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I am a French resident with both RICS and French building surveying qualifications and a specialisation in French Rural Tourism and development , so I have a good understanding of how the systems work.
I can undertake for you the local research which makes all the difference to a successful project.
I was born and educated in the UK and as the daughter of a forester grew up on private estates in central England. Guided by a passion for the countryside and its old buildings and for forestry, having spent my school holidays working in the woods, I studied Rural Estate Management at Cirencester to become a Chartered Surveyor in 1986.
The Estate management brief is vast, covering land surveying, building surveying, farm & forestry management, countryside issues, planning and law. Most graduates go on to manage Estates and/or specialising in some part of the syllabus.
Moving to Cambridge I worked for Bidwells and the Ministry of Defence where I undertook further studies and specialised in building surveying, managing the building and renovation works on a range of properties.
Married to an electronics engineer, I took a break from employed surveying, ostensibly to bring up 3 children, but also to design, draw and build our own house. After managing our own computer company for some years whilst renovating a holiday home in France, the pull of France became too strong and we moved in 2002.
Having redesigned and renovated a number of properties in France and run some of them as Gîtes I became very aware of the fundamental differences in the way the construction industry and administration systems operate in the two countries. A five month course in rural tourism was an excellent introduction into the economic, historical, cultural and political background of the Limousin.
Since the exact equivalent of a chartered surveyor does not exist in France and never one to do anything by half, I decided that the only way to be able to offer a professional surveying service in France was to learn the way the building trade operates; contracts, building regulations, planning procedures, insurances and building techniques.
I therefore undertook a full time one year course with the Compagnons De Tour De France, renowned throughout France for their quality of workmanship and professional ethos. The course included surveying, design and specification, costing, tendering and contract allocation through to completion of the works.
The French often ask, “Do you find being a female in the building trade a problem?”
Not at all, It may seem a bit of an oddity but it is something I have dealt with ever since choosing to go to a predominantly male college (Cirencester didn’t accept girls until the year before I joined). I have had a particularly hands on approach to building and have done most of the jobs myself so with a healthy mix of theory and practice I don’t have a problem.
On the contrary in fact because from a design and operation point of view I have a very good empathy with the clients’ requirement of a building and the teamwork required to complete a project successfully.
How do you find Living and working in France?
I’m sure most people with a family would answer the same way; the lifestyle for the children is freer whilst the education is good. The administration is invariably as much of a headache as it is reputed to be! The only way to become a real part of the place is to speak the language as soon and as often as possible and get involved!
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