France

'Romantic Paris, home to the Moulin Rouge Music Hall and the beautiful Parisienne dancers’ 

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Inspection Trips - link here

Our Agents can escort you to French Properties - link here

Areas we have Property for sale in France - link here

Buying & Selling:  As with any purchase look into funding and tax implications. If a mortgage is needed you may consider various routes from financing via a mortgage on an existing property here in the UK. Or via a mortgage on the French property raised either in the UK or raised in France. The next stage is to get your mortgage/funds in principle so you know what you can afford. 

Once you have found the property it is important to budget any works that the property may require and take such factors into account when making an offer. Based on lived in/second hand homes making an offer could bind you into legal ties. In France there are three main ways in which an offer can be made:

 

1. Compromis de Vente or Sous-seing Prive: This is the most common used document and legally binds both seller and buyer. Here the contract will set details such as: The property being brought and its title, the parties involved (buyer/s, seller/s), price, the period to signing the final deed of sale (acte de vente) which often takes 90 days or more, depending on whether or not there has been demand for a mortgage, and other essential clauses, the appointed notary and who is responsible for what costs through the transaction. It is necessary for the buyer to place a deposit. Both the vendor and the notaire want a deposit for security of the sale and it is usually 10% of the of the house price (without agency fees) though this may be negotiable. Also, it is important that buyers know that they have 7 days of reflection after both parties (the vendors and buyers) have signed the compromis de vente. If, during these 7 days the buyers wish to back out of the sale for any reason they can without losing their deposit. The 7 days start after one of our contracts team sends a recorded delivery letter to the notaire. The buyers are also obliged to send a recorded delivery letter to the notaire in order to back out of the compromis. Signing will take place and should the buyer withdraw they will loose their deposit. It is common to write in to the compromis de vente, a get out clause that releases you from the contract, if for any reason your mortgage application is refused. At this point the property will be taken off the market and searches would take place in the following 6-8 weeks along with other contractual matters as carried out by the Notaire. The Notaires involvement in the processing of the paperwork involved in purchasing a property is authorized by the Ministry of Justice and strictly regulated. Under the compromis de vente surveys are obligatory and usually take place before the compromis has been signed. The surveys include a parasite report (termites, wood worm, etc), lead, asbestos, energy, and pollution test and gas. The heating and insulation is looked at as well. Electricity is going to be added to the surveys in 2009. If they have not taken place, there is a suspensive clause inserted so that the buyers can back out if there is found to be a colony of termites, for example.

2. Offre d’Achat (Offer to buy): Although technically not the contract, and ‘Offre d’Achat’ is a formal offer from buyer to the seller. Once accepted again it is followed by a deposit to the agent or notary and the buyer becomes legally bound to purchase the property.

3. Promesse de Vente: The opposite of Offre d’Achat, in that the seller offers to sell the property at a fixed price to the buyer/interested party in a specified timescale. Once the time period is finished, then the option is null and lost.

When buying in France check carefully who is responsible for what costs. A notary, who is government appointed, is independent and acts for both parties.  However, if you appoint an independent notary to act for you, it should not in theory cost any more as the appointed notary is obliged to share his fees. Additionally the notary that you appoint may discover an irregularitory that the appointed notary has missed? Before parting with any funds, and before signing anything make sure you are fully content, and if in doubt seek further legal advice!

 

As always it is advisable to get a structural survey. If under compromis de vente surveys are obligatory.

 

Some people like to be present to sign the acte de vente personally.  However, it is possible to grant power of attorney to a Mandataire, who will sign on your behalf and execute an international stamp at the British Foreign and Commonwealth office. 

 

The final Contract: ACTE DE VENTE: is signed at the Notaires office and the property passes to the buyer who must pay the balance of funds. You will also need to show proof of identity ie birth certificate and if applicable a Marriage Certificate. From the signing of the contract the buyer will need to put in place buildings insurance for all the buildings on the land. You will also need to make clear your intentions as to inheritance as a will made outside France will be no good as French law is different to that in the UK.

