By KiwiAdmin2016 Construction • News • Region 0 Comments

Heritage projects which continue to inspire us

Heritage is important to the vast majority of us. After all, preserving our heritage helps to protect the future for future generations. Many of like to retain traditional features in our homes if we have an older property, and we often like to visit historic places of interest whilst on holiday.

 

In recent months we have shared stories of two heritage projects, one which was completed a few years ago in Dax and another planned for the future in Orthez. Understanding our culture and the local traditions are therefore extremely important to us.

 

A couple of other stories from across our region further illustrate this point.

 

The luxurious Hôtel du Palais in Biarritz – built in 1854 by Napoleon III for his wife Eugénie de Montijo – opens for reservations in early November. This is following its successful renovation into a hotel that forms part of the Hyatt Hotels Corporation empire. In the summer of 2022, the hotel will be open to the public[1].   The Hôtel du Palais is a lavish affair – 86 guestrooms and 56 suites which the company is hoping will blend tradition with modernity.

 

Another renovation project is similarly interesting and inspiring. Less opulent perhaps, but an undertaking which embraces France’s heritage and traditions: the frigate Hermione.

 

Currently undergoing renovations to its hull and other repairs in a dry dock in Bayonne, the Hermione is a replica of the 18th century ship of the same name. This vessel is celebrated because it was used by an American General to travel back to the United States, allowing him to re-join his forces in the wars of independence.

 

Today, the Hermione is the largest seaworthy replica in the world. Managed by an Association, the Hermione undertakes a variety of training projects, travelling around France and the world. It is a magnificent boat. We wish it a speedy return to the high seas, hopefully by the spring of 2022[2].

 

Two different projects; each serving different needs, with varying budgets and objectives; but which share a common purpose: to retain the heritage and protect the future.

It is no different to a housing project in many respects. By combining the use of modern and traditional techniques and materials, here at Kiwi Construction we are able to design and renovate properties that reflect both planning requirements and the local heritage.  

 

If you would like to discuss your own renovation or construction project, please get in touch.

 

Joeline & Grant

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Kiwi Construction delivers professional expertise, exceptional customer service and quality construction to all its’ clients covering the Biarritz, the Pays Basque and Landes departments.

 

Contact :

Grant & Joeline Norris

+33 (o) 6 11 80 21 86

 

grant.norris@wanadoo.fr

https://www.kiwiconstruction.fr/         

[1] https://tophotel.news/hyatt-unveils-the-new-look-hotel-du-palais-biarritz/

[2] https://www.francebleu.fr/infos/societe/l-hermione-restera-plus-longtemps-que-prevu-a-bayonne-1630991863

By KiwiAdmin2016 News • Renovation 0 Comments

What makes you smile?

This may seem like a strange question. After all, with the Covid19 pandemic, the global health crisis and the huge impact this is making on people and their businesses across France, you may say that there is not too much to smile about!

However, smiling, laughing, having fun and enjoying ourselves is incredibly important, especially at the moment. So we decided to make this the subject of our blog, as 2021 is now well underway… with a brief reflection on last year.

What has been good about 2020?

Well, we have made it through the year! As a family, we – touch wood – kept our good health, continued to deliver various projects for our clients and found time to appreciate the good things in life.

2020 has also reminded us of another key aspect of our lives: the importance of the little things, however small.

For example, this year we have set out to become more self-sufficient by growing vegetables in our potager. We planted 10kg of bio potato plants, yet despite our hard efforts only harvested around 1kg.  It also took us 6 months to grow broccoli…It was not the return that we were expecting, but the whole experience was fun and brought us together as a family.

We did though have some other successes… Earlier in the spring we planted out lots of tomatoes with mixed results. Later in the summer  however, out of the compost bin we discovered what seemed like 25 different varieties of tomatoes, all which grew quickly and were delicious. So I guess it goes to prove that you cannot easily create the perfect garden… and instead have to let nature take its’ course.

Finally, may we take this opportunity to wish all of our friends, family and clients all the very best for the remainder of this year. Spring is on its way!

And – keep smiling!

Joeline & Grant

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Kiwi Construction delivers professional expertise, exceptional customer service and quality construction to all its’ clients covering the Biarritz, the Pays Basque and Landes departments.

 

Contact :

Grant & Joeline Norris

+33 (o) 6 11 80 21 86

 

grant.norris@wanadoo.fr

https://www.kiwiconstruction.fr/         

By KiwiAdmin2016 News • Renovation 0 Comments

Getting ready for autumn

Autumn is approaching and we have a couple of projects of our own to share with you. 

