House Renovation

Hi. I just bought a house in the Vendee. I love it there and hope you will, too. I can recommend my architect, Nicholas Adams, and the builders he works with. They are all English or are French with a serious work ethic. Everyone is registered and guarantee their work. Nick is money well spent, as he can talk to the local authorities to figure out the best ways to get your project done, to save on VAT, etc. Also he knows a lot about energy-saving design. I expect that in the end he will save me more than his fee, especially if you figure my reduced energy costs. Also, honestly, coming in from the outside, you're not likely to find the best builders. The good guys know who else is good. They tend to work together and to stay too busy to do much marketing. Nick is located in Niort, so site visits to the Vendee are easy for him. You can Google him; he has a good web site.

I have also subscribed to this topic, so feel free to ask for more information. If you are on a strict budget I can put you in touch with someone who worked with her crews, using them only for jobs requiring real expertise, things like plumbing and electrical work. Her guys are also licensed and guarantee their work. That way of working wouldn't suit me but she is happy with the result. Her house is solid and loaded with charm.

Hi Linda. It sure can be a scary business. Some of the old clichés about French builders are true, but then again there are some very good and very trustworthy ones out there - and there are some real British cowboys, too. I'm afraid none of the ones I've grown to love and trust around here would travel as far as the Vendée, but the social network survivefrance.com is often very helpful, and I'm sure people nearer your future home will give you some useful views. If you need any wooden flooring and/or pool slabs, my good friend Nick here operates a business that supplies people all over France (oakwood-import.com). I can vouch for his trustworthiness! Good luck with everything.

Mark Sampson