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DYI or Professional Help?: How to Mix Diamonds with Zircons!
Don't miss a single issue of French Property Insider! "Whitelist" French Property Insider by adding "fpi@adrianleeds.com" to your address book.  France: The Owner’s Manual
France always makes sense! It is one of the most beautiful countries in the world, immersed in culture and tradition, with a good climate and unspoiled countryside, as well as excellent health care and affordable real estate. It’s not surprising that France is the world’s favorite destination, receiving in excess of 82 million overseas visitors each year. This edition is updated and edited by Adrian Leeds and Schuyler Hoffman. If you’ve ever aspired to living or investing in this beautiful and desirable country, France: The Owner’s Manual will provide you with all the information you need to turn your dreams into reality. Get Your Copy Today! Bonjour French Property Insider Subscriber, Paris Property Prices The latest report from the Chambre de Notaires de Paris calls the Paris market “less tense” with sales down by 5% for the period of June through August 2011 compared to the same period in 2010. Prices are still rising, but not quite as dramatically as in the past -- 0.8% for June through August 2011 compared with 1.5% for the same period in 2010. The peak was reached this past March with prices having risen 2.5% in one month. Based on pre-sale agreements now on file, the prediction is that the rise in prices will soon come to a stop. Editor’s Comments: We expect a short period of price reduction while the market is flooded with apartments for sale to fall before the February 1st deadline to benefit from old capital gains tax laws. But our prediction is that prices will rise sharply after that as sellers remove their properties from the market and hold on for longer and higher prices. Renovating from a Distance I now know what it’s like to be an absentee owner while renovation is taking place in a distant location. When the Acte de Vente on my Nice apartment was signed and the contractor I had chosen began to put to use the 30% advance payment I had made to begin the work, I woke in a sweat worried that he would abscond with my money and do nothing in the apartment, or worse, make a mess of it. That’s when I realized that most of our clients likely go through the same kind of anxiety attack being so far away and having so little control over the work being done. Our clients normally hire an Interior Architect who oversees the whole process – our favorite and most trusted being Martine di Mattéo who is responsible for almost all the beautiful luxury apartments on the Parler Paris Apartments Web site. Because I am here in Paris, I’ve always contracted my own, but work with Martine closely to choose the furnishings and finishing materials. (Martine is THE BEST and we are very fortunate to have her loyalty so that all our clients can benefit from her talent.) In the case of Nice, I am doing the same – contracting the work and hiring Martine to help me with décor. The contractor I chose in Nice was recommended to our “Mosaïste,” Véronique Husson, but she had not personally worked with him. The signs were good – he came to every rendez-vous on time, spoke intelligently about the work and presented a very fair estimate. We all liked him, plain and simple, and without knowing much about him, felt confident hiring him. As self-appointed interior designer, with Martine’s guidance and acceptance, it has been I who has organized the general schedule, purchased the materials and scheduled the deliveries. Performing these tasks has given me even greater appreciation for what Martine does for our clients. For those of you who attempt to renovate a property in France, absentee or not, here’s what you can expect on your “to-do” list (with a few comments about what I’ve experienced along the way):
2. PLANS: If you intend to change any structure of the property or upgrade the electrical scheme, you will need an architect to draw up the floor and electrical plans. An Interior Architect can often provide this, but a licensed architect is even better. Your contractor will be working from these plans, so please don’t try to DIY unless you yourself really have the necessary skills. The electrical plans are crucial, because I will tell you now that the French don’t design for functionality, but for esthetics...so if you want the outlets and switches where they make sense, rather than where they look best, pay a lot of attention to this! 3. CONTRUCTION: Choose a qualified contractor who can hire quality plumbers, electricians and carpenters. Get references, look at other projects they have done, ask for estimates. Assume any estimate one provides will increase with surprises you were least expecting and changes you make to the plans, or items which were impossible to estimate from the beginning. Contractors usually ask for 30% payment in advance, 30% mid-stream, 30% nearing the end and 10% upon total completion of all details.
7. ACCESSORIES: Here’s where you will want to make another trip to IKEA for the least expensive accessories possible to purchase anywhere in France! Absolutely no other store can out-price IKEA for linens, comforters, kitchen and tableware, lamps, etc. You can furnish the property with all the basic items by making one trip to IKEA. Plan on being there all day! The store offers solutions to delivery, but they don’t provide it themselves, so be sure to plan this in advance. (I will be making this important trip in two weeks time and have rented a mini-van to accommodate all the goods...and you can bet it will take every inch of space!