The first is the renovation of a 30-year wooden monastery garden table, originally built by Grant. It is pretty sturdy as you can imagine – but was in need of a relook, so recently Grant and our sons Noah and Tibeau have been working hard to give it a makeover using a sander, grinder and of course, plenty of muscle.

Made of sleepers, Noah sanded the table down and once it had received some further TLC, treated it with linseed oil. It has lasted well since Grant first constructed it all that time ago – and the refurbished article should last another 30 years…

I have had some new projects to keep me fully occupied too during the very difficult covid period, apart from working on our business, Kiwi Construction.

Fish is one of our passion foods and smoked fish tastes sublime!

So, we have made our own smoker. We cured the salmon overnight, adding some sugar and salt to draw out any impurities from the first. Next, the fish was hung and smoked for four hours.

We love our smoked salmon at Christmas – we cherish the whole French tradition of eating together with family and friends, so the smoked salmon is a real treat….we can’t wait.

The Norris family really appreciates the values of working hard as well as playing hard; and it is great to have opportunities such as this, which bring us all together whatever is going on in the world.

Joeline

Kiwi Construction delivers professional expertise, exceptional customer service and quality construction to all its’ clients covering the Biarritz, the Pays Basque and Landes departments.

Contact :

Grant & Joeline Norris

+33 (o) 6 11 80 21 86

grant.norris@wanadoo.fr

https://www.kiwiconstruction.fr/          

By KiwiAdmin2016 Construction • News • Region 0 Comments

Our postcard to you from Hossegor

We love Hossegor. If I had to explain in one sentence why, Grant and I would say:
It’s naturally beautiful with an amazing coastline; it is a foodie’s paradise and you can put your car keys away – because it’s a great place to travel around by bike.
However, that is not all! So I thought this month we’d share with you a few highlights of the time we spent this summer in this charming Landaise town, surrounded by the peaceful pine forests.

🚴‍♂‍ It’s better by bike. Hossegor is incredibly bike friendly – and great for pedestrians, too. There are bike lanes everywhere to go to the beach, travel into town or venture out into the countryside. Pop out to the boulangerie in the morning, head to the seafront for a cooling dip or enjoy a peaceful evening on the beach.
🥐🥘🦈 Food, glorious food. There are plenty of great cafés, bars and restaurants in town plus superb markets to buy the freshest of fruit, vegetables and seafood. For us, there is nothing better than an evening spent watching the sun go down enjoying some oysters, bulots and a cool glass of rosé. Perfect.
🌲 It is close to nature. Perhaps unlike some other towns nearby, Hossegor has magnificent natural surroundings and is easily accessible; close to the forest, the marine lake and within an hour of the Pyrénées mountains.

There cannot be many places with so much to offer: the sandy dunes and beaches, plenty of walks as well as cycle routes, the fab food and it is THE place to go for water sports.
We hope that you enjoy the photos – and if you have never visited, hopefully it inspires you to go someday…
Enjoy the rest of the summer,
Joeline
Kiwi Construction delivers professional expertise, exceptional customer service and quality construction to all its’ clients covering the Biarritz, the Pays Basque and Landes departments.

Contact :
Grant & Joeline Norris
+33 (0) 6 11 80 21 86

grant.norris@wanadoo.fr

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By Simon Frost Construction • News • Region 0 Comments

Contemporary house for sale in lively French village

Looking for a beautiful, modern home, tastefully renovated – where all you need to do is to move in and start living your dream?

Our 3 bedroom property is for sale at 330,000€ in the lively little village of Amou in the Chalosse, part of France’s historic Béarn region. Walk to the Sunday Farmer’s Market, sit and enjoy life go by in a local café; Amou is ideal place for young families or retirees seeking a different pace in their lives. The village has schools from maternal to college and in nearby Orthez there are 3 lycées (one of which is bi-lingual from maternal to lycée). There is a public swimming pool.

We love this delightful property – we built it! However it’s time for someone else to enjoy this lovely home which is still under its 10 year decennial guarantee.

Located in a quiet street within walking distance of the village, the house is light and airy benefiting from the large windows and skylights.

On the ground floor, the entrance leads to an en suite bedroom, the living room and a good sized kitchen with space for a dining table. The bay windows open onto a terrace with a low maintenance garden and a fabulous swimming pool, perfect for relaxing on a sunny day.

The first floor has two large bedrooms with built-in cupboards, a bathroom with shower and a bathtub.

The house is perfect for couples and families who prefer modern living in a classic French village. Amou is also located 45 minutes to both the mountains and the beaches in one of the natural and enchanting parts of France.

For further information please get in touch below.

