Richard Renovations

03/10/2021

Please note new contact details as we are back in the Indre

0254 312079 or 06 32 53 48 67

08/12/2019

Richard Renovations has now moved to the Lot et Garonne. We would like to thank all clients and friends for their support over the years up in the Indre. Wishing you all a very happy Christmas and all the best for the New Year.

02/07/2018

If you are on Rich's phone list please send him an SMS with your name so he can add you back on - technology and all that!!! 😁😁

05/10/2017

A couple of our friends have recently sold their houses here in Indre.
We've actually looked at one a bit further south of us and were tempted to buy. It had lots of potential and a new roof but very little else, so a blank canvas. The views were spectacular and being not far from Limoges airport it would make an ideal holiday home. Now for the price tag - 7000€. You can see why it was tempting!
There are still plenty of properties around at very low prices for renovation. There are still plenty of new folk coming to this area too so I thought I'd list some points that may come in handy when viewing.
If there is a church nearby ask the mairie if there are any restrictions regarding making changes to the exterior of the property such as the colour of paint you are allowed to use on the shutters.
Are the boundaries clear and does anyone have right of passage over your land?
It may seem obvious but is there water connected and do you have a well? Is the well shared with nearby properties?
Is there a fosse septique (septic tank) and where is it located. Many buyers are told they have one and then they can't find it!
If, like this house, it is bordering someone else's garden/land, what are your rights re: access for maintenance.
Some or all of these things can probably be explained by the notaire also although we didn't meet our notaire until finalizing the sale and getting the keys!
I'm sure there will be advice to offer from others who have renovated from scratch ...

02/08/2017

Very skilled bricklayer - fabulous work!

19/06/2017

It's so lovely to see the barn roof complete and without scaffold around it.
Did you know the word echafaudage meaning scaffold is derived from the word echafaud meaning gallows? Love learning about the origins of words and the french ones tickle me pink :D

02/06/2017

We follow a lot on the forums in France re: french materials and paint products versus British. Price is usually the main factor people refer to when choosing.
When it comes to old oak beams that are blackened by years of grime, soot and continual layers of linseed oil what do you do?
This is what we did and after 14 years the beams still look great.
Did I want to sand blast to get back to the natural oak? Not on your Nelly! We were living/camping in the house as renovation work was being done around us.
We used a paint called Back to wood produced by Blackfriar, a specialist paint company in the UK.
We (well in this case - me) brushed all of the beams with a stiff scrubbing brush. This incidentally was very effective for getting off the ingrained dust and grains that were trapped in all of the cracks and knots of the beams.
I did not sand anything down (yay) just painted the beams with said product. It went on beautifully although care had to be taken as it has the consistency of runny gloss paint. I then added a coat of wood stain to highlight the grain of the wood.
All of the once nearly jet black grimy beams now look like natural wood again :)

29/04/2017

Young builders today take it to a new level! :)

15/04/2017

Keeping costs down?

02/04/2017

This looks like a fabulous stove and idea, deinitely worth considering on our next renovation.

Low impact living topics, resources and information

31/03/2017

If only I was as good with a hammer as these men - fabulous work and skill :)