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House hunting for tyre kickers

Published on 11/3/2008

We’ve had a few quite interesting visits to houses over the years, it has to be said that the houses in rural France do not conform to the ‘norms’ present in cities in the UK, Eire, US and Australia. Some of the more peculiar reactions have been almost to the level of what car salesman refer to as ’tyre kickers’!. I have had accountants and computer professionals looking at holes in oak beams and condemning the house – simply put, an oak beam, two or three hundred years old, will have woodworm holes in it, however, the woodworm will only actually get about a half inch into the beam, bang their heads onto the core of the oak and fall out onto the furniture or floor – which they will then eat quite happily. Damp has the same reaction, a stone built house is lovely, but, its not a good idea to wallpaper the walls! The walls of a stone built house have to breathe – in the winter, the house will be cold and damp, unless its heated, in which case it will retain the heat – this is normal, in the summer this is a massive bonus, but in the winter, if unused, the house will feel cold and damp! I have visited house where the French owners have tried everything to keep wallpaper on an external stone wall, first the paste, but then blue tack, selotape, drawing pins, nails, staples – you name it!!