Skilled Tradesmen Available For Refurb Work To Apts/Chalets

A snowHead

Hi all, british tradesman here, would be interested to see if there were any one that needed building/refurbishment work in their ski apartment or chalet in the next year or so. Happy to go up there in closed season to do the work at a reasonably cheap price in return for some usage of the apartment during the winter season.

Can carry out almost any task required. Kitchens/bathrooms/decorating/plumbing/joinery/plastering. Having worked in Europe before i have knowledge of the European fittings and fixtures etc.

If any one is interested please let me know. Many thanks.

A snowHead

I think that there's massive potential for refurbishment to British-owned chalets and apartments, using UK tradesmen. Our apartment was about 15 years old when we refurbished it with a new kitchen, flooring and decorating. But it was almost impossible to organise. In the end, it was project-managed by a couple of local Brits who were starting-up a rental agency service and were keen to have a go at a refurbishment project. But after the time and effort they had to put into it (one was in full-time employment locally) they decided not to offer it again. The only person they could get to do the tiling, for example, was someone who could only work Weekends and was combining our work with some on a local chalet. There were at least 4-5 other owners in the block who would have been happy to repeat the exercise, but these have all had to do it on an individual basis. I daresay that one problem for you will be getting the initial refurb work from owners: my only advice is to target a specific area and/or specific managing agents who have older properties on their books, so that you can establish your credentials with them and then get repeat work.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Much cheaper & of equal quality
to any Western Europeans Tradesmen is to hire
Polish or Slovaks.

You need to Login to know who's really who.

Difficult to work officially in France without being a registered artisan. Guarantees are worthless without this, and insurance null and void.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Yes the potential is there but as with other opportunities for casual work here (transfers, guiding, nannying, etc), the days of the "Wild West" are over, for better or for worse. The artisan industry is heavily regulated and strictly controlled (in france at least, can't imagine elsewhere in the alps is much different). The local tradespeople are very vigilant as to who is doing work where, and think nothing of calling the gendarmes if they're suspicious. Many co-props have exclusive deals with certain contractors, other owners are concerned about insurance and maintenance, and others need TVA receipts if they operate the property as a business.

It is legal with specific requirements to employ british workers on a temporary basis; but since the owner is legally responsible for the status of anyone working on their property, most tend to play safe and stick to established local companies. If you get your ducks in line to work legally then go for it, otherwise I'd say think twice.

You'll need to Register first of course.

@shep, I'm intrigued... Not that I want to work in France, but are you saying that if I tendered for work there, then it is a closed shop?

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

In the Swiss village where we have our apartment, the last major new build used British artisans to complete the interior work on a big apartment block. There were three GB white vans working here over the summer - plasterers, carpenters, etc. No one locally seemed resentful - partly, I think, because artisans in the valley find it time-consuming to commute up the mountain, and would rather develop a local valley clientele or work on developments in the bigger urban areas. New build may be a problem, but most apartment refurbs here seem to be done by the owners themselves. If our experience is anything to go by, this is because it's hard to find anyone to do it. If you can somehow connect with GB owners of CH properties, you might get somewhere.

In the Swiss Valais, the pattern seems to be that an Immobilier develops properties and then - especially for apartment blocks - goes on to manage them. I assumed when we bought here that the managing agencies would offer standard refurb packages on older apartments, but they don't seem interested. the 40 or so apartments in our complex are all standard layouts and fittings, so you'd think it would be easy enough to offer standard refurb packages for replacement kitchen, bathroom, flooring and walls. The managing immobiliers organise Big Ticket items like replacement boilers, new roof, new garage doors, new lifts etc, but not individual stuff.

In CH I think that this is also partly because managing agents and artisans end-up striking a balance between effort and profit. Whilst doing new builds is worth the time and effort, there comes a point I suppose where the much smaller profit in refurbishment and maintenance isn't worth the hassle. But I can't claim this is a scientific analysis - it might be that there isn't the market, or that supply outstrips demand, or the owners I've seen have simply preferred to undertake refurb work themselves ....

After all it is free

@dode, it is not a closed shop as such, but to be self-employed in the building trade you need to be a registered artisan whatever your nationality if that trade is regulated. See this page for info http://www.french-property.com/news/french_business/artisan_regulations_france/

I`d employ you Mike, if you weren't mad Twisted Evil

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

@Hells Bells, cheers for the link, and it makes sense. Unless of course they decide that being a tradesman in the uk is lesser to being a tradesman in France. Twisted Evil

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

snow reports

We've used word of mouth recommendations of France-based UK handymen etc to do apartment jobs like bathroom tiling and carpet fitting....

