How to renovate a listed building in France and access to grants
Today if you would like to buy an ancestral home – a castle, mill or old cottage – in order to restore it, be cautious: there are strict regulations governing the preservation and renovation of listed properties (“monuments historiques”). In France, “grade-listed” buildings belong to one of two main categories:
-> “Monuments historiques” (historic monuments)
-> “Inventaire supplementaire des monuments historiques” which is more prestigious.
For properties in both categories, you are required to obtain official approval from the Ministry of Culture before embarking upon any renovation projects in compliance with the law.
Before the purchase:
Listed buildings are protected by The “Departmental Office for Architecture and Heritage” (SDAP in French). Linked to the Ministry of Ecology and Sustainable Development and the Ministry of Culture, the SDAP is an inter-departmental government service. It has a number of roles, dealing with architecture, cultural heritage, landscapes and urban development.
Purpose: ensure the preservation and protection of buildings of architectural and cultural interest. It also gives an architectural opinion regarding requests for planning permission.
After the purchase:
Once you drafted plans for your refurbishment work, you will have to obtain a permit. The process is notoriously lengthy – between one and four months.
So be prepared for a long wait between:
– Submitting your proposal
– Receiving an answer and beginning work on your new home.
However, you may well also be able to benefit from one of a number of grants available. The sum that you will be granted depends on the category into which your building falls:
For example, for buildings listed as “monuments historiques”, while there is in theory no limit to the amount that you can request, from 35% to 50% (e.g for an owner with limited income) of the cost of the renovation work will generally be covered by the state.
For buildings included on the “Inventaire supplementaire des monuments historiques”, you will be granted on average around 15% of the total cost of the renovation. As with buildings classed as “monuments historiques”, in certain cases this figure can rise to around 30%. The maximum sum that can be awarded is 40% of renovation costs. In both cases, the grant must not be higher than 80% of the total cost.
How it works:
Step 1: normally, you would receive the money as the works progress
Step 2: you will be reimbursed upon submission of invoices that you have paid
In order to access these grants, you should contact the Direction regionale des affaires culturelles (DRAC).
In conclusion, buying and renovating a historic building in France is possible. No matter what your budget – it just requires careful thought and planning.