Building & DIY

Whether your buying a building plot, a new house or an old pile, you may well find you need a little extra help to turn it into a home.

If you're starting from scratch with a brand new plot of land - or if you are looking for a building plot - there will be a new page coming soon that describes an individual experience of building a new home in the Charente. While you wait you can search for builders here...

One of the the first hurdles we came across was knowing what to call the various tools and products we needed for home improvements and to describe what they would be for.

To help with that we are putting up a list of useful vocabulary . If there's anything you cannot find, please email and we will remedy it.

We can recommend Le Petit Larousse (provided your French is up to it!), which has so far answered all of our questions.

If you want to buy a copy or check out prices of other dictionaries and encyclopaedias, you can browse Amazon from here

This site is evolving, so come back soon and we will have lots more to tell you...

But in the meantime if you're looking for that unique piece of sculptor, or a hand-made cabinet, or something else to add that personal finishing touch to your home, why not check out our list of artisans and craftsmen

More on Improving:
Building Regulations
Building Materials