means that the
plot is on its own, in the countryside or near a
village/town. Plots “en diffus” may not always
provide all the town services (e.g. sewage,
electricity, water, telephone) and these connection
costs will be quoted separately by the construction
company. A plot “en diffus” (whether it is a
plot that you have bought independently or that the
construction company has helped you find) will
require a technical survey to confirm the cost of
ground preparation. Two steps are involved :
1. Taking and analysing a soil sample (carottage).
2. Verifying the difference in ground level if the
plot is not flat.
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Land purchase and payment
Please note that construction companies are able
to source suitable plots for your project,
according to your overall budget. They cannot however
provide this free service without your commitment to
use their building services.
The purchase of land is a separate transaction to the
construction. It is bought in advance and
requires a separate purchasing contract, even in the
case of package offers.
The land purchase contract is signed at the beginning
of the process and is accompanied by the payment
of the deposit (maximum 5% of the land price).
The balance for the land together
with French Notaire's
fees are paid to the Notaire prior to the
commencement of construction.
If you already own a plot of land, please
check that it is located in one of the areas in which
we operate. Having made a selection of property
styles from the range on offer, please contact us to
discuss your project and request a building quote.
The quote will only be a guideline at this stage for
which the construction company will require the
following information :
Location of the plot, size and configuration (flat
grounds, on different levels, etc), connection to the
public services including sewage, Certificat
d’Urbanisme.
To contact us : Tel : 08445768485
email : enquiries@aplaceinfrance.co.uk
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Land prices
Prices vary according to location and tend to
increase the closer to the coast one gets. Proximity
to larger towns also has an incidence.
As a guideline: Perpignan area €
250/€ 300 per m². In the Saint Cyprien area €
350/€400 per m2. In the Ceret area € 240 per m2.
In the Narbonne and Beziers areas € 200/€
250 per m².
In the Carcassonne area
€ 100/€ 150 per m2. The Limoux inland areas
are cheaper with land prices from € 50/€
100 per m².
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House & land package offers
Land and property packages offer highly
competitive prices. They are inclusive of land,
property and Notary fees (unless stated otherwise)
These offers are generally available “en
lotissement”
that is to say a new residential estate, in or on the
edge of a village or town. Residential lotissements are divided into
varying size plots which are all already connected to
the mains and all services (viabilisés) bringing
substantial cost savings from the start.
Although each package in our selection is priced on a
specific property style and size, complete
flexibility is offered and it is possible to re-price
the package with a different house style and size of
your choice. All offers are subject to availability
View a
selection of current package offers
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Standard technical specification included in the
property price
Included in the price:
Ground excavation works and foundations
Foundation crawl space (vide sanitaire)
Traditional breeze block walls
Treated timber frame (insecticide and fungicide)
Terracotta Romane roof
tiles
Sills and thresholds in reconstituted stone
Flue for wood or coal burning stove in living room
Exclusive Olivette style
main entrance door with three point security lock (details)
External door and window frames in PVC
Moulded internal doors
Tiled floors throughout with matching skirting
Insulated Placostyll
internal partition walls
Plaster ceiling coving
Corner bath
Mixer taps
Opera style bathroom cupboard unit (details)
Heated towel rail in bathroom
16m2 wall tiles in bathroom/shower room
Cold water hand basin in WC
RIBO integrated global heating, air conditioning and
air filtering system
Sectional garage door
Tiled concrete internal stairs (if upper floor)
Ventilation pipe for kitchen hood
Outside terrace lighting
Roughcast exterior rendering
Roof slope according to architect’s design
Tiled terrace according to plan
Trellis work or tiled canopy on terrace (according to
plan)
Connection to electricity supply including provision
and installation of circuit breaker
Connection to main sewage system including collection
of rain water
Internal pre delivery clean
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Optional extras available
To help you with the finishing touches and
maintenance of your home, the following services and
fitting packages are available and quoted separately.
House alarm system with connection to central
monitoring desk
Painting of walls and ceilings, wallpapering
Kitchen fitting and equipping
Solar pack for hot water production
Fitted cupboards
Electrical roll down shutters with individual control
Grounds/garden landscaping, fencing
Swimming pool
Aluminium guttering
TV and Satellite aerials
Home insurance (building and contents)
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Custom built stage payments
UNCMI government regulated construction contracts
clearly stipulate the construction stage payments as
follows :
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Stage payments
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Cumulative
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Signature of construction contract
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5%
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5%
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At time of obtaining planning permission
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5%
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10%
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Start of works on site
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5%
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15%
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Completion of foundations
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10%
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25%
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Completion of structural walls
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15%
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40%
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Water tight
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20%
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60%
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Internal partition walls & airtight
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15%
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75%
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Completion of internal fittings, plumbing,
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Carpentry and heating installation
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20%
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95%
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On reception
a - one week after key handover provided no snagging
reported
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5%
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100%
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b - on satisfactory completion of all snagging
reported in the first 8 days
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5%
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100%
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NF Quality label (Label
de qualite NF) 
Once constructed the properties carry the NF label
(Norme
Française). This
certification ensures that the construction meets the
highest standards according to French building
regulations and that a reliable after sales service
is provided. This is a much coveted certification as
stringent criteria apply during the quality control
inspections which take place during and after the
build.
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Example of building plots
The minimum plot area required is approximately 500m2
(600sq.yd).
French construction companies often offer a free land
search service in the regions in which they operate.
However they do not source land only. Land purchase
is a separate transaction from which they do not
benefit as it is handled by the French Notaire. Construction companies
will therefore expect you to sign a construction
contract with them once a suitable plot is found.
Please bear in mind that demand for good building
plots is high and a plot once released may be sold in
as little as 3 days!
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Notary fees and Custom built mortgages
- Notary fees
are payable on the purchase
of land only. They are additional to the land
price and construction cost and vary on a scale from
approximately 8% to 12%. There are no Notary fees on
the building of the property.
- It is possible to raise a mortgage to
finance a construction project. Be aware that French
banks will only lend on the overall value of the
project (price of the land and of the property) and
subject to signing a construction contract.
Construction companies are able to assist with the
mortgage application if required.
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Planning requirements
Certificat
d’urbanisme or
Carte Communale
This certificate is delivered by the local
authorities (Mairie) and
confirms that an area within a town or village has
been released for construction subject to planning
permission. It also confirms the provision of and
connection to public services (e.g. water,
electricity, sewage). The certificate is valid for
one year but can be re applied for. The Certificat
d’Urbanisme has been
recently replaced by the Carte Communale. Its additional
features are to confirm the nature of the grounds and
any natural risks to which the plot might be
susceptible which would therefore have an incidence
on the type of property to be built (e.g. floods, mud
slides, earthquake, fire, etc).
Planning permit (Permis de construire)
This is an additional and separate certificate which
applies to an individual project within a Certificat
d’Urbanisme/Carte communale area or out in the
country. A planning permit is valid for 2 years.
Construction companies apply for planning permission
once the property plans are finalised and approved by
the client as these have to be submitted with the
application.
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Custom built construction time scale
Planning permission administration (application and
granting) takes approximately 4 to 6 months.
Construction of the property takes approximately 12
months once works have begun. The overall time scale
is therefore 16 to 18 months.
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Site visits during construction
Clients are able to visit the property site during
construction (3 to 4 visits on average). During such
visits they will meet with the foreman to discuss
construction progress. Advance notice is given so as
to arrange a mutually convenient date.
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French villas and
Houses in France:
Villas in France
designed to your own specification
Request introduction booklet
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