This year (2015) we moved into our brand new self-build BBC (batiment basse consommation) low-energy house. Ever since we moved to France and renovated an exisiting house we planned to make the next house a new one.
Our children suffer in the winter with constant coughs and bronchitis, our dream was to build them a healthy house that will breathe and hopefully reduce their illness and antibiotic intake every winter. For that reason we wanted a wooden house (ossature bois), which is not so common in France but interest in these types of houses is growing.
The whole process took in the region of 2 years from beginning to create our "file" for the banks, budgets based on actual quotes and not just "finger in the air" notions to finding a loan - not easy as I am self-employed on a new business model that is still viewed suspiciously by banks, to finding the land, designing our house and settling on the contractors.
The process has been difficult and we have faced many hurdles, linked to the strict rules regarding the "help to buy" schemes", communication assumptions with contractors and as we chose to engage individual artisans and as the size of the house didn't need an architect noone really willing to guide us through the whole process from A to Z or tell us what was required even when they knew.
But we got there and I want to share our story, and the lessons we have learnt.
