self-build journal

**May 2022 - December 2022**
After two years of viewing – and disregarding – many properties and having our hopes raised with a handful of them, in May 2022 we found the (next) 'One'. A disused, and partly abandoned 'fermette' located in the Southern  French countryside with great access to the Aude's major transport routes. This building, though having no great architectural merit, had bags of potential to be a fantastic family home, on a plot big enough to offer the space we were looking for. The problem; we were informed by the agent that planning permission had recently been refused. This did not bode well.And so began weeks of due diligence. I put my vision of how we could renovate the farm into drawings and 3d models. We spoke to the maire of the village in which it is located. We spoke to local architectural advisory service. We spoke to the planning department. And while some responses were somewhat positive, there was a general air of 'Sorry, but you don't really stand a chance'. This is what we were up against ...Further investigations revealed that the application was for outline planning consent, the French term being a CP. But not for a family home, the vendors had made an application for a gîte complex. And this had been decisively kicked into touch on three counts; 1. The services onto the property weren't adequate for the intended use. 2. The plot was sited too close to a gas pipe terminal, and 3. ...By this point into our house search, we had garnered quite a bit of information about the planning rules around the Castelnaudery part of the Aude, we had looked - and seriously considered - properties with limited new development opportunities, properties in flood zones, properties affected by the Canal du Midi regulations, and with one property that had a small river running alongside the boundary, there was also conditions in place for the riverbank.

**December 2022 - April 2023**
Planning approved - purchase finalised

**May 2023**
The clean up begins. Clearing out the dépendances. Chopping down the overgrowth.

**June 2023**
Installation of the micro-station. Finding, buying and prepping a mobile home.

**July 2023**
Move on site, clear the site

**August 2023**
Break the ground with footings for the hanger in-fill.

**September 2023**
Xxxxxx

**October 2023**
Xxxx

**November 2023**
Xxxx

**December 2023**
Xxxx

**January 2024**
Xxxx

**February 2024**
Xxxxx

**March 2024**
Xxxx

**April 2024**
Installation of rsj.

**May 2024**
First floor of gîte starts to go up. New joists.

**June 2024**
Xxxx