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Construction

My life on the road in France living in a self-built tiny house

Geoffrey Celard, 30, explains why he prefers the simple life

Homeowners in France at risk of being sued by subcontractors

If the main contractor fails to pay up, the property owner may be liable, a new ruling confirms

Can planning permission be rejected in France due to water shortages?

Some communes have tried to ban new building work to protect supplies

news

French renovation firms invented ‘norms’ to con homeowners into work

Victims lost an average of €8,000 but some lost much more

Swimming pools: How to check you are within tax rules in France

There are forms to fill in and taxes to pay at both the construction stage and after completion. Here is how it works

French design kit house can be built in a weekend by two people

The ‘flat-pack’ home requires no heavy lifting or construction experience to erect

What are the rules for demolishing and rebuilding property in France?

Matthew Cameron, partner with Ashtons Legal, answers a reader query

Make sense of local rules governing planning permission around France

The Plan Local d’Urbanisme determines what can be built where, to what height, and, more importantly, what cannot be built - but only half of rural communes have one

Number of new housing projects in France ‘at lowest level since 2010’

The slowdown is due to fewer building permits being issued and the rising cost of construction materials, says a French federation of property developers

Hundreds sue over French energy renovation grant delays

The legal action is linked to the French government’s MaPrimeRenov’ scheme, which funds improvements to a home’s energy efficiency

‘Cool roofing’ white roof trend grows in popularity in France

The practice involves painting your roof in a white paint mixture, which proponents say saves on energy bills, cuts temperatures by 6-7C, and eliminates the need for aircon for 20 years

20 homes in French estate to be pulled down after just four years

The properties have a host of problems including cracks in the masonry, poor insulation and flooding issues. The developers have stopped responding

€50million Notre-Dame Cathedral landscaping project approved in Paris

The plans will increase the green space by 36% and aim to make the area more comfortable for visitors during hot weather

For how long does a quote for renovation work remain valid in France?

Tradespersons should provide a quote including a timeframe for the work. We look at what you can do if there are no dates included

French builders look to be able to revise quotes with rising prices

Building and decorating firms propose adding a clause to quotes if prices for raw materials continue to increase

60,000 French insurance contracts cancelled as firm closes

The liquidation of Elite Insurance has left 60,000 private and professional clients in France without construction insurance as of September 15, 2020.

Tips for renovating roof timbers in a French farmhouse

Nick Inman charts the ups and downs of renovating an old French farmhouse by himself.

French homeowners warned of new ‘eco’ insulation scam

Homeowners in France are being warned of a new scam, which is similar to the infamous “€1 interior insulation” scam, but this time concerns exterior walls and “eco-friendly” insulation renovations.

Covid-19 in France: Full list of services still open

France has published an official list of the shops and services that are still permitted to stay open during the coronavirus Covid-19 outbreak - as all restaurants, bars, cafes and ‘non-essential’ shops are closed.

Owner must knock down dangerous wall in France

A property owner must demolish and rebuild a badly-built wall that is at risk of falling on a neighbouring house.

French construction companies blockade fuel depots

Construction companies are blockading fuel depots across Brittany in protest against the government’s plan to remove tax incentives for off-road fuel.

France investigates if 5.4 earthquake caused by humans

Scientists are investigating whether a 5.4 magnitude earthquake that hit France last week may have been caused by human quarrying activity.

Happy birthday to Paris's 130-year-old Iron Lady

French barn conversions: Paperwork comes first

Make sure that the work is covered by a permis de construire or a déclaration préable de travaux , and that the administrative use of the barn has been changed to habitable status

Sinkhole 10 metres wide opens up in northern France

A sinkhole 10 metres wide and five metres deep has opened in Amiens (Somme, Hauts-de-France) this week, with experts suggesting it could be linked to medieval caverns beneath the town.

France passes Notre Dame restoration law

A new law setting out the definitive reconstruction plan for the cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris has been passed by the French government.

Tallest ever ‘eco’ wooden building opens in France

The tallest apartment building ever to be made almost entirely of wood in France has opened in Strasbourg, aiming to show the eco-friendliness of the construction method.

Notre-Dame architect pledges to ‘heal’ Paris cathedral

The architect in charge of the stricken Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris has pledged to “heal” the building from its “nightmare suffering”, after visiting the site for the first time since the fire disaster on April 15.

More revealed on illegal €57m Provence Château Diter

More details have come to light on how the Château Diter - the €57m Côte d’Azur château that French authorities have ordered to be torn down - was able to grow to such an extent in the first place.

What changes in France in March 2019

Changes for March include a shift in the kind of eco-friendly home improvement works eligible for an interest-free loan, a rise in cigarette prices, and new rules on scooter licences and workplace equality.

SNCF reveals ‘best and worst’ train stations in France

French train company SNCF has published its annual list of the country’s best and worst train stations for customer satisfaction, with Rennes (Brittany) coming last and Meuse TGV (Grand Est) on top.

Start at the end to create order out of chaos on site

Nick Inman charts the ups and downs of doing it himself in our regular column... here, the important point of organising work space

French silence now means ‘non’, not ‘oui'

The principle of tacit planning acceptance from authorities has been overturned in the case of mountain pasture chalets or summer buildings. Four months of silence now indicates refusal rather than approval.

Crane protest halts Dordogne bypass

Construction work on Beynac bypass near Sarlat temporarily halted as protester chains himself to a crane 15m above ground - before coming down after six nights

Fifth body recovered from Marseille house collapse

A fifth body has been recovered - that of a man - from the rubble of the two houses that collapsed in Marseille on Monday (November 5) morning.

Tour on avoiding DIY accidents launches in France

The first national “tour” on how to avoid DIY accidents at home is launching today (Friday October 5) across France.

Old church transformed into cultural events centre

A 19th century church in the Nord that was threatened with demolition has been transformed into a “cultural beacon”, including entertainment and events areas, concert space, and even a small hotel.

Almost-new look for Tour Montparnasse

Architects aim to get rid of dark blob on the Paris skyline and bring skyscraper up to date