Your French real estate needs electrical attention
We are English speaking French real estate agents but we know nothing about electricity in French properties.
We asked a French electrician for some tips to share with you if you are buying or plan on buying French real estate just so you have no shocking surprises.
He offered the following introductory tips:
Dimming or flickering lights
If the French property has a light that goes dim when you turn on an appliance or the lights flicker in a room when you are present this can indicate the house has an overloaded circuit. Just to be sure consult with an electrician
Buzzing in the House
If you hear a buzzing sound when the lights are on in a home this can also indicate that there is a problem with the circuitry.
Exposed and Damaged Wire
When you see wires that are exposed or damaged they can be a fire hazard. So make sure a professional electrician checks out the wires. You don’t know why the previous owner left them exposed.
Earth
Depending on the age of your French property it may still not have property earthed outlets. Check to see if all outlets are earthed with the aid of a qualified electrician.
Personally, I have visited homes that had electrical outlets with the 3 pronged earthed format but once tested the electrician found out the previous owners had never installed an earth in the electrical system.
These are visual and auditory ways of looking for electrical faults in French properties.
We highly recommend that before you buy a French property that you have the property inspected by a qualified electrician or at the very least that when you move into your new place you call an electrician for a review just in case the renovation done was not so good.
For safety’s sake, take good care of yourself and all the occupants of your French property.