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There are currently 100,000 Britons living in France, and several factors make it the preferred location for them, such as its geographical proximity to the UK, the availability of health, education, and transport services; a lower population density than the UK; and climatic and cultural factors. When looking to purchase a property, often only two options are considered—buying a finished property or one which needs renovating. There is, however, a third option which is extremely popular in France, namely to select one of the fully insured house builders who will take full responsibility for building a property to your design on a piece of land in the location that you have chosen. This system gives maximum choice as regards location and design, avoids the risks and stress involved with a renovation, and can be substantially cheaper than purchasing an existing dwelling. This book explains the processes, including purchasing a plot of land, finding a builder, negotiating the contract with the builder, obtaining services from utility companies, the various stages of the build, handover of the finished house, and any after-sales issues. The book is full of tips on how to minimize the purchase price and ensure that the builder reaches the expected standards of quality. A set of special conditions is included for the reader as well as many examples of model letters that the reader may require in correspondence between himself and the builder, or the builder's insurance company. All of these examples are in French with an English translation. There is also a list of useful websites.
