France is the UK’s most popular destination for overseas property ownership; it offers a way of life that many find idyllic, a climate which offers warm sunny summers and mild winters, French property is good value for money and France itself has location, locations, locations from quiet traditional Villages to the glamorous Cote D’Azur.
Property for sale in France
French leaseback scheme properties
Luxury property in France
Popular destinations for owning a property in France
Aquitaine An immense line of golden sandy beaches, bastides and châteaux, an abundance of vineyards, mountains and countryside - that's Aquitaine.
Bountiful Aquitaine - what landscapes, culture and heritage! A generosity that is also hinted at in the diversity of its countryside: the sloping Bordeaux vineyards, the sandy heath land along the coasts of the Basque country, the plateaux of the Périgord. Property for sale in Aquitaine
Midi Pyrénées The Midi-Pyrénées is made up of eight departments set in the heart of southwestern France. It has an incredibly wide range of natural sites: from the Pyrenees to the valley of the Dordogne and from Gascony to the Gorges du Tarn; the diversity of its landscapes is equalled only by the wealth of its heritage.
One of France's most enticing and enchanting regions, the Midi-Pyrénées boasts a rich cultural, historical and natural heritage. Property for sale in Midi-Pyrénées
Normandy During the American assault of Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944, the Second Ranger Battalion scaled the 100-foot cliff of the Pointe-du-Hoc and seized the German artillery pieces.
Normandy echoes the history of past struggles: the Norman Conquest woven into the tapestry at Bayeux; the perils of Jeanne d'Arc recorded in Rouen; and the drama of the D-Day landings recorded along the Normandy beaches.
Property for sale in Upper Normandy Property for sale in Lower Normandy
Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur With its feet in the Mediterranean and its head in the Alps, the region has an extensive palette of colorful landscapes.
Provence, the Midi, these are magical names in a luminous landscape that inspired Van Gogh and Cézanne, and changed the course of modern painting. They have also created a new current in contemporary travel. Property for sale in Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur
Rhone-Alps A region flagged by the peaks of it mountains where hiking and winter sports are king.
Springing from a glacier, the Rhône River flows south through France toward the sunshine of the Mediterranean. Its broad valley embraces thriving cities, Roman ruins, medieval castles, fabled vineyards and the snowy peaks of the French Alps. Property for sale in Rhone-Alps
Riviera In 19th-century European high society, people would often talk of a magical land where winter never came - that land of unending sunshine and azur waters.
A few miles back from the shore is a less publicized side of the Riviera a world of romantic hill towns and perched villages balanced on craggy peaks. Worn-down stone stairs and cobbled byways lead through modest hamlets crowding around ancient châteaux. Property for sale on the French Riviera
Languedoc Roussillon Miles of fine sandy beaches, a hinterland rising up the foothills of the Massif Central and the Pyrénées - Languedoc-Roussillon is a land of sun-filled charm.
The Languedoc-Roussillon region, where the Pyrénées Mountains plunge into the Mediterranean, has come into its own with a sparkling group of new yacht-port resorts. Perpignan
Property for sale in Languedoc Roussillon
Western Loire The Western Loire stretches along the Atlantic Ocean, just below Brittany. It is a very scenic region, with some 30 miles of the Jade Coast, plenty of green countryside, and 250 miles of waterways.
Starting roughly where the huge châteaux of the Loire Valley end and winding west with the river to fine beaches and islands on the Atlantic coast, lies the Western Loire. Its attractions make up the best of two worlds: inland and aquatic.
The process for buying a property in France
The purchase procedure for buying a property in France varies depending on the type of property you are purchasing, if you are buying land and commercial property in France then the process outlined below will be different
Summary of Process for buying a Property in France
Step 1 – Making an offer to buy
In France the offer process is much more stringent than in the UK, in the UK we are used to simply agreeing the price, once this has been accepted we expect the property to come off the market until exchange of contracts. The big difference here is the 10% deposit, in the UK this is paid at exchange in France this is paid at the offer stage.
The Estate Agent or vendor may request that you sign what is called an offre d’achat, this is often a pro forma form, whilst it is binding you are entitled to a “cooling off” period of seven days. It is wise to gat your solicitor to review this and it is also preferable to sign this in the presence of a Notary.
List of French Notaires
It is against the Law in France to be asked to pay any form of deposit at this stage; however, backing out, after the seven day cooling off period may result in a penalty.
You will be required to pay the deposit once the sale and purchase agreement has been agreed
Step 2 The Sale and Purchase Agreement
There are two types of contract that can be used at this stage they are known as the Promesse de Vente or a Compromis de Vente, the most common in use is the Compromis de Vente..
The terms of the compromis de vente are such that it binds both parties subject to certain conditions, these are not standard and therefore should be clearly understood before signing. A deposit of up to 10% of the purchase price is paid on signing of the compromis de vente and the purchaser has seven days during which time they can withdraw from the contract without penalty.
It is advisable that this document is signed though a Notary.
Step 3. Preparing the Contract
As with Property in the UK, this is stage at which various searches and surveys take centre stage.
When selling a Property in France there are a number of statutory surveys that the seller must provide and they form what is know as the Dossier de Diagnostic Technique Immobilier, they are;
• Asbestos
• Lead
• Termites
• Energy Efficiency
• Natural or ‘Technological’
• Gas Installations
• Electrical Wiring
• Septic Tanks
In addition to the above there is the building structural survey itself we expect to be part of the purchase of any property, in France however there is know chartered body or professional body of building surveyors so to this extent the survey and the results of it are treated differently, perhaps even less importantly than they are in the UK house conveyance process.
Its worth noting that in the UK we often have a “Subject to Survey” clause which is on the buyers side, in France however this may be worded to protect the seller from the results of a bad survey.
Because of the lack of an Chartered body of Surveyors in France and as a consequence the lack of surveyors who carry Professional indemnity insurance, finding a surveyor and getting a thorough survey can be a frustrating experience.
The Land Survey in France, again is different to that we might expect in the UK in that the plan cadastral as it is known does not guarantee on the size of the land surface. If there is a subsequent dispute you do have some legal redress providing the dispute is over the land is greater than 5% of the total.
The Local searches process is broadly similar to that in the UK and covers
• The Status of the Parties, their legal capacity to proceed
• Title
• Pre-emption Rights, these are any claims that may be against the property, tenants or Land agencies for example
• Planning Enquiries
Step 4 Completion
On the completion of the above and you are satisfied with the final purchase contract then completion will take place in the presence of Notary at which point you will pay the balance of the Contract.
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