SuziQ27

Hi, we're living in Montpellier and looking to buy a house somewhere nearby. It's VERY expensive!!! Anyway we've found a house in a nearby town but obviously it needs loads of work doing to it (otherwise we couldn't afford it). I was wondering if anybody had any ideas on the price of stuff like roofing, electrics, plumbing etc down here in the Herault? The house is a town house of about 200m² it looks like nothing has been done to it since the 1970's going by the wallpaper!! It needs a kitchen and bathroom. The attic has never been touched. In other words a typical house for us Brits to buy in France
I'd appreciate any help whatsoever on this as I have to put an offer in soon and want to know what I'm getting myself into
Thanks for reading this far anyway
PS My first post here so sorry it's not more exciting, I can't figure out how to use the emoticons!!

dmu

Hi, and welcome to the forum from a fellow Héraultaise!
Can't help re the renovation costs, except to wonder whether, with such a big house and everything you've mentioned, these would come to about the same as the actual house price! You may find yourselves with other costs to take into account, e.g. a new septic tank if there is one, possible presence of termites and/or asbestos. These three aspects, and electrics and plumbing, are officially checked in a "Diagnostic" and, if the buyer is expected to bring the house up to standard, the vendor should reduce the asking price accordingly.
There aren't all that many members in the Hérault, but someone from elsewhere will come along with an idea of renovation costs, as I doubt that they differ much nationwide.
(Be warned that the artisans will probably have the Mediterranian mentality, and you can expect to hear "normalement" very often when you try to set a date ....)
Good luck with your decision!

petitefrancaise

"typical house for us Brits to buy in France"

yep because no sane french person would touch them! They're all buying their new eco friendly houses on the outskirts of town.

Before doing anything else, look at other houses for sale in the immediate vicinity. Often, it is just too expensive to renovate an old house because local values just don't add up. As you say, Brits think that they can add sufficient value by renovating but experience tells us no.

I take it your french is good enough to handle the conversations with artisans, mairie, maitre d'oeuvre etc? An architect might be a good idea to project manage it for you, most will give you some idea of costs involved in renovation for free.

dmu

Have to agree, alas!
Good idea to consult an architect who'll give free advice!
@SuziQ, find out why the owners are selling (e.g. an inheritance?) and how long the house has been on the market (i.e. why hasn't it been snapped up before now if it's close to MTP?). If it's recent and they are desperate to sell, you might be able to negotiate the price (also taking into acccount the Diagnostic work to be carried out), but IMO you may have to budget for the same amount again for your personal renovation projects. In which case why not invest this higher sum in a house that won't need work?
Without being too inquisitive, where is the house located? Some dormitory towns around MTP tend to be relatively dead during the day, but you don't say whether you are working, and it might not be an important factor for you. Have you got children to help fill up the 200m²?

Chatter Static

Emoticons won't renovate the house, their not like leprechauns. Any sensible person would get the quotes for work from professionals prior to making an offer on the house if you have to rewire, replace windows and shutters and redecorate install a new kitchen and used professionals at least for the windows and rewiring then don't expect much change from 35 -45k this doesn't even touch the unforeseen and thats what hurts the bank balance.

Any work you carry out will add little to no profit at best and define expensive?, if it needs work and is at the top end of your budget then maybe you should revaluate and look some more.

cardi

If you buy an older house needing renovation and intend to use artisans you have already lost money. DIY with some sweat and time can add more value than the materials used but not as much as you might think. Property values in France are lower than they have been for years.

DandNHill

Also unless things have changed an offer is legally binding so make sure the t's are crossed and i's dotted before you commit.

EuroTrash

I echo the advice to absolutely don't make an offer until you have firm quotes for all the big things and have done the sums in black and white. I hate to add to the negativity but not many people get their money back on a renovation. So if you follow the logic, if a renovation ends up costing more than buying the same house in a liveable condition, then if you can't afford a liveable house how can you afford a renovation, without cutting a lot of corners and in effect living in an unliveable house. Don't buy a moneypit that will turn into a nightmare.

Tweedpipe

Your statement, "a typical house for us Brits to buy in France", once again made me shudder. Those who have seen their dream renovation project turn into their worst nightmare are multitude. Do not underestimate the potential problems.
I certainly agree with the sentiments already expressed. If you will not be doing it yourself, expect to double the estimate costs, and quadruple the stress factor.
Think, think, and think hard again, then turn your attention to something newer - or a period dwelling which has been lovingly maintained.
Please keep us advised with feedback, as your experience could be invaluable for other facing a similar dilemma.

dmu

DIY has been mentioned a couple of times, but this implies that no registered professional will be signing off the work = no guarantee (Even if the husband is a UK-qualified builder, is he up to scratch with French norms?) and that, the day the OPs wish to sell, they'll have nothing to show for all the time/money they've put into renovating the house.
If available money is a problem, the OPs should set themselves an upper limit and buy a normal sized "ready-to-live-in" house, or buy one to renovate for half this amount....
It would be interesting to know why they've chosen MTP, which is known to be very expensive. Maybe one of them is working there, otherwise they should consider less expensive areas....

EuroTrash

Why rush into buying a house if it would stretch you further than is comfortable? Have you actually sat down and asked yourself why you want to buy, or is it a knee jerk reaction carried over from the UK? Property ownership isn't seen as aspirational in France. Property isn't seen as an investment here as it is in the UK and there's no stigma attached to renting. Usually people wait to buy until they've reached the stage in life where they're ready to commit themselves to a forever home, they know they won't want to move again in the near future, and they're in a financial position where they can comfortably afford to buy somewhere nice. The purchase is an expensive process in itself and although Montpellier is a better place to buy and sell property than most of France, I'm still not sure it's much of an investment. In your case it doesn't sound like you're looking for a forever home yet. If you just want a place to live for now, why not rent. Tenants are well protected under French law and as tenants you don't pay the annual taxe foncière property tax, which is always paid by the property owner.

dmu

The OP said that they were "living" in MTP and I rightly or wrongly presumed "renting".
In fact we've no details at all, except that they have projects with a financial limit. Are they working? inactifs? retired?
From memory, we pay over 1000€ in Taxe Foncière for an 80m² appartment in MTP (rented out). The mind boggles at the T.F. for a 200m² house, presumably with a garden. Insurance must also be included in a house-owner's annual budget. To give an idea, our annual premium in rural Hérault (house and civil liability) comes to 900€ (bill arrived today). I'll have to look for the papers, but, for the MTP appartment, it would be relatively high (higher risks....). These hidden expenses could reach 3000€ p.a. for a 200m² house in the MTP area, and should be taken into account if the budget is tight.