Owners living abroad
Your second home in Brittany when you live abroad
Know the state of your house, plan its upkeep and keep it on track from a distance, with reports in English.
A house left empty on the Finistère coast is less at risk from frost than from damp, wind and small leaks. What protects it is knowing the house well, fixing what matters in the right order and checking it at the right times of year. I give you the facts; you keep every decision.
How I can help
- An initial assessment: the state of the house element by element, its documents, priorities, indicative budgets and a maintenance calendar.
- The Technical follow-up is individually quoted after the Initial assessment only when complexity, changes to observe or successive decisions justify it. Visits, deliverables and included discussions are agreed in writing. Follow-up is not compulsory.
- A targeted technical visit for one specific problem (damp, roof, crack, storm damage): a visit, a short note and recommendations.
- Pre-works assistance, individually quoted: clarify intended use and constraints, prepare a brief, consult contractors and compare proposals. The assignment ends before construction starts; clients choose and pay contractors directly.
What I look at
Inside
Damp, smells and mould; signs of leaks; the water heater, heating and ventilation; doors, windows and joinery; the paperwork for the house, such as boiler services, septic tank and guarantees.
Outside
The roof seen from the ground, gutters and downpipes, walls and render, trees, fences, gates and shutters, and how the house stands up to wind and salt air.
How you hear from me
After each visit you receive a dated written report in English, with photos and a clear list of priorities. If something needs a decision, I tell you the same day. Nothing is ordered without your agreement, and firms invoice you directly.
What I do not do
I do not make regular visits, open or close the house, keep keys or clean. These are the job of local concierge services, and I am happy to work alongside them. I don’t run holiday lets, sell property or give valuations, and I give no legal or tax advice. I take no commission from tradespeople: I am paid only by you.
Where I work
I work throughout South Finistère; further afield on special request.
Prices
Pre-works assistance and Technical follow-up, where justified, are individually quoted. All services and terms.
A written agreement before each assignment, and a 30% deposit for the initial report. See all services and prices.
Thinking of buying? See the initial assessment. Planning works? See pre-works assistance.
Before winter: the checklist for closing your holiday home, and all the owner’s guides.