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How to build your own house in the Dordogne

Written by: Graham Gilbert

Buying a house is always a compromise, you never get everything on your wish list. The beauty of designing and building your own house (or having it built) is that you choose the location, the views from your windows and its orientation. Want a secluded south-facing terrace at the rear looking out over majestic views? Not a problem! You can choose a plot on a quiet road and can take advantage of views afforded by other people’s land (woodland, distant hills etc)! Inside you configure the layout, the ‘flow’ and choose the fixtures and the fittings. You can install modern insulation and heating/cooling systems that are guaranteed for 10 years. It’s the only way to get everything you want – with no compromises!

Finding the land:
To build your own house in the Dordogne you’ll need to find a ‘terrain à construire’ (or a ‘terrain à batir’) - not one intended for leisure (loisir) or agricultural purposes. This designation means that it’s in a ‘zone constructible’ and is often sold with outline planning permission (a Certificat d’Urbanisme or CU) subject to later approval of the design. Start by looking at our Building Plots in the Dordogne pages – you can use our Search Tool to look for building plots near specific towns and villages. If you’re looking for good value for money then search around Nontron, Verteillac and Riberac in northern Dordogne where prices tend to be more reasonable.

If you’re already in France start by scouring estate agents’ windows and if you don’t immediately see what you’re looking for then tell the agent(s) because they’ll know of land that’s likely to come on the market soon. If they know there’s a buyer they might persuade current owners to become vendors!
You can also look in Notaires’ windows as they too sell houses and land. If they are doing probate on an estate that comes with a house and land they would know if that land could be sold separately. The Notaire route is cheaper (as civil servants they work to a fixed rate) but there isn’t the same choice.

Buying the land:
The process is almost exactly the same as that of buying a house; you sign a Compromis de Vente, pay a 10 % deposit and have a 10 day ‘cooling off’ period. The only difference is that you can insert a ‘condition suspensive’ (get out clause) into the Compromis to make the purchase subject to you getting planning permission.

How much of my land can I build on?
A good agent works hand in glove with the Mairie (Town Hall) and knows how the Plan Local d’Urbanisme (the PLU) governs how much of each ‘parcelle’ of land can be built on and if there are any restrictions imposed on its usage. If not then it’s up to you or your builder (constructeur) to check with the Mairie’s planning department what is allowed for your particular parcelle of land. Every parcelle has a COS (Coefficient d’Occupation du Sol), if your COS is 0.5 or 50% then you’re allowed to build on 50% of the plot; if it’s 0.1 or 10% then you’re allowed to build on 10% etc. Generally the COS is higher in towns and lower in rural areas. You might be allowed to build a house but not a workshop with machinery or you might not be able to park a caravan or set up a mobile home park or camping site.

Do I have to employ an architect?
You only need to engage the services of an architect if the footprint of your build exceeds 150m2. Some self-builders deliberately make their footprint just less than this to save the expense of an architect but this can be a false economy as you can substantially bring down their fees if you do your own ‘plans’ showing dimensions, interior layout and flow of the house and just consult on exterior design and roof etc. Either way you will have to submit your plans to the Mairie and have them approved to be able to go ahead. If you go through a ‘constructeur’ (a building company) then they will have a draftsperson who will work with you to design your house. They will typically have a brochure of existing templates with say six house types and you pick one of them. The constructeur will draw up your plans and submit them to the Mairie – it’s part of their service.

How do I find the right Constructeur?
Estate agents might recommend a builder but be wary here. The best way is ‘word of mouth’ but if you don’t know anyone that can be difficult! Maison Aliénor in Sarlat comes with very good reviews from one former estate agent we know who chose them to build her house. If you speak French then just call in on constructeurs unannounced and judge them by their welcome, their professionalism and the quality of contact and communication – the latter is obviously critical! If you see a house you like under construction knock on the door and if they have the builder’s panneau (sign) outside ask the owners how highly they’d recommend them. The builder might even come to the door! A constructeur will have books with pictures of work they’ve done and they might even drive you round to show you houses they’ve just finished. Talk through your ‘plans’ with them, tell them exactly what you want and they’ll cost your plans out and tell you how much it’s going to be. There’s been a trend in the Dordogne to build wooden houses, or with wooden cladding, but you can’t always get permission. You might want a traditional Périgordine roof (one that is very steep and curves out) and this will curry favour with the planning department compared with a more mediterranean roof; as would opting for darker roof tiles rather than orange ones if you’re in a conservation area or near any historical monuments such as an ancient lavoir (open air communal laundry).

How am I protected by French law if I use a Constructeur?
You pay your constructeur in instalments (échelonnements) and that only when recognised stages of the build are completed; the first tranche (slice) is paid after the foundations go in, the second after the walls go up, then when it’s watertight (after the windows and roof go in) etc. They will give you a fixed date for finishing (typically 12 months) but that contract will only start when they say it will because they have to pay you a set fixed daily sum for every day they take after that deadline! This is enshrined in the contract and is legally binding.

Can I project manage the various trades myself rather than use a Constructeur?
This option could work out a little cheaper and you will have more individual choice to source that bespoke front door or salvage old beams from a reclamation yard for example. If you use a builder you have to use their suppliers, choosing everything from doors, door handles and tiles etc from a catalogue. If you’re on the ground and you see something going wrong or installed in the wrong place you can insist on it being corrected before it’s too late and then too costly to undo. “If you’re there, the builder will ask you a question,” says one client “but if you’re not they’ll just do it the easiest way.”

But unless you are going to be on site every day and unless you’re fluent in French project managing tradesmen is fraught with difficulties. Every trade is dependent on the previous one, if the roofer, plumber or tiler doesn’t turn up at 8 am you need to be there to chase them up so the next tradesman isn’t delayed in turn. As PM there is more responsibility on your shoulders: for example, none of the interior tradesmen can start until the roof is on and if you order the wrong roof tiles and your roofer can’t start then he might have to go to his next job. This could delay your schedule by a month and leave you to rearrange dates with all the other tradesmen downstream. Be prepared for sleepless nights.

And finally….

Connections to services go in as the build progresses so electricity, gas and water connections are in place, as are the mains drains or septic tank but it’s then up to you to choose your energy, water and telecoms providers.

Please Contact Us if you have experience you’d like to share or give us feedback. Thank you.

ALL PROPERTIES | CHATEAUX | MAISONS DE MAITRE | EQUESTRIAN | WITH LAND | WITH SWIMMING POOL | CHEAP PROPERTY | BUILDING PLOTS | WHERE TO BUY (A PRICE GUIDE) | HOW TO BUILD YOUR OWN HOUSE