P-DdeR's Profile

There are signs that similar legislation - which already exists - is being tightened up in Paris, where many studios and small apartments are let to visitors for a single night or weekend or longer. It is seen by visitors and tourism promoters as a popular alternative to hotels, but as mentioned by some posters here, the same sort of objections have been raised by fulltime residents who find their apartment building being turned into a hotel. Co-ownership properties are protected by powerful residents' associations and what we call 'syndics' (management committees) who have strict rules about what you can and cannot do with your apartment.

I live in this type of building, but on the Mediterranean coast. The advantage is that it is very quiet for nine months of the year but fully occupied for the ever shortening summer season, as some owners make money by subletting their apartments in July and August. The 'syndic' is particularly strong and visitors who have not respected the rules have been ejected within 24 hours in some instances (rare).

Going back to Paris, the mayor is concerned for those wanting/needing to live and work in the city centre being deprived of homes, and the effects that buy-to-let properties have on rising property prices.

It is complex question and while I can see the attraction for tourists, but I can understand the invasive effects on permanent residents.

I have worked in real estate in France for the last 12 years and agree with most of the above suggestions, plus a couple of my own:

Price - Owners tend to have an unrealistic idea of the potential sales value of their property, and it is wise to get several estimates from estate agents who know the local market well, and price accordingly. Some properties just don't get visits if they are priced too high.
Home staging - The French regrettably have no idea about presentation, adopting a 'take me as you find me' attitude. I have suggested in some cases a tidy-up but have been badly received. That said, homes that are tidy and above clean (especially kitchen, bathroom) will sell more easily. De-cluttering and de-personalising help even more.
Being present during visits - The custom here is for the estate agent to bring clients to visit by appoinment (no open house). Currently selling my own apartment, I find it esssential to be present (as the owner) to answer questions to which only I know the answers (eg; what are the neighbours like? does it cost a lot to heat? etc). Also by being present and appearing confident rather than desperate can help reassure potential buyers.
Hope these suggestions help, the result of hard experience.....

No criticism of the owners, but this is a very badly thought-out house by the oirignal architects/designers. Considering there are potentially 5 or more people living there (by the number of beds shown) there is only one WC (reached through the laundry room and far from the bedrooms) and a combined bath/shower/hand-basin space ( you can't use all three at once!), and too much wasted corridor space.

I wouuld suggest a mix of some of the solutions already proposed - Remove the corridor wall alongside the existing large bedroom and turn this room into the living area, opening onto the kitchen/dining area: create an archway or a door into the games room to bring it into the living area. Transfer the above bedroom to the present living room, making a doorway behind where the TV is currently located. This keeps the three bedroom doorways together for privacy and convenient for the remodelled 'bathroom' (see below).

Finally, add a WC to the bathroom, making space by removing either the bath or shower, or creating a bath-with-shower. Keep the corner hand basin. Hope this helps!

Nice office but I think the seating arrangements could be more staff-friendly. I feel sorry for the person obliged to sit facing the open door, and siting a desk that faces the back of another colleague or a wall does little to improve communication. I think a better arragnement would have been a large central desk, with four people sitting around it. You can incorporate low screens to define 'private' space but not block communication. This working office should be designed with staff in mind, using the meeting-room to receive clients.

I live in the very south of France and face south-west, which gets the sun from mid-day until sunset, with temperatures reaching 35-40 degrees in high summer. I agree blinds, curtains, fans do little to reduce the temperature and the only solution is a (portable) air conditioning unit that you can buy and take with you if you move. There are even small 'split' systems so that the noisy bit can stay outside (standing on a balcony or suspended from the window) with the quieter fan part inside the room. I am in a condo with restrictions but have a large balcony where I can stand the unit. Sleeping outside can leave you at the mercy of all kinds of flying insects.......

I search for properties on behald of clients in the south of France and I absolutely endorse all the suggestions offered in this post and the comments.
In my experience people do not spend enough time looking at the building and the area, whether thinking of renting or even buying (when it's more difficult to get out of a bad deal). It is easy to 'fall in love' with a property without noticing the downsides. When searching and visiting, I recommend taking along a disinterested third party who will spot the things you miss. Such a person is a real estate agent's worst nightmare but he/she can be your best ally when it comes to making the right decision.

An excellent, well thought-out list. I advise mainly British clients buying property in southern France, and the main mistake I find they make is to fall in love with an apartment or house, without checking all the points you list - especially the location of the building, neighbours, potential noise etc. As a lot of the properties selected are in seasonal, tourist areas, it is easy when viewing during the out-of-season months to not notice the nice little bar or restaurant next door, which will be packed and noisy till 2.00 am during the summer!
More than one visit is advisable, and perhaps with a dispassionate friend who may not share your enthusiasm but can point out the con's as wells as the pro's. Whether you are buyting or renting, it is not something to enter into in haste, whatever the pressure from an owner or realtor. There is invariably something else just around the corner, perhaps even nicer.

I think a proper loft bed - not those ordinary beds on long legs - will work in the right kind of room. Ideally across an alcove or between two end walls, rather like a giant shelf. The illustration accompanying your post is a particularly bad example, it would be better to use a part of the room away from the window for sleeping. A loft bed or mezzanine should fit naturally into the space, with either storage, a work area or seating beneath it, where you do not necssarily need full height (below) to stand up. Hope this helps.

For a standard apartment this is not bad, with what look like attractive windows in the main living areas. The only slight problem area, in my view, is the 'corridor' effect created by the position of the main entrance to the left of the main living area, with no separation from it. You might want to think about how you can create an attractive entryway, screened off from the living area, and as others have suggested use your own furniture, soft furnishings and colours to your own personal taste. Good luck!

I tend to regard food as body-fuel to keep me alive, and living and working at home I normally eat three meals a day alone. So a couple of golden rules:
- always prepare a 'proper meal', nicely presented, with wine etc if appropriate. No eating beans out of the can, for example.
- have another distraction while I eat - TV, internet, book etc as suggested. Otherwise I find I can down a meal in less than 10 minutes, a bit like a dog at its bowl.