Altering the exterior of a property in France
For buildings that need some exterior work, fixing and alterations, then you should bear in mind that any alteration that you want to make to the outside of a property in France will require some sort of permission.
There are two options here, the first one is full planning permission, and this for those of us who are not so good at French is referred to as 'permis de construire' which we can work out means a permit to build.
The second option is something that, in a funny sort of way, gives you permission not to need to permission, if that makes any sense - anyhow, this latter option is a declaration prealable, or a declaration of works.
For full consent, then you'll typically be looking at a time frame of around three months, whilst the permission not to require permission option takes a month so is therefore much quicker to get the decision made.
When you submit an application, you need to be sure that you provide the information necessary and follow due protocol, the planning department should be able to give you advice on this (where you'll ultimately be submitting the relevant application), if your French is not so good take along a nice friend who can translate any questions that you have. This is worth its weight in gold because some of the questions you want to ask will not be using mainstream French from the textbook, particularly if you need to get a little technical. Similarly with the content of any dossier that you need to submit, ensure that everything is clear and professional looking.
More French property articles:
- Why moving to France should not mean forgetting Britain
- Searching for a property in France
- Mistakes to avoid when buying in France
- Reasons why a new build property is attractive
- Altering the exterior of a property in France
