The articles you find listed throughout our website were written by Les Amis De La Giraudière, or in English, “the friends of La Giraudiere”, also contributions from volunteers and interns who have participated in the different programs at La Giraudiere. We hope you enjoy.
French Property Advice
La Giraudiere will help you to make that decision, should you live in France? Should you make that lifelong investment and buy your French home? Or should you remain a regular visitor? La Giraudiere presents to you the chance to try before you buy and learn some very important lessons before you take the plunge and dive in to your French dream.
If you are thinking of buying a property in France then this page will help you so much. La Giraudiere via its volunteers, internships and other programs hosts people from around the globe you can read more about La Giraudiere at our About Us page.
We are primarily a place of learning and culture exchange but also at La Giraudiere we have 25 years of experience in purchasing, restoring and maintaining a typical rustic stone built French property.
Try before you buy a French Property
So you would probably think why does La Giraudiere have a page about French Property. We have had many volunteers, interns and co-locators arrive and take advantage of our different programs or simply just stayed as a guest and when asked why they choose La Giraudiere the answer was.
“We are thinking of moving to France and buying a French property and when we saw La Giraudiere’s projects and programs we thought it a good way to sample France from within before we plunged in”
French Property Advice Try before you buy
There reason was a very good one and they were to be pleasantly surprised as during their stay Paul, the project director, would give them little stories or snippets of information about the problems he and the other associates of La Giraudiere had during the purchasing and setting up process. They also provided some good contacts and some real “life in France” stories
For instance, La promesse de vente et le compromis de vente the agreement to buy and sale. What you can add and what you should add, things you would not think about if buying in the UK or USA. like asking that all the electrical switches and sockets, yes wall sockets are left in place! Did you know that the buyer must have the wood and timbers checked for termites and other parasites? Is there a fosse septique installed when was it checked when was it emptied are all things you need to know?
Once you have added at least 6 conditions to the promesse de vente and you and the seller have signed it, all being well you may buy your dream French property, or nightmare, within 3 months of signing at which point you will be asked to sign the Acte de Vente a document which again does not exists in the UK.
Once you have your property you may wish to change or add something well here again is another minefield just waiting to trip you up. Yes the famous permis de construire.
La Giraudiere a stone-built property almost destined for demolition after 50 years of neglect but in 1997 Paul together with the other associates formed an SCI or Société civile immobilière, invested some money and raised a bank loan signing a hypothèque in France with which they purchased La Giraudiere.
His story is for those that come and stay, those that come and participate on the project so if you are thinking of moving to France or buying a property in France then sign up to be a volunteer at La Giraudiere, intern in France or collocate in France and you will be able to pick Paul’s brain, the money you will save will easily pay for your three weeks stay.
“Learn what Paul did when a knock-on door confronted him with 3 non English speakers armed to the teeth“
“What do you do when it turns out your planning permission is for a kitchen extension and not a colocation complex“
Do not make the same mistakes that were made at La Giraudiere, come live in France, experience France from within, with full board and a whole lot more visit Volunteer in France to learn how you can live in France from 18€ per day full board and lodgings. This is a unique chance to test before you buy your French Property. and avoid the pitfalls
How would you like to have your own page upon our website? You can how you say? simply by writing an article and sending it to us together with two photographs that relate to the article. La Giraudiere is a well-respected website among its visitors and also by the search engines that regularly visit.
