MKN Surveyors Ltd

24/08/2026

A useful tale from Dan here.

A French Property Sale Cancelled Nearly 13 Years Later

This French property case caught my attention for two reasons: what went wrong with the sale, and just how long it took to resolve.

The property was a troglodyte house in Indre-et-Loire, originally a cave.

In 2007, a stability report identified cracks and a potential risk of part of the rock ceiling collapsing. Strengthening work was recommended before the cave was converted into a home.

The property subsequently changed hands and was converted, but the recommended work was apparently never carried out.

In 2011, another couple bought the property for €115,000.

The important detail is that the 2007 report, which had appeared in previous sale documentation, was not attached to their final deed of sale.

Problems later appeared and, in 2015, the buyers went to court to have a judicial expert appointed.

The expert reported in 2017, concluding that the cave should not have been converted into residential accommodation without the recommended strengthening work.

The buyers sought to have the sale cancelled.

Finally, on 26 March 2024, the Orléans Court of Appeal confirmed the cancellation of the sale on the grounds of dol, essentially deliberate concealment or deception.

The estate agency was also held partly responsible. The sellers had apparently supplied the agency with their previous title deed, which included the 2007 report, and the court considered that the agent should have investigated whether the recommended work had actually been carried out.

But what really strikes me is the timeline:

2011: Property purchased
2015: Buyers go to court
2017: Judicial expert reports
2024: Court of Appeal judgment

Nearly 13 years from buying the property to the appeal judgment, and around nine years after the buyers first went to court.

There are lessons here for everyone involved in a French property sale.

For buyers, don't assume that the standard French diagnostic reports cover every possible issue with a property. If something unusual appears in the paperwork, ask questions and, where appropriate, seek specialist advice.

For sellers, previous reports and known problems need to be disclosed.

And for us as estate agents, the case is a useful reminder that our devoir de conseil goes beyond simply passing documents from one person to another. If something significant appears in the history of a property, it may require further questions.

But perhaps the biggest warning is simply this:

A property dispute in France can take a very, very long time to resolve.

Finding and dealing with a question before the compromis is considerably easier than arguing about it in court for the next decade.

(AI-generated image used to illustrate the case.)

19/08/2026

I’d have been worried if you’d turned up to inspect this in a Clio.”

That was the owner’s comment when I arrived for today’s inspection.

I think the Discovery is finally settling into its new life in France rather well.

French plates fitted, surveying kit in the back, and considerably more at home parked outside an old French property than it ever was on the school run in Yorkshire.

And no, I haven’t washed it. It’s a working Land Rover. 😄

02/06/2026

Useful information here

I made a post last week discussing why modern materials are incompatible with traditional home.

This post managed to get over 100k views, some of which agreed with me & some of which didn’t. Now we’re all for healthy debate & part of the reason why we share these posts it to help homeowners make more pragmatic decisions about materials, hopefully empower men & women to pick up traditional crafts.

I thought it would be useful to write about WHY lime is the MOST appropriate option for traditional homes. I also thought I’d construct this post based around the majority of the comments from the previous one.

Some of which saying that waterproofing & ‘keeping water out’ of the building is the only way to keep it dry. Let me make this explicitly clear, that doesn’t exist. You cannot permanently keep water out of buildings, particularly traditional solid wall buildings. Moisture will always exist in some form whether that be driving rain, rising damp, condensation or humidity generated from modern day living. What matters is having materials that can MANAGE that moisture correctly.

Firstly, people chose to pick holes in my post but using a lack of ventilation as an excuse for houses becoming damp. It’s not secret that we now live in our traditional buildings very differently to how we once did. If anything this highlights the increased importance of ensuring we have both vapour permeable & capillary active materials on our walls. The increased humidity caused by modern day living can be solved by both breathable materials AND ventilation.

With regards to ventilation it’s also not always as simple as ‘just open a window’. For low income families & elderly people desperately trying to retain heat within their homes, permanently opening windows throughout winter is not always a viable or realistic option. This is why material compatibility matters so much.

Traditional solid wall buildings were designed to manage moisture differently to modern cavity wall construction. They were built using materials such as lime mortars, lime plasters, soft brick, stone & timber. Materials that can absorb, store & release moisture naturally.

Lime helps regulate moisture by allowing water vapour to pass through the wall rather than trapping it internally. This can help reduce condensation build up, damp patches & mould growth often associated with impermeable modern materials.

But it’s not just about ‘breathability’. Lime is also capillary active, meaning it can help disperse and redistribute moisture throughout the wall structure, allowing it to evaporate more evenly & naturally. This is incredibly important in older buildings that will always experience a degree of moisture movement.

Lime based materials can also help regulate internal humidity levels, creating a far healthier and more comfortable living environment. They can help stabilise temperature fluctuations, reduce surface condensation & improve overall air quality within the home.

Another major benefit is flexibility. Traditional buildings move. Seasonal changes, thermal movement & settlement all occur naturally over time. Lime mortars & plasters are softer and more accommodating, meaning they can absorb movement far better than rigid cement based products which are far more prone to trapping moisture & causing failures within the surrounding masonry.

Plasterers & tradespeople have the opportunity to drastically change the environment within peoples homes. It’s not just skimming walls, these are the rooms people live in every single day. The materials we use genuinely matter.

This isn’t about saying every modern material is bad. It’s about understanding compatibility. Traditional buildings require a completely different approach to modern construction.

The more we understand these buildings, the more we can preserve them correctly for future generations.

21/05/2026

Worth getting a survey on that, save the pain

A couple were ordered to repay nearly €150,000 after buyers discovered major defects in a home in eastern France they had renovated themselves.

France’s highest court ruled the scale of the DIY work made the sellers liable for hidden defects — a warning for homeowners carrying out major renovations before selling.

Read more here: https://www.connexionfrance.com/news/french-court-warns-diy-home-renovators-can-face-hidden-defect-claims/784358

15/05/2026

08/05/2026

https://www.frenchpropertyexhibition.com/exhibitor-manual

Come and join us! We are part of the presentation team

The French Property Exhibition 24th & 25th January 2026 FREE TICKETS FREE TICKETS The French Property Exhibition, London is held over two days in January and is a ‘must attend’ for anyone who is serious about buying a property in France. This is our longest established property show and has been...