caro500m

Hello everyone, I am new here and wonder if anyone can give me some advice. I would like to buy a plot of land to use for family holidays either with or without an existing structure on it. I wonder if I would be able to erect say, a log type cabin on it without going through a lot of bureaucracy or if it might even be impossible. Would I need to buy only buildable land etc? possibly it might be better to buy something with a structure already on it to make it easier to get permission to erect something new?

I am not looking for a lot of stress, hassle and expense but not sure what to look out for..

Many thanks to anyone who can help!

Caroline

Chatter Static

Welcome to the forum, You need to either have a building plot, Be a farmer buy a piece of land with a structure on it. It gets easier if on the outskirts of a village that is expanding very difficult if in green land as each commune has a urbanisation plan which is agreed with the farming commission "I forget it's name" getting EDF to supply electricity to even a shed in a field I found nigh on impossible. You would be better off looking for a old stone animal shed in a commune that is known for change of use one these. Pardon the pun but there are shed loads of them in Ariege in the mountains that get converted in to winter ski retreats and if it's only for holidaying then it's an nice place to live but a tad bleak in the winter.

Harvester523

Whatever you do there's a lot of bureaucracy! Log cabins are quite well looked on in some areas, but you'd still need planning permission and buildable land.
I'm sure someone will come along with more info. but I'm certain stress and hassle will be involved. A livable-in cottage might be a better option, probably for less expense than a new log cabin.

@chatterstatic plan d'urbanisme perhaps?
We've been toying with the idea of building on the edge of our land within the urbanisation limit, but even though it's near water and electricity, after the cost of the base, the cabin kit, and the finishing, I think I'd go for the ready made wreck that can be 'done up' at leisure.

EuroTrash

This is France.

A new dwelling needs: a CU (permission to build on that plot of land), planning permission (to build that building), building normes to meet, energy efficiency criteria to meet (needs an architect), insulation criteria, utilities to be connected...

There would also be annual land taxes and property taxes to pay, even if you were only here for a few weeks a year.

For less money and far less hassle, you could buy a superb top of the range camping-car and stay for as long as you like - often for free - in any and every part of France that takes your fancy. And a camping-car would be less likely to turn into a millstone around your neck.

Just my opinion.

dmu

Hi, as already mentioned, any new construction larger than 20m² has to have a Permis de Construire.
http://vosdroits.service-public.fr/p...6.xhtml#N100C7
Between 5 and 20m² you must declare the work to your Mairie.
Smaller than 5 m², no administrative steps need to be taken.
If you still wish to go ahead with your plans, then make sure, as mentioned above, that the piece of land that you choose is "constructible" = with a CU.
Welcome to France and French Bureaucracy!

caro500m

Hi everyone! that is all really helpful and I appreciate it. Yes we did consider a motor home and it is still on the back burner but I found some property with a cabin/fishing lodge on it I liked the look of. I wondered about demolishing the existing and re-erecting something of a similar footprint. There are also wooden outbuildings on the land already and I could probably smarten up the existing as I can see its going to be a real hassle to try to replace them. If we needed another structure, the 20 sqm. permitted development would probably be plenty as an addition if that were not frowned on - I guess we could call it a garage...

I'll pop along and take a look at it anyway and see if I really like it enough to jump through the hoops.

Thanks again!

Caroline x

Chatter Static

If you add to that you will probably need a CU, Plus a similar foot print would probably have to be exactly the same no variations but you would still need to submit a Déclaration Préalable to replace it or paint the outside as it's is not a just go at it place.

EuroTrash

The trouble might be that the building regs for any residential new build insist on it being energy-efficient, and if you demolish and build new you will, I presume, have to comply with all the new minimum requirements for insulation etc. A simple basic log cabin might struggle to meet them.

MillieF

I have a Terrain de Loisir, which has a little 'sort of' cottage on it, it isn't plumbed in, and is just a large plot of wooded land that we camped on, I bought it from a chap who used to spend all summer on it for years. It has a well. There are lots of them around Pays de La Loir, if you look on Le Bon Coin, I am sure you might find lots. I kept ours, as one day, if I feel up to the paperwork, I will try to get permission to build on it.

caro500m

Thanks Millie, that is a great web site. This is getting much more complicated that I expected! We just wanted a place where we can camp, fish, enjoy nature and maybe erect a vacation cabin. The fishing lodge I guess on the land I saw would be fine with some improvements and there are no services at all so maybe the French government would not be too scandalised if we put up some solar panels and even in future the notion of a septic tank

I had a quick look around the web site Millie recommended though and there are a lot of possible's there too. Many thanks for all the advice.

Caroline x