In the UK it is generally accepted that building a house – or having it built for you – is the cheapest way of buying a property. The same is almost certainly true in France.
Building Land
The French divide land into zones –
residentiel, artisanal and
industriel. If land is defined on town plans as
residentiel then domestic building is permitted as long as bylaws and regulations are followed.
Planning Permission
Planning permission (
permis de construire) is not, as it is in England, permission to build. The right to build is implied
when you buy building land – a
terrain a batir. However, permission is required to erect a specific building on a specific site. If your property is a ‘model’ (pre-determined type) from a reputable builder, then planning permission is likely to be a formality and will only take two weeks to obtain.