So are you saying that that would have been in contravention of something or other Puzzled

A friend of mine who is a UK builder is married to a French lady.
She inherited a very run down house and they spent six months there refurbishing it totally. All done with UK workies.

By month three he had half the local village asking him and his workies to do work on their houses, especially the roofers.
All the locals said they were amazed how hard the guys worked compared to French and how much cheaper they were for a better quality job.

I also know quite a few UK workies who ply there trade in Verbier, they all have plenty of work, and they can charge a good price that is lower than the competition, but still very profitable...the opposition overcharge a lot.

If Mad Mike gets his foot in the door in one alpine location, and gets one or two good references I think the work will come very easily.

You know it makes sense.

@mountainaddict, Do these people have SIRET numbers? This shows that they are properly registered as a French business.
I have French-based British friends that are also registered artisans. You also need to use registered tradesman to be able to claim back the cost of renovations from your French capital gains tax when you sell up. You also by law get a 10 year guarantee on the work (builder has an insurance policy called decennial for this), and you should only be charged the lower rate (10% now I think) of TVA on any work carried out and any materials purchased. If you have any problems in the future with your property which is found to be a result of the work carried out, your insurance compny might not pay up if they cannot claim from the builder on their decennial policy.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

A snowHead

Plenty British tradesmen working in the Alps with no problems, much cheaper than the French equivalent, or Savoie chic nonsense above...

A snowHead

So when will this turn into an "ESF are stopping British builders working in the Alps" discussion, surely it's only the matter of days before UKIP and the daily fail pick this story up!!!! Twisted Evil

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

It may be that Switzerland, and especially resorts like Verbier and Nendaz with high foreign ownership, is more open than France regarding foreigners doing refurbishment. And Verbier is particularly strong in terms of British owners. Perhaps you should do some research into resorts with high proportions of GB owners, outside of France?

One question for those who've posted - if an individual GB owner gets Mike to do some work, who is going to know that it's not a relative or friend? After all, he won't be advertising locally: he's just going to turn up for a week or two from the UK, with everything he needs, and spend the time decorating, drilling etc. People do this all the time in our block. Sometimes it looks like artisans they've used for work on their main home - given they're Swiss but obviously from some distance away. Very often, it's the owners themselves. And if it's a British-owned apartment or chalet, surely no one is going to be surprised that an obviously British person is doing some renovation? Assuming that MIke isn't going to have a sign on his car/van saying 'Mike's Alpine Refurbs' with a tagline of 'Why use expensive locals?' etc.

However, I can see that advanced plumbing or electrical work is going to be tricky in terms of both certification and insurance, especially for consequential damage. But for more straightforward refurbishment, I don't see how it's any different for Mike to ostensibly take the place of the owner.

You need to Login to know who's really who.

@msej449, in resorts with high Brit ownership that obviously British person may live and work there legitimately of course. I don't think there is actually anything wrong at all in getting someone to do occasional work for you, there may even be legal provision for it as a temporary worker. But anyone doing major renovations in this way should be aware of the insurance and tax implications. If Bob from Basildon injures a passer-by with a stray roof tile will he have liability insurance (required by French law). What if he drill through a water pipe and floods the whole block?

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

I've done jobs in Austria and France with no issues, also there was a lot of French workers in the same block doing work to other properties, they didn't seem to mind too much even allowing us to eat lunch with them in a specially set up "bait" cabin.

The hardest thing for me over there is sourcing materials, everything seems to be an hours drive away so can be problematic.

I love being up in the Alps, working or skiing!

You'll need to Register first of course.

@mad_mike, Hello Mike, I would be interested to discuss if you are still looking for similar work. I have a *very* rundown property that I bought near ski areas in Austria (Karnten) that requires total renovation. It has services, some new windows, and a new roof but requires nearly everything else to be done. I am still looking for a cost effective solution and stumbled over this thread. I would be happy to discuss payment in Euros/Sterling including stays at the property once complete but it is not currently habitable. The village has ski buses direct to 3-4 smaller ski resorts including one glacier area open all year so trips to ski outside winter would also be possible. The property is not too large but I would also be interested potentially in extending into a large garden. Please contact me at sam dot mawby at hotmail dot co dot uk and we could arrange a Skype or telephone call. Cheers

Help!!

Skilled Tradesmen Available For Refurb Work To Apts/Chalets

snowHeads Forum Index >>> The Piste