What are the French equivalents of some of the basic English building terms applicable to residential properties?
Many surveying students will tend to have studied French more recently than the average qualified surveyor. Practitioners, new to the French property market, will appreciate that what they may have learned during their schooldays about the language can suffice for survival purposes. However, it is not adequate for business dealings either now or, more particularly perhaps, for the single European market of 1992 onwards. One important aspect of the language problem is that of becoming familiar with the technical terms in use.
It is possible that some students are, to an extent, familiar with the French equivalents of typical English building terms. Others may have no previous knowledge of French either technical or non-technical. It is hoped that the examples given below will encourage students at all levels of fluency to extend their grasp of the terminology. The selection is intended to serve as a stepping stone leading to other sources of information such as dictionaries, details of two being given later under references.
The choice of terms was based partly on those arising during a recent appraisal of two older residential properties in Calais. It was also influenced by general observations of building practice in Boulogne.
The writer is indebted to Mrs N J Foulds, Engineer EPF (Paris), whose native language is French, for applying her specialist translation skills in checking the terms used above. Guidance on suitable translators can be obtained from Technical Help for Exporters, a branch of the British Standards Institution.
References
Forbes, J R Dictionary of Architecture & Construction, French/English and English/French, 2nd ed, Lavoisier, Paris 1988. ISBN 2852 064 448.
Butterworth, B and Flitz, J Dictionary of Building Terms, French/English and English/French, Construction Press, Harlow 1981. (Out of print but available in libraries such as those of RICS and CIOB.) ISBN 0860 958 868.
Contemporary and conventional methods of valuation — correction
In this column on June 9 1990 reference was made to the variables utilised in contemporary methods of valuation including “The equivalent yield, e”. This and subsequent references should, of course, have been to the equated yield.
The tendency within the profession to interchange these two terms has resulted in some confusion in the past, but there would appear to be a broad measure of agreement as to the precise definitions which should now be used.
To avoid any further confusion it is worth restating the definitions as they appear in the Glossary of Property Terms(*). For further information on the adoption of these definitions, readers are referred to Estates Gazette November 5 1983, p 544.
Equivalent yield
In valuing an investment property, the internal rate of return, being the discount rate which needs to be applied to the flow of income expected during the life of the investment so that the total amount of income so discounted at this rate equals the capital outlay. Rents at review, lease renewal or reletting are taken at values current at the date of valuation except to the extent that they reflect any future changes in value anticipated by the valuer caused by factors other than his view of the impact of inflation or deflation.
Equated yield
In valuing an investment property, the internal rate of return, being the discount rate which needs to be applied to the flow of income expected during the life of the investment so that the total amount of income so discounted at this rate equals the capital outlay. Rents at review, lease renewal or reletting take account of expected future rental changes due to variations in the value of money, ie the calculation reflects the valuer’s views on the impact of inflation (or, if he so thinks, deflation) as well as his views on rental changes due to other factors.
(*) The Glossary of Property Terms Estates Gazette (1989)