Have a look at http://www.parlerparisapartments.com and tell me if you can spot the handful of apartments that were NOT decorated by Martine di Mattéo or myself. And those that weren’t still passed our test to meet our rigorous standards...so clearly, it is possible to do yourself, as long as you know what you’re doing! Bon courage! A bientôt,
Email: fpi@adrianleeds.com
P.S. There will be no French Property Insider published on Thanksgiving Day, November 24th, 2011. This is one of the two weeks per year we take off. Instead, I’ll be at IKEA with the mini-van purchasing the accessories for “Le Matisse” – my new apartment in Nice on rue Massena, to prepare it for rental at the first of the year (and Schuyler will be in Ohio with his family).  Own a Piece of Paris - Fractional ownership is the hottest way to own your piece of Paris simply, easily and inexpensively! Here is one of our newest offerings available through French Property Fractional:The Ile de la Cité is where life in Paris began centuries ago, centered around one of the world's most important cathedrals, Notre Dame. Just a few steps away is this old-world elegant studio apartment with windows providing a perfect and beautiful view of "Our Lady.". For more information on this and other fractional ownership properties now available, orto learn how you can design your own property, visit French Property Fractional. To learn more about "What is Fractional Property Ownership?," click here: frenchproperty.adrianleeds.com And to get the free "Paris, France Property Market Report," click here: French Property Report  Transfer Currency and Save Money in the Process...with Moneycorp When you're buying a holiday home or investment property overseas, trading your currency can be a crucial cost factor. The euro exchange rate is constantly fluctuating, so trading at the right time will mean your money goes a lot further. Adrian Leeds Group, LLC and Moneycorp are working together to ensure you make the most of your Dollar or Sterling when buying a property in France or anytime you transfer from one currency to another. For more information, visit: Moneycorp Converter Planning a trip to Paris? Or you just love reading every book you can get your hands on about the City of Light? Get Practical Paris, the indispensable guide written by veteran tour company owner (Nuit Blanche Tours) and featured in National Geographic. Save time, hassle and needless expense and make the most of your precious stay in Paris. BONUS: Access to a web page containing hundreds of Useful Links! Visit Practical Paris  Book your FREE personal consultation with Adrian Leeds!
If you are a guest staying in any one of our luxurious Parler Paris Apartments, and would like to consider having your own "pied-à-terre" for your pleasure and profit, fill out our consultation request form for a free one-hour consultation while you're enjoying the apartment in the City of Light. Visit ParlerParisApartments.com to book your stay and for more information or email Adrian at adrian@adrianleeds.com. Helpful Conversions for Real Estate 1 square meter = 10.7639104 square feet 1 hectare = 2.4710538 acres For more conversions, refer to: www.onlineconversion.com/  Parler Paris Après-Midi
At every Après-Midi, a guest speaker of note will come to talk about a topic of interest and then open the floor for questions and discussion. November 8 Jane Grey -- "Metaphysical Manifestation: How to create whatever you really want in life.” Metaphysical manifestation is the art and skill of deliberate creation, using the universal laws of consciousness and energy. Jane Grey will discuss the basics of manifestation for creating results in any area of your life, including career, relationships, health and money! With a doctorate in Metaphysical Theology, Jane leads a private practice as a Life Coach, Holistic Counselor, Hypnotherapist and Reiki Master. For more information about Jane’s work, visit www.HopeInParis.com
Costs nothing except whatever you drink! For more information, visit Parler Paris Après Midi  Subscribe to the Parler Paris Nouvellettre®...
It's twice-weekly and it's FREE! Visit Parler Paris to learn more and subscribe.
Copyright 2011, Adrian Leeds® |
Le Saint-Tropez à Paris - Before and after
1. UTILITIES: Change the utilities contract from the seller’s name to yours. Make every attempt at acquiring a copy of the seller’s last invoice so that it’s easy for EDF-GDF or other utility provider to locate the contract. Be sure to get the “count” of usage on the counter to tell them. You will also need your “RIB” or “Relevé d’Identité Bancaire” from your French bank account so that monthly charges can be automatically deducted. (In Nice, this has been an arduous task because the apartment was once one, now divided into two, and EDF can’t seem to get this worked out, even though the one counter has been changed to two!)
4. MATERIALS AND FIXTURES: Choose the materials and fixtures with which you will decorate, such as the bathroom and kitchen fixtures, flooring, tiles, etc. Stores such as 
5. FURNISHINGS: Nothing beats IKEA for one-stop shopping for furniture, but everything beats IKEA for a quality look. This is where one must use the “diamonds with Zircons” approach to décor. I recommend IKEA bedding for comfort and price, IKEA kitchens for engineering coupled with good looks and practical things that have smart design such as lighting, desks and cabinetry/closets. But when it comes to the furnishings that will make an apartment look rich and tasteful, IKEA isn’t where you’ll find these things. Use a mix and save money on one side to spend it on the other so that the bottom line is a well-furnished and decorated apartment. 
6. APPLIANCES: My personal preference is 
8. DÉCOR: What I mean by décor is the real coordination of “one story” as Martine calls it – the cohesiveness of the colors, textures, fabrics, styles, decorative objects, etc. that is the difference between a professional look and a hodge-podge. Professionals who have an acute sense of color, design and proportion coupled with good resources know how to do this and this alone can ‘make or break’ a luxurious look. I cannot stress the importance enough of this one aspect of your job as DIY decorator, particularly when you’re working long distance or in a place where you are not familiar with the available resources. (Martine and Véronique are working with me to turn Le Matisse into the Matissien marvel it deserves to be!)
Adrian Leeds 
Tuesday, November 8, 2011