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Case Study

Mr. & Mrs. Steve and Sue Tutton from Essex, looking for a second home/potential investment in Languedoc Roussillon. Like many potential clients we had fallen in love with the diverse nature of the region, from the vine covered plains in the east to the cooler hills to the west and the Pyrenees to the south, but did not have specific ideas on location or property type.

So armed with a budget and a brief to find a suitable property within an area that is North to South the distance between London and Birmingham, we gave Richard Ross a challenge. An initial viewing was arranged and 5 properties were viewed over a weekend spent getting to know Richard and we gave him a brief resume of what we were looking for in our second home. This enabled Richard to target more effectively suitable properties and a further visit was arranged for 6 weeks later. We fell in love with one of the properties Richard showed us and below is what we bought:

A complete wreck of a stone built mas dating back to 1860, in 4 acres nestling in the Tet valley amongst peach and nectarine orchards and overlooked by Mount Canigou.

Interestingly and after the property purchase had been completed we admitted that we had not really known what or where specifically we were looking to buy and that had it not been for Richard we could still be looking now. So lesson number 1, know what and where you want to buy. Do lots of research and make sure that you have got to know areas before committing. Having viewed the property in March 2005 Richard set about helping us with arranging finance, refurbishment quotes and gaining planning approvals for the necessary works. The property side completed in July 2005 with works to transform the Mas into a 4 bedroom 3 bathroom home with pool planned to start in September 05. The shell of the new extension is up and looks fantastic. Bad weather hits and works are delayed.

By December 05 the major building work is finished and the pool is dug and everything grinds to a halt as the production of the hardwood windows has been delayed.

6 months later …..July 06 and the windows finally arrive but everything has been delayed by months. The family holiday we had planned for August looks decidedly dodgy!

September 06 arrives and things take a turn for the worst when our French builder does the disappearing act. Richard has been with us every step of the way over the months since we bought the property and he steps in to assist and we now have a new builder Ilie, who takes direct control. The second lesson we learnt here is if you cannot be on site on a weekly basis, pay an independent consultant to oversee the works and protect your interest, well worth the money. Works progress quickly with Ilie in control and by Spring of 2007 we have finished the building project, 2 years in total, but probably could have been completed 6 months earlier if we hadn’t waited so long for the windows. Despite some aggravation we have a beautiful home that in all honesty surpasses all our expectations.

                         

"Richard is still there for us and will be for our next project in France..."