Often the most appealing, but usually the most complex option for the would-be property owner in France, is to build-new.

It is appealing because the choice of existing property to buy can be very limited and is not always of good quality (see Buying Old in the previous section). Furthermore the properties available often do not suit the more discerning North European clientele.

Typical older Provencal properties frequently suffer from low ceilings, tiny windows and small rooms. On the other hand, many of the more recently-built properties are Californian style and lack charm and authenticity.

Building new can be nerve-racking if your French is not fluent and your builder does not understand your Saxon approach. Moreover choosing the a bad builder may force you to take recourse via a legal system which is both very slow and very "French".

Much as we would like to include here a list of the builders to avoid, all we can do, legally, is alert you to some bad practices - beware of a builder who suggests any of the following:-

• That a pre-condition of buying a particular plot of land is you must use him as the builder. Builders and their families often own a lot of land and they try to make sure that when they sell it they get to do the building work too - this does not make for a very competitive price.

• That you do not need a "dommage-ouvrage" insurance policy because the builder has his own 10-year insurance. Dommage-ouvrage insurance is a legal requirement for every new-build in France and puts a heavier obligation on the builder. See the section Insurance for more information.

• That you don't need an "anti-seismic" construction. In fact, many parts of the Cote d'Azur and Provence experience earth tremors and a house built to resist them has a much stronger construction, normally for only a very small extra cost. Some methods of construction are simply not strong enough to meet this specification - is that the kind of house you want?

• That you don't need an architect to oversee the work. Again, this may be true but just how much do you trust your builder not to make mistakes. However, see the section "How do I find a good architect" fore more information.

• That it will be much cheaper if he just builds the house ("gros-oeuvres") and then you can do the finishing touches. Although this is very common among French owners it can be a false economy for foreign buyers. Generally the finishing costs are at least the same as the building costs because "gros-oeuvres" excludes floor-tiling, wall-tiling, plastering and painting as well as all the kitchen and bathroom fittings. Unless you are very handy, have lots of time and can negotiate good prices - forget it.

Don't forget to have a look at the New-Build section to see the quality of work Bati-Build can do for you.