Kiwi Construction delivers professional expertise, exceptional customer service and quality construction to all its’ clients covering the Biarritz, the Pays Basque and Landes departments.

Contact:

Grant & Joeline Norris

+33 (o) 6 11 80 21 86

 

grant.norris@wanadoo.fr

https://www.kiwiconstruction.fr/         

 

By Simon Frost Construction • General Information • News 0 Comments

3 fabulous festivals 🎊 not to miss this summer 🌞

We love to party – and the summer is the perfect time to do this in the Landes and the Pays Basque. We have selected three of the very best summer festivals; full of colour, music, dancing, street theatre and of course plenty of delicious food and drink.

  1. Fêtes de la Madeleine – Mont-de-Marsan

For five nights in July, the capital town of Les Landes celebrates the traditional festival of Madeleine with concerts, events, shows, meals and other entertainment.  You will see thousands of people enjoying the festival in blue and white outfits. Plenty of animations for all the family to enjoy! 17 to 21 July 2019.

  1. Fêtes de Bayonne

Bayonne is a captivating little city of timber-framed houses set on the confluence of two rivers. Every July a 5 day festival is held which is the largest in France. Like other festivals, people will dress up in red and white (matching the colours of the Spanish city, Pamplona) and enjoy the music, street theatre and parades. 24 July to 28 July 2019.

  1. Dax, La Feria

Each year in mid-August, the town of Dax holds its feria, a gathering mixing bullfighting – bloodless – and popular celebrations for all the generations. During the five days and five nights of this festival, there are hundreds of thousands of visitors dressed in red and white, singing and dancing to the sound of bandas orchestras and musicians. 14 – 18 August 2019.

Enjoy the summer – and hope you have an opportunity to visit our beautiful region and wonderful festivals.

If you would like to discover more about our services, please click on the Facebook Messenger link https://m.me/KiwiConstructionFrance?ref=w6184123.

Kiwi Construction delivers professional expertise, exceptional customer service and quality construction to all its’ clients covering the Biarritz, the Pays Basque and Landes departments.

 

Contact:

Grant & Joeline Norris

+33 (0)6 03 18 53 31

By Simon Frost General Information • News • Region 0 Comments

Exploring the delightful great lakes and coastline of the Landes

Spectacularly beautiful coastline, glorious sandy beaches, great lakes and pine forests…. Welcome to the Les Landes in South West France.

This stunningly attractive region has been our home for 30 years.  We love the people, the lifestyle, the delicious food and drink and also the exceptional heritage and history… and for us it is the sheer natural beauty which Les Landes offers that makes this a great place to live.

If you are someone who enjoys the outdoors and the natural landscape, this part of France is a treat and is a perfect choice to go biking, hiking, horse riding and – of course – the fantastic opportunities for surfing and all kinds of water sports.

The area known as the Côte Nature et Grands Lacs stretches from Léon in the south to Sanguinet to the north, a land of open space, beaches and luxuriant vegetation, with the vast pine forests edging the sandy beaches.  Between these two points there are impressive lakes which are ideal for fishing and water activities, small ports and marinas offering superb sailing experiences and plenty of flora and fauna. All-in-all, Les Landes is an oasis of nature providing a close connection with the wildlife and natural world that we share our planet with.

Whenever we have the chance, we love to take the bikes and cycle around the region, taking the time to stop, relax and appreciate the magnificent countryside and coastline.

In truth, it is difficult to say which part of the region we love the most, as the choice is so varied. However, if you live in Les Landes or come here as a visitor, we would love to know what your favourite place is… click on the Facebook Messenger link https://m.me/KiwiConstructionFrance?ref=w6184123

Kiwi Construction delivers professional expertise, exceptional customer service and quality construction to all its’ clients covering the Biarritz, the Pays Basque and Landes departments.

Contact:

Grant & Joeline Norris

+33 (0)6 03 18 53 31

grant.norris@wanadoo.fr

https://www.kiwiconstruction.fr/         

windows france
By KiwiAdmin2016 News • Windows and Doors 0 Comments

Replace your windows and doors to stay warmer and greener

Our planet is getting warmer for sure: glaciers are melting, sea levels are rising and average temperatures are getting hotter. We all have a responsibility to look after our environment for the generations of today and tomorrow – and by using energy more efficiently in our homes, we can all play a part.

How can we do this?

The average home in France loses between 25 – 30% of its energy through windows, doors and roofs, with many older properties lacking proper insulation and with single or double panes of glass which have poor heat retaining qualities.

However, recent improvements in the manufacturing process mean that modern windows and doors are much more energy efficient and also provide improved acoustic insulation.

