Ha ha… @Bajen 
Surely the “Best advice” is to ensure one uses builders who have qualifications recognized in France and have the full Decennial Assurance… which will cover their work… and workmanship. 
3 Likes
Thanks Warren,
The main house has 190 square meters, but the garage is not attached. The property is an old railway station and the main house is the old railway building and the garage is “across the tracks” and was used originally to store the supplies for maintaining the rails and switches. The building is in good nick and has electrical installed( the electrical service to the property actually enters through the garage).
I have a declaration prealable for the reno from the mairie, as that was part of the purchase. Without it we would not have purchased.
I hope that won’t be necessary. I know some people in the region already and they have made clear who to stay away from.
Wow… this sounds absolutely wonderful…
sounds like you will end up with 240 sq m of living space… should be able to have lots of friends visit… 
1 Like
Ooh! Photos please! I have always yearned for a former railway station. One day…
What a lovely offer! You never fail to amaze me with your general niceness and helpfulness. Seriously, thank you.
6 Likes
The man has a huge heart, Cat.
4 Likes
You wait till you see his bill! 
1 Like
Gorgeous!
Hi Martin We bought a house near Belves in 2016 and had it fully renovated.Because we lived in the U.K. at the time is was impossible to organise everything ourselves So we used a great “project manager” called Roland who lives near Loubejac He organised all of the artisans , he uses the same 5 or 6 tradesman as he knows they are good , efficient and reliable . If you want anymore info let me know
There’s bound to be a story or two of ghostly whistle-blows, clanking chains and wheels, the hiss of steam and smell of hot iron and coal smoke, in the early hours.
And a spectral station master waving his top hat and red flag to stop a hurtling train from mowing down a herd of spectral cows.
Longing to read 'em.
Tip;: don’ t install that caravan across the former line of rail…
1 Like
Gosh, this has made me think of one of my favourite films:
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistlestop Cafe.
This converted station is, a hop, skip and a jump away from our home, the chimney of which can be seen in the background. Our house is the converted hotel/bar/resto “La Gare”.
Not very sympathetically converted into two family dwellings, the town name Sourdeval is still on the facade. All the stations along the single track line were built to the same specification, but many are ruins, as are many of the crossing cottages along the route from Flers to Granville, decommissioned before the war.
2 Likes
About 25 years ago I nearly bought a property in Sourdeval - small world!
1 Like
We would have been at scratch-your-eyes-out 
distance, Cat, how romantic not 
About 10 years ago, we toured a wide area of your bit of France… which, I think, included Sourdeval … as I recall muttering “sourdough”…simply to help me remember (daft as it may sound now…).
Our group was led by a lad living in Paris…who was celebrating his 60th birthday by returning to his family roots in the Mayenne and his old stamping grounds all over France, or so it seemed… … 
Us coming from down South… we met up with the Paris mob at Le Mans for a gentle race round the town… then off for a wonderful fortnight of friendly touring, wonderful food and superb French hospitality…
Happy memories… 
1 Like
Not far from me, I must investigate next time I visit the English Shop (yes, I do love French food but these guys stock Fray Bentos vegetable Balti pies).
1 Like
To avoid disappointment, Gail, I’m duty bound to tell you the English Shop is (for the time being, at least) closed for grocery sales and ‘out of stock’ of the usual pies, pickles and Crunchy Nut cornflakes. 
Jayne and Jonathan still both available via the website or Facebook for rdv.
1 Like
