HI
I am new today with this website so I am happy to introduce myself. I am Rob Waterhouse, live in Cornwall and am considering buying a plot of land in the Dordogne and in Bretagne.

Thing is I want to be fully prepared so will need to ask a few questions. One is where to go for advice on obtaining planing permission to build. and the second (today) is about architects plans. Whilst buying a place in Ireland we found that we could buy a huge book full of ready made architect's plans and styles of houses. Does this facility exist in France? or do we have to find ideas for ourselves or consult a qualied architect.

I am VERY green on regulations in France so any help, pointers, web links etc etc would be very gratefully received.

I have allowed my email address to be seen by everyone on this site so I would quite happily receive advice from experienced member (in fact anyone with advice)
Thanks
Rob

Hi, and welcome to the forum!

When you are considering the purchase of a plot of land, the property listing should give you some indication regarding what part of the land is buildable. For details, go to the local mairie (town hall) where you should be able to consult the cadastre records for that plot and determine how that land is "zoned" under the current planning scheme. That will determine to a large extent what and where you can build.

The building rules can be pretty elaborate (and often down right aggravating), as they govern how windows can be placed (nothing looking directly into a neighbor's windows), height of the building and even what sort of tiles you are allowed to use on the roof. Some building companies have a catalog of the ready-made plans and styles like what you are looking for, otherwise part of an architect's job is to design you something that meets the local regulations (not always an easy task).

Getting building permission can be a nightmare - which is no doubt why you hear so many stories of people doing clandestine remodeling projects. Like most things administrative, it can pay to put in some time up front with the local town hall folks, trying to understand the peculiarities of the land use regulations. Ultimately, it's the departement that approves (or not) your plans, but having the good will of the local mayor and his fonctionnaires is always helpful!