Saturday, May 19, 2007
Still finalising my plans
I'm still busy drawing the plans in a 2D drawing package, QCad. Debbie and I have both tried various free and trial 3D house planning packages but didn't really get on with them. The American ones are very tied to Imperial measurements and even though they allow metric units the provided window, door, stair templates etc. are not standard French sizes. Other little anomalies just frustrated us. Google Sketchup was fun and easy to knock up a 3D model and 'walk' through but couldn't seem to provide the 2D plans I needed.
Some of the packages we tried where,
your mileage may vary.It takes ages, partly cos of the package and partly deciding the internal room layouts and what would be better in the French resale market. A general theme, talking to French buyers, is that a downstairs bedroom and if possible a downstairs bathroom are desirable. The thinking seems to be that people really buy for the long term and do consider living in the property in thier old age. It also more common in France that owners may have their parent(s) move in later in life (a granny annexe). I hope my Mother in law does not read this.
It is also common for the toilet to be separate from the bathroom and bidets (you know, those handy foot baths), are no longer fashionable
One also needs to bear in mind various electrical and pipework restrictions during the planning and the fact that there are sloping ceilings upstairs means that the placement of some items on the top floor is limited in height. For example a shower in the corner of the building doesn't really work.
One of the main things to be really careful is about getting the waste out (soil pipes) because water does not flow uphill! Well not without some help.
| 8:12:23 PM
brittany
renovation
Still finalising my plans