Who benefits? By installing new windows or doors, your home will cost less to heat – and it will help the environment too with reduced greenhouse gas emissions from the use of electricity and fossil fuels.

Finding suppliers of quality windows and doors which are manufactured to the highest standards, are aesthetically beautiful and are highly energy efficient is crucially important to us. That’s why we have teamed up with AL-Tech to supply windows, doors, sliding doors, pergolas, gazebos, garage doors, aluminium framework and automated roller shutters. The company is a market leader in PVCu, aluminium and timber profile windows and all of the fixtures and fittings comply fully with French requirements – RT 2012 – for building and installation.

Here at Kiwi Construction we specialise in renovation and construction projects, particularly heritage properties. We respect the character of older properties, for example by retaining or enhancing original features, whilst improving the thermal insulation and energy efficiency of a house.

There are many ways in which we can become greener and reduce our energy use: if you would like to discuss how we can help, including whether you need a particular bespoke solution, please get in touch.

Kiwi Construction delivers professional expertise, exceptional customer service and quality construction to all its’ clients covering the Biarritz, the Pays Basque and Landes departments.

Grant and Joeline
By KiwiAdmin2016 Construction • News 0 Comments

Making the impossible, possible

New Zealanders – or Kiwis – are well known for their can do attitude and optimistic approach to life. So when Grant and Joeline Norris and their family settled in south west France from their native land more than 25 years ago, they were determined to share this positive spirit amongst their new compatriots and French friends.

Making the impossible, possible is at the heart of what Kiwi Construction, the firm created by the couple after Grant finished playing rugby for Dax, offers to all its clients. Grant who is a qualified quantity surveyor and Joeline, a chartered accountant, have utilised their professional experience, know-how and understanding of the French culture and heritage to the benefit of their international clients.

The family have over the years successfully integrated into the community, with their children attending local schools and the whole family participating in social activities which characterise everyday life in the Landes. Their approach has been to marry their Anglophone culture with a deep appreciation and understanding of French values and approach. In particular, their experiences over the past two decades have helped shape their way of working by listening to the views of the older generations.

“There is always a way” is very much the Kiwi Construction philosophy – a determination to find a solution which works for the client and gets a job done successfully. This approach combines a focus on the customer and a respect for the traditions of their community, including the buildings and architecture which forms a key part of the region.

If you have a project which looks to be seemingly impossible – or you are seeking a fresh perspective – why not contact us? We love the challenge of all kinds of different renovation and construction projects, large or small.

✅ Please add a comment below and accept the invitation to come join us in Messenger 👇👇

Kiwi Construction delivers professional expertise, exceptional customer service and quality construction to all its’ clients covering the Biarritz, the Pays Basque and Landes departments.

Contact:
Grant & Joeline Norris
+33 (0)5 58 55 35 22 / +33 (0)6 03 18 53 31
grant.norris@wanadoo.fr

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By KiwiAdmin2016 Construction • News 0 Comments

Making the best of the space in your home in France

Why is creating an effective use of space in your home so important?

We discuss that question often with our clients; we understand how crucial it is to plan the layout of their home to design the floor area as efficiently as possible. Whether the property is large or small, planning the allocation and positioning of the interior space is a key step for ensuring that your home is appropriate to your needs both now and in the future. 
Retaining the character of the property as part of a renovation project is an essential part of what we do, respecting the heritage of your home whilst also making it more comfortable for modern living. So, what are the main things you need to consider?

1. Think about the position of the plumbing for bathrooms, toilets, showers as well as for kitchen units. In the first instance, consider the practical needs of you and your family. Any significant new renovation is likely to require new plumbing pipes, so decide where you wish them to run and the position of your kitchen and bathroom areas. Termites can also be a problem, needing a water supply to exist. This could be from condensation on a water pipe or a leak in a badly maintained wall… so another reason for looking closely at the structure of your property.

2. If you are planning an extension, avoid through rooms. You need to ensure that your home is liveable and the circulation space healthy, therefore it is wise to consider the function of every room at this planning stage. Providing direct access to areas such as the kitchen, dining and living space is especially important.

If you are considering a renovation project and thinking about making the most effective use of space, contact us and we will be happy to help. We have extensive experience in undertaking renovation and constructive projects in this beautiful region, working with a range of property professionals.

Kiwi Construction delivers professional expertise, exceptional customer service and quality construction to all its’ clients covering the Biarritz, the Pays Basque and Landes departments.

Contact:
Grant & Joeline Norris
+33 (0)5 58 55 35 22 / +33 (0)6 03 18 53 31
grant.norris@wanadoo.fr
https://www.kiwiconstruction.fr/

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