Welcome!

I work as a translator & interpreter for a growing team of independant registered French artisans who live and work in the Aude.

I also offer relocation services to people newly arrived in Aude: Please visit:

http://aude-relocation.blogspot.com

Providing full renovation services or new builds, we're all here to make your life easier when making changes to your home in the Haute Vallee/Limoux region getting over the language barrier. The artisans use traditional methods with typical regional materials.

If you are in the process of buying a house that needs renovation, the team will be happy to come and give you an idea of what you can expect to pay for the work; they also have a good idea of what is a 'crack' and what is not .. Builders with local experience are generally the best qualified to give you an idea of the condition of the house. Do contact the team via: limoux-renovations@tiscali.fr

We can also offer a house for rent in the Haute Vallee in a medieval village; on a long or short term letting basis; click on here: http://limoux-renovations.blogspot.com/2005_01_01_limoux-renovations_archive.html

Each page will eventually feature each artisan, photo's of their work or work in progress so that you have some idea of the quality of work.

The team includes:

Builders - general renovations, masonry

Electricians

Plumbers

Zinc guttering specialist

Central heating

Solar panelling

Air conditioning

Carpenters

Painters

Plasterers/Insulation stud wall installers

Chaux specialists (lime plastering with natural pigment)

Swimming pool maintenance & repairs

Roofing experts

Kitchen fitters

Cabinet Maker

Gardener/landscaper

Wood treatment

New build construction teams

(working in conjunction with a variety of new build teams in Carcassonne and further afield)

We also offer relocation assistance, gite services, bookings, key holding (and summer changeovers can be arranged) Take a look at our other blog: http://aude-relocation.blogspot.com

To contact the team please e-mail: limoux-renovations@tiscali.fr

Background

The team of independant artisans that I work with have all lived and worked in the region. They have many years of experience dealing with different materials, architectural designs and traditional methods of restoring houses in the Limoux and Haute Vallee region.

Most of the Limoux region's buildings are of stone but each sub-region and village historically used local quarries; many of these quarries are still in operation and the subtle changes of stone colour can be observed from village to village.

I was asked to assist many of these artisans due to the language problems between the artisans and their clients; hence this team has now been formed to create an all round property service to those with properties in the Limoux and Haute Vallee area. Personally, I have had property here for almost 8 years and initially knew the team as friends.

We are all registered under the French tax regime and therefore offer a professional service but at reasonable rates. We prefer to price our services to give our clients value for money and grow our client base on recommendations. I had a lot of work carried out on one of my properties by another local builder but have since realised the difference in cost issues and paid double than was really necessary.

Each one is vetted for the quality of their work and their estimates are given attention to detail. If they are over what we consider 'a reasonable cost' then the artisan in question is asked to re-sharpen their pencil whilst we look for others who can give a competitive quote, before putting the final costs to the clients. All stages of the renovation can be catered for, from purchasing the roof tiles to interior finishings such as tiling and antique baths.

Each estimate can be translated into English. Plans are drawn up by each artisan for their work with large projects. For those clients who do not live permanently in the region, work can be carried out with a report sent and I work as a 'go-between' for clients helping out with the language difficulties.

References can always be provided.

To contact us please e-mail: limoux-renovations@tiscali.fr

STOP PRESS ... STOP PRESS

The Daily Mail newspaper printed an article yesterday (Friday 27th October) about my involvement in the region and the work I do.

Due to the influx of e-mails in the past 24hrs. I would just like to point out that the journalist interviewed me in May 2006, the Mail then edited the piece and despite my best efforts to re-edit it; they've made me sound like an immobilier or estate agent. I am not an estate agent, but assist people with moving to France due to the language difficulties whether it's re-registering your car or interpreting for building needs. I do have estate agent friends who I can put you in touch with in the Limoux area however, namely Ludovic at Adret Immobilier; please mention the blog when you send him an e-mail!

The modern house in the article (European edition) is not through VEF but via the owner (who's also contacted me regarding a mix-up) and can be contacted direct: LFeay@wanadoo.fr - that house is considerably LESS THAN HALF the price tag the Mail has put on it even if it was in euros!

Big changes

Two of the teams that I work with are still plugging away at a variety of jobs. One team is up in the Castelnaudary area on a large barn that is being converted into living accomodation. They're doing a fine job and the structural engineer has been out to advise on metal bars to go into the framework due to a few cracks that have become enlarged during the initial demolition process. This was expected and everyone's very happy that the renovation is heading in the right direction.

The other team are busy with a variety of jobs, between Limoux & Carcassonne. We hope to have a small renovation of a fairly 'new' (16 year old house) getting underway in the near future for clients living in Africa. An addition to the team has been in the shape of Patrick, a gem, works very well & doesn't hang around. He's just painted the outside of one clients house and has been asked by the same client to do the interior of another of his houses. Thierry, the plumber & I are working well together which is great news - he's under pressure at the moment with the onset of winter and endless calls to repair boilers!

Plumbing

Having been working with Thierry the plumber is a revelation in itself; he never ceases to amaze me with his knowledge of the economies of plumbing & heating.

The latest revelation was a LPG tank to be installed underground. We were talking to a client and I wanted to make sure I had it right when he told me that the tank would initially cost 1000euros but the client would only end up paying 200! I was sure that before I interpretated this to the client that I had it right, sounded fishy to me!!! Sure enough there's an incentive at the moment to switch people onto LPG (is this an environment issue by the government?) and that the owner would receive 800euros back ...

He's very methodical about getting everything spot on in terms of room sizes; making sure that the room will heat to a certain temperature but without money falling out of clients pockets when paying the bills!

We've been talking about a boiler I saw the other day, not the one in the picture, but a large blue affair that operates on wheat. It smells good too, the only problem is that you need a good few hectares put down to wheat to make it economically efficient.

The 'all singing all dancing' yellow boiler

House for rent in the Haute Vallee; long & short term

We offer somewhere to rent during your renovation work, in the Haute Vallee just south of Limoux, e-mail us for more details: limoux-renovations@tiscali.fr

This house is also available for long term winter rental, convenient being close to Limoux, Quillan & Carcassonne.