A Builder’s Advice
It can be difficult to find stores near you in a foreign country. This is especially true of builder’s merchants in France. Your common knowledge of simple store names just isn’t there. If you’re renovating a house in France, depending on where you’re located, this is where you’ll find your building materials:
Fun Fact: Robin, in addition to offering project management on renovation sites, offers to take his clients to various antique and repurposed material warehouses depending on your needs. Find him on Facebook, Instagram, or renovationprovence.com.
DIY Stores (equivalent of B&Q or Wickes (England) and Home Depot in North America)
Electrical and plumbing supplies are more expensive in these stores. However, these are open for longer hours and the larger stores don’t close for lunch. Keep in mind that we’re still in France; they aren’t open on Sundays.
These are the stores we’ve found near us in Provence:
Leroy Merlin
Someone told me recently that if you can somehow prove that you’ve just moved Leroy Merlin will give you a 15% discount on your first purchase. Buy everything at once!
Clair Logis (interior decoration, great for paint + large wallpaper selection)
General Builder’s Merchants in France
Professionals who are up to date with the modern technologies. Products are less tampered with as a consequence of less display. Ability to build up relationships and ask for professional advice. Try to buy in bulk; delivery is 50 euros minimum, therefore, make the most of it. There is less choice of products because builder’s merchants carry quality products (such as paint).
What are your experiences with these stores?
