Why Build a House in France?

France remains a popular choice for foreigners wishing to own a property abroad, be it for their principal residence, a holiday home, or as an investment opportunity. Most of us only consider buying a house or undertaking a renovation. Each option has advantages over the other. A finished property can be put to immediate use and holds fewer surprises than a renovation. A renovation allows one a certain degree of flexibility in modifying the house to one’s own design, and the possibility of realising the full potential of a building. It involves, however, a greater degree of financial risk and stress than purchasing a finished property.

There is another option, quite rare in the UK but extremely common in many countries, including France. That option is one of building one’s own house, to one’s own design, in the location of one’s choosing. In France there is far more choice of individual building plots than in the UK, and there are numerous fully insured building companies proposing hundreds of models of home. The advantages of building one’s own house are the following:

Choice of location

Choice of house design

All new materials and installations

Full ten year guarantee (by law)

Fixed price contract

The builder has full responsibility for the build

Contractual completion date

The possibility of building a house at a lower cost than purchasing     an existing equivalent dwelling.