My Project
Having a background in building and
property development is definitely a help, but even so, many products and methods
of construction here are so different to the UK that it was a steep learning
curve, especially as I had decided to do all the work myself.........
The property built in stone (pierre) is
around 100 years old and consists of a large garage with an entrance from Le
Rue de l'Ancienne Distillerie, a courtyard with an entrance from the Ave de
la Marie (right opposite the mairie...:-( ) with a large loft (grenier)
above the garage and a room adjacent under which is a room at courtyard level
which will be the new utility room (buanderie).
My Front doors..... and back doors...... click the images
for larger photos
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My green courtyard entrance gates can be seen under huge vine to the left, the Mairie is on the right....
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My garage and studio entrance.... |
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I rented a caravan and put in the
courtyard initially, as somewhere to put my weary head after a hard days
work..... soon found out that caravan life was not for me and decided to
build some studio accommodation in the garage below.....with adjacent
office.....and three weeks later it looked like this.......so the caravan
could go....:-)
The only access to the grenier was up some difficult
stairs from what will be the new utility room....and as I wanted access
through the window overlooking the courtyard my first job was to construct
some stairs with a balcony......
Then the major tasks begun.........
This is the state of the inside of the grenier when I moved there....
This will be the third bedroom.....
Part of the main grenier....
Inside of my new balcony access....with the grape hoist...
This will be the third bedroom.....
and for the next few weeks........my new floor starts to
go down, 22mm Hydra Flooring on 65mm Polystyrene flooring insulation. Then
the roof windows have to go in......Light at last...:-) followed by
insulating and plasterboarding the whole ceiling of around 110
metres....with two people a major job....by yourself...a huge
undertaking...especially working off step ladders and trestles with
planks...
My new floor goes down....at last something to walk on...
About 65 sheets of plasterboard and over 3000 screws later....
At last the walls start to go up.....
My new floor goes down....at last something to walk on...
About this time....I received a letter from the Mairie
informing me that I did not have permission to put windows in the
roof.....:-( Oh dear.....I foretell big problems....
Well, for a start my command of the French language is
still in it's infancy....and my knowledge of the planning system is about
the same.... I should say at this point that I was told by the Notaire and
by an architect working for me that I did NOT need any permissions for my
planned works....
OK, now I needed a local architect who could speak
French AND who knew the system...well, having spoken with a few local
Brits a certain Ed Jenkins name cropped as being a suitable candidate....
well after my first contact with Ed and his subsequent telephone call to the
Mairie we ascertained that I was within 50 yards of an ancient monument, the
local church!! So certain other rules applied!!!
My proposed works had to comply with "les architects pour le batiments de
France" the ruling body on ancient monuments......The Mairie said that
they wanted a full application of a "permis de construire". The pounds signs
started rolling in front of my eyes knowing how much architects
charged...so....another job for Graham....:-( as if I didn't have enough to
do already....the main reason for the application we ascertained, was really
so the Mairie knew how many square metres of living accommodation I was
constructing so that they would know how much tax to charge me when it was
finished....
Luckily I had obtained a cheap copy of "Autocad" a
couple of years ago but had never used it.....this is a designing/drawing
program for a PC used by most architects these days, but, for the
amateur....a VERY steep learning curve.....made more difficult by an old
brain....mine.....:-)
Anyway, after two trips to Ed getting advice on the
Mairie's requirements, and about a week later and MANY frustrating hours
where the PC almost ended up in the courtyard skip..... I had produced a set
of drawings, plans, elevations, sections etc ready for the Mairie. Then all
the photos they needed, close and distant views, before and after.....Thank
goodness for all my PC experience over the last 9 years.....
The Permis application was taken over to the Mairie
for it's consideration....now we WAIT, up to two months!
Meanwhile work cannot stop.....this has to go
on......I cannot afford to stop!!!
Much, Much more Later.......... and
lots, lots more
photos here......
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This site was last updated
Monday June 19, 2006
