Buying a Property in France

France is the most popular destination for purchasing properties abroad. Hundreds of thousands of people have brought either a second home or made the complete move over and started a new life for themselves and their family.

With the language, amount of information being shared through the internet, magazines and even hearsay it's easy to get confused, daunted and perhaps put off with the idea of buying a property in France. Destination La France helps to take the worry and the stress associated with buying properties so that you can enjoy looking forward to owning your new home. It's an exciting time for you and we aim to keep it that way! The process is really quite simple and straight forward.

Property Visits

As well as answering as many questions as possible prior to any visits we arrange viewings and accompany you to all properties being viewed. Whether it is one of our properties or others found through our property search service you will normally be asked to sign a form called the 'Bon de Visite'. This form confirms who introduced you to the property and sets other conditions such as confidentiality etc. Destination La France will be on hand to offer advice, translate and answer your questions throughout all visits arranged by them. (Link to services page)

Offer

Now that you have found your new home Destination La France liaises with the vendor to agree a price. Once this has been agreed between the Vendor and the buyer a contract is drawn up called the compromis de vente. It is basically a promise to buy and sell document which legally binds the two parties to the sale and purchase. It identifies the buyers and sellers, the property, cadastral plan references and any suspensive conditions that need to be met i.e. if not met the sale cannot proceed, for example if a mortgage was required and was for some reason refused the buyer can withdraw. It also sets out the price of the property, the agent's fees as well as the Notaire fees and taxes that will be applied to the sale. It is important to note that most French estate agents include their fees in the sale price and this is normally indicated on the publicity material as FAI (frais d'agence inclus) or HAI (honoraires d'agence inclus) etc. Notaral fees and taxes tend to be between 6-8% and need to be added to the FAI/HAI price. With Destination La France you will know the total cost of your purchase. With the compromis you should also receive a survey report on lead, asbestos, wood worm and depending on area termites.

Compromis de Vente

Destination La France will always go through the compromis de vente with you. We will be there to answer all your questions and clarify any points that the purchaser is uncertain about. We also check the boundaries and any rights of ways there might be on all our properties. We also endeavour to find an English speaking notaire who can assist with technical legal questions such as ownership and succession. Appointing an English speaking notaire does not increase your costs. (link to services)

Once the compromis de vente has been signed all parties receive copies and the buyer then has a 7 day cooling off period. If for some reason the buyer decides not to purchase the property they must inform in writing within this period and the letter must be sent by registered post. But more importantly the property is more or less yours! It is taken off the market, normally once the offer has been accepted but at this stage no one else can make other offers and gazumping is extremely rare and almost unknown.

In France all houses are sold as seen and it is rare that a survey is done. However if you would like one or as part of your mortgage provider's terms one is required we are able to make arrangements on your behalf. In addition to this we can also assist with finding local artisans to provide quotations on any work that you would like done on the property.

Once the 7 days have expired the buyer is then asked for the deposit. This is normally 10% but can be less. The deposit is held in a special account called the compte sequestre or with the notaire and remains there until the sale proceeds or is cancelled.

Completion and the Acte de Vente

The time it takes to complete the sale can vary depending on circumstances. Generally it takes approximately 3 months to complete. During this time the notaire conducts the required searches and puts together the Acte de Vente. The notaire also checks that nothing is going to affect the value of the property as well as whether it has been re-mortgaged. The Acte de Vente is the final sale document/contract. About 3-4 days prior to completion the balance of funds need to be in the notaral account. In time for completion insurance arrangements will be need to have been made for your new property. On completion day both parties attend the notaires office to sign the document (that's unless you have a power of attorney). Once signed congratulations are in order! The property is officially yours and you get the keys for your new home!

All you need to do is get connected to the utilities and Destination La France will do this for you completely free of charge.

Post Completion

After about 6 months you may receive some post from your notaire. The state normally overcharges and notaires are prudent when calculating the tax. This means that once all the administration is complete there is normally a balance left in the buyers favour. Amounts will vary but it does come as a pleasant surprise for some!

If this is your second home and it is not always occupied we can look after your property when you are away. This gives you peace of mind knowing that everything is in safe hands.

Remember, we are there for you after the sale and if you need assistance just give us a call. We will be on hand to answer any questions and address any concerns. (Link to contact us & services)

Destination La France is a member of FNAIM (Federation Nationale de L'Immobilier), further details can be found by clicking on their logo

Destination La France is a French registered estate agent, professional card N° 588, approved by la Prefecture d'Indre et Loire and member of FNAIM, a guarantee of high quality standards and high commitment to customers.