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Tempted to venture down the new build property route? Louise Hurren outlines the three options, in terms of style and cost.
 Off-plan, within a development
The first and least expensive choice is buying a property off-plan, within a new development. This is a straightforward option, and the involvement of other buyers puts you in a strong position with the developer.
Properties of this kind offer a limited choice in terms of site and design, but they are usually well-equipped, and finishings can usually be specified by the buyer.
The starting price for off-plan homes is around €150,000, depending of course on location. For example, €175,000 will buy you a one- or two-bedroom house in some parts of the Languedoc, or further up the scale, there are four-bedroom luxury houses with moorings within a brand new marina at Aigues-Mortes selling for around €520,000 (for details of this and other new build developments in the Languedoc, see our What’s New in Languedoc New Build feature).
Notaires’ fees for off-plan properties are cheaper than for resale homes - between 3-3.5 per cent, instead of 6-8 per cent - and there’s no tax to be paid as new build property prices include the VAT.
 Buy a plot, commission a builder
Your second choice is to commission an individual house. You can source the plot of land yourself and then hire a builder, or use a company to handle both the plot search and build.
Next, you select your plans. There is usually a fairly wide choice, from around 90–150 square metres, with a reasonable spec of build and finishings. Once the details have been agreed, the planning application is submitted, and building work starts once the purchase of the plot is completed and planning permission granted. This option is strictly regulated by the industry; delivery dates are contractually agreed and payment schedules are fixed by law, making it a safe choice.
Arguably, this option is more expensive than buying within a development as you alone are responsible for the charges, instead of them being shared between all the owners; you will also have to handle the administrative side of the build, which can be quite a tall order.
Prices start from around €1,000 per m2, excluding the purchase of the plot itself. Most plots (terrain à construire) are sold with a defined square metrage of building space (e.g. 150 square metres would represent a modest, four-bedroom detached house which could sit comfortably on a plot of 1,000 square metres).
Plot costs can vary greatly and are defined by area and location. In the Hérault département of Languedoc, in a village near Lamalou les Bains, a building plot of 450 square metres with a garage of 25 square metres is currently selling for €62,000, for example, or nearby, in a small hamlet in the Orb valley, near Beziers, €88,000 will buy a 1000 square metre plot of buildable land (terrain constructible) with uninterrupted views.
 The bespoke approach
A third option is to commission an architect to design a property exclusively to your specification. The obvious benefit is that you get exactly what you want, but this comes at a price, starting at around €1500–1850 plus VAT per square metre for a fully-equipped home. It is wise to find an architect who will manage the entire project, or appoint a maître d’oeuvre to oversee the proceedings and report back to you on a regular basis.
Some French builders can offer almost-bespoke designs on individual plots, managing the whole project through to delivery, which is a safe and easy option that is slightly cheaper than hiring an architect, or there is a group of French architects and builders, called Architecteurs, which can help clients build to spec, as well as renovating or enlarging existing properties.
For all three options – off-plan, self-build or bespoke – as the purchaser, you’ll have to make a leap of faith and use your imagination to visualise the end result. Not everyone finds this easy to do, but artists’ impressions and architects’ drawings can provide reassurance, as can visiting other completed projects built locally by the same developer.
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