Once you have decided to buy, you must decide which ownership structure is suitable for you. This can be decided on between contract and...

Property buyers should be aware that by law the French estate agent is an intermediary (“commerçant”) who will bring together two parties...

Organise your virtual exploration The Web will enable you to begin to get a general feel for what sort of prices you should be paying...

You may have heard about people having their dream property snatched away by a competitor with a higher bid, just before exchange of...

Diagnostics as a starting point At the time of the sale, as required by law, the lead, asbestos, termites, gas, electricity and energy...

All the documents you will be asked to sign will be in French, and often contain legal terms that you may be unfamiliar with. You may...

Whether carte holders or agents commerciaux, and however they define their roles, they are hired by the vendor to market their property...

Administrative France As prospective home owners, you probably need to know a bit about the French administrative structure: The commune...

“Notaire’s fee” (“frais de notaire”) is a global term used to describe the legal costs of the purchase, which include taxes to be paid on...

What are the specifics of French law? The French legal system is based on civil law – meaning that it is codified, and it originates from...

A few things to keep in mind if you decide to work on your own, with listing agents: Remember that by law the listing agent’s fees are...

Contact local agents If you are going to handle your search on your own, decide which listing estate agents you would like to work with....

Transfer of funds At the time of the compromis de vente, you need to arrange transfer of funds to pay the deposit of (usually) 10% of the...

Vices cachés are hidden or “latent” defects of which the buyer was unaware when he agreed to buy, and which affect the anticipated use of...

When I die, how can I ensure my French property goes to the person/people I want it to go to? For many, the greatest worry about death is...

Buyers often think that vendor agents are their only option in France and that each agent has access to the entire market. But not any...

Be ready to come back Not everybody is ready to make a purchase decision after the first viewing trip. In our experience, only 30% to 50%...

In our experience, most foreign property buyers in Uzège pay cash. It is possible that try and arrange a mortgage with their high-street...

A property finder is the buyers’ agent; he has total liberty to search out property from any source, and will take a totally independent...

Taxe d’habitation It is a residence tax. You have to pay this tax if you own a property and live in it yourself (or have it available for...