Create an apartment in your French house
Today, many potential buyers have become disillusioned with paying increasingly high prices for a proportionately small and unoriginal living space. They are looking for affordable apartments, close to all amenities. Why not try living in a converted apartment in a house? It could be a good idea especially for English people who want to learn the French language. Speaking French with the owner living just next door is a practical way to improve your command of Napoleon’s language!
Even if we are entering into a post-crisis period, rental income has always been a solution to supplement your own income. In case you can’t afford the building or the conversion of a guest house on your land, it is easy to convert a room in your property into an apartment.
Where can I convert an apartment in my house?
If you have no room available on the ground floor or upstairs, that’s not a problem as in the basement there is very often a water inlet, very useful for the installation of a sink and a shower. And if you have a large room that has no current use, , it could be converted into an apartment and make you some rental income!
What is the ideal living space for any potential tenant?
First of all, install a window or an oeil-de-boeuf (a small round window). Should the convertible room have no window, it is well advised to create one as your future apartment will look larger. Here is a plan of the perfect apartment with the minimum of equipment:
Here, the two main parts that are to appear in a 1-room apartment (studio) are the living room and the sleeping area:
– For the living room, provide a carpet, a sofa (or chairs if you cannot afford it) and a TV. These tend to have varying prices in French shops. Without these three items, the apartment will end up rather dismal. If you don’t have enough space for a full living area, consider putting in a TV near the bed, if you don’t want your new tenant to disturb you in your living room.
– You can build walls around the bathroom if you want to give the impression of space in your future apartment. You can even build walls around your sleeping area. Then your studio will become a 1-bedroom apartment and you’d have all the more reason to increase the rental price.
– As you can see on the pictured plan above, there is an external door; in case you want your tenant(s) to have a separate entrance directly into the apartment.
– Shelves or cupboards are worth installing. She/he must take on the apartment with all her/his garments, administrative papers, decorative items and all other belongings of a classic tenant.
What is the price of the conversion?
– TV: from €150
– Sofa: from €250
Carpet (depending on the size):
– 90×60: from €20
– 120×180: from €30
– Bathroom: from €300
Many second-hand products in excellent condition are for sale on a famous French website called c.discount.com.
Overall, the price should be roughly €750 (£730). If you fix a rental price at €150-€250 per month (on the lower end), your installation cost ought to be covered after a maximum of 4 months, taking into account that your tenant will probably stay for a long time.