New Build in the Aude and Pyrénées-Orientales

Have your holiday home made-to measure

We “anglophones”, much to the bafflement and amusement of the French, have been busy buying up old stone houses and barns for total renovation or at best modernisation. Attracted by the character, charm and of course the prices of these old houses which have stood for centuries. Built from local materials, they are as much part of the landscape as the region’s forests and lakes.

The French, on the other hand, prefer the comforts of a modern “pavilion” style house, with all home comforts including water and electricity! In fact some even manage to finance such projects from the sale of a dilapidated property with no sanitation whatsoever! No wonder they think we’re mad.

Whilst many of us (especially those of us in the middle of a renovation project) might understand the wisdom of such a house, especially when we’ve been months without a hot shower, if truth be told we can’t stand the uniformity and sterility of these modern villas which the locals love so much.

However, the numbers of foreign property buyers discovering that not only are new build properties often much cheaper than a renovation project, with the advantage of a house at the end of it which exactly meets your requirements, they can also ooze character and style.

Cheap Land Prices

With land prices in the Aude & Pyrénées-Orientales amongst the lowest in France, it’s easy to see why a new build or self build property is becoming an attractive option for many.

There are many companies established in the Languedoc Roussillon who operate in the two departments, from those that build from stone or brick to those who construct timber framed houses or wooden chalets. It is also worth asking at the local Mairie for details of any plots for sale. Also many house builders will have a database of constructable plots for sale in the area.