We have been through the process of renovating  houses in France several times and have learned from bitter and often expensive experience.

Here are a few tips:

1. Use natural materials wherever possible. This means, for example,  chalk and sand for internal and external rendering; never cement. Chalk and sand rendering is flexible and allows the walls to breath.
   

2. If at all possible avoid dry lining with plasterboard, particularly downstairs. This prevents the walls from breathing.
   

3. Old tiles on the floor can be very appealing but they may be damp and difficult to keep clean. Be prepared to take them up and relay on a damp proof course and insulation.
   

4. Always specify oak for windows, doors and staircases. It looks better and lasts very much longer. It is not expensive in the Allier.
   

5. Always specify double glazing.
   

6. Think ahead to what eventually you want the house to look like even if you haven’t got the money to do it all at once.
   

7. Oil, electricity and gaz(s) are getting more and more expensive and there are good government incentives for using wood as a heating fuel, solar panels, wind power and other renewable energy sources. If you are going to use renewable sources of energy you need to plan carefully.  Solar panels, for example, may require a separate hot water tank of its own and if you install them as an afterthought you may have to undo some of the plumbing you have already done.
   

8. If you are going to use wood as your main heating fuel consider using it to heat your hot water (even if you have solar panels), radiators or ducted hot air. Ducting hot air into the bedrooms is very easy and cheap to do and very effective. But you will need a pump if you want to move the hot air horizontally.
   

9. For wood burning stoves you must install an air vent underneath the floor to provide enough oxygen from outside the house. If you don’t, the fire may not work effectively or you will get cold draughts.
   

10. If using an insert or poêle a bois to heat your water and radiators make sure the system you are thinking of buying actually works. Insist on seeing and actual installation and make sure the hot water system can be controlled and isolated from the insert or poele if necessary.
    

11. Get the vendors of the poêle or insert to install it and do the necessary plumbing. If you don’t and there is a problem they can always claim that your plumber hasn’t installed it correctly.
    

12. Before you start the renovations install any ducting or pipe work required. This will save you a lot of expense and damage to finished work.
    

13. Plan where you want switches and power points carefully. There is nothing more annoying than finding you have a light switch which is inaccessible because it is the wrong side of a door.
    

14. If you are installing lucarne windows, take some photos of ones you like and specify what you want them to look like. Otherwise you will get plain square ones with no character and the difference in cost is minimal.
    

15. Always specify metal guttering. Plastic looks cheap and gets damaged easily by hail.
    

16. Before having a new roof installed think whether you need any additional chimneys.
    

17. Plan you kitchen and bathroom(s) carefully before you start the renovations and make sure you make all the holes for water outlets. These need to be planned in relation to the septic tank or access to mains drainage.
    

18. Electrical points for kitchen and utility room appliances need particularly careful planning.
    

19. Old houses do not have modern foundations. They were built on bed of compacted clay. To ensure the stability of the building the clay needs to kept in a fairly constant state of humidity. Don’t put concrete terraces or pathways all round the house. This will allow the clay to dry out and can cause cracking of the walls and even serious subsidence. Some architects even advise clients not to use guttering for this reason.