I had a cry from the soul today from someone who bought a house from us – I won’t publish it as there are ongoing arguments with a contractor, but he said in his email – “Why do the English abroad trust their countrymen more than the locals when time and time again they are usually far worse in ripping their countrymen off or doing incompetent work…”
We do tend to trust the things we know an are reluctant to try new methods or materials, but it should be obvious that local knowledge and years of experience should give reasons for differences in style, behaviour and techniques.
When we first started renovating property here I made the same mistakes, bringing over tools and traditions from the UK – I can still hear the laughter of local craftsment when I showed them a bricklayers “hod” and their horror when they had to carry an Acrow prop I brought over from the UK.
Things are different in France, there is usually a reason and there is absolutely no point in saying “This is not the way it it done in London/New York/Dublin/Glasgow/Abergavenny”…Nor may it be wise to bring in your own contractors or materials, although many do.
One of the main problems is, I believe, that folk are always in a rush to get started and start making their “dream home” – my advice is always to open a bottle of wine, do nothing and sit looking and thinking – then open another bottle and repeat this for several months before knocking down the first wall or changing anything, especially in old houses.
Once you have established the habit of sitting and drinking the local red wine, then learn to share this with some local tradesmen – eventually the house will talk to you and you can start the work.