 

Under French law a buyer can reserve a new build, or off plan property under a ‘Contrat de Reservation’. This reservation contract would often incur a deposit and would outline stages of the build and maybe staged payments relevant to the stages. It could also indicate timescales of build and an idea of when completion will be. Both parties sign to make the contract legal.

 

If the property you wish to buy has more than 1ha (2.47 acres) then ‘SAFER’ the Societe d’Amenagement Foncier et d’Establissement Rural may intervene who have an automatic right to preserve land for continued agricultural use. It is the responsibility of the Notaire to notify SAFER of such transactions and in the event that objection is made you should be able to recover your deposit.

 

 

 

Currency:  €uro

 

 

Getting To or Through:   By Car:  To drive in France, you must be in possession of your national driving licence (international, if you are not a national of the E.U.), the registration document called a "carte grise" (grey card) in France, and an insurance certificateIts large landmass and dispersed population mean that its roads are less congested. Today France is criss-crossed by a fairly dense network of Autoroutes. On the Autoroutes, you are expected to drive on the right and pass on the left, be wary of cars joining from the approaches to your right, at first it can be a little daunting with cars appearing to about to sandwich you in. Green direction signs point to "free roads," as opposed to the blue signs that say "peage" which amounts to "pay up for the toll roads."

 

By Train: Train service in France is efficient and punctual. It allows travellers to view the countryside in a swift and relaxed manner. France's extensive railway network connects large cities and towns throughout the country. Smaller towns without train stations are generally linked by bus service to the nearest station. The French National Railroads' (Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer or SNCF) network of inter-city rail links also provides frequent express and high-speed train service known as the TGV or Train à Grande Vitesse. Operating at a commercial speeds of nearly 190mph, the high-speed network also includes European routes, featuring the Eurostar which connects Paris to London (travelling through Ashford International Station in just over 2½ hours and the Thalys going to Brussels and Amsterdam in 1½ and 4 hours respectively. For added convenience, the Paris Charles-de-Gaulle and Lyon Saint-Exupery Airports have high-speed train stations.

 

By Air: Charles De Gaulle airport is the largest airport in Paris with an integrated rail service. The airport handles both domestic and international flights. France has ten international airports and 45 domestic airports which link the outside world to France through Air France and scores of other airlines. Paris, Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Strasbourg and Toulouse are some of France’s major cities with their own airports. Upon arrival in France you will need to have your passport, visa any health certificates required and in some cases a return ticket. France's domestic airlines link most urban centres in the country.

By Ferry: The quickest passenger ferries and hovercrafts to France run between Dover and Calais, and between Folkestone and Boulogne. There are numerous routes linking Brittany and Normandy with England. Portsmouth is linked by car ferry to Cherbourg, Caen and St Malo. Other regular routes include Plymouth to Roscoff, Poole to Cherbourg, Weymouth to St Malo, and Newhaven to Dieppe. Ferries also ply the waters between France and Ireland (Cherbourg-Cork), the Channel Islands, Sardinia (Marseille-Porto Torres), Italy (Corsica-Genoa) and North Africa (Marseille-Algiers, Marseille-Tunis, Sète-Tangier). 

Culture:  Since World War II, French society has undergone great transformations. Whereas one person in 3 used to work in farming, today this ratio stands at 1 in 16. The French are renowned for their vineyards which flourish to the warmer southern regions. France is the origin of Champagne a white sparkling wine produced in the Champagne region of northeastern France. Sweet or savory crepes, escargot (snails) served in garlic butter, or Coq au Vin. There are a number of French dishes that outside of France, are most typically associated with French cuisine. Many of these are haute cuisine, a style of cooking used on special occasions they are also well known for dishes including: cheeses, fish, snails and horse, they also make some of the best breads and pastries in the World including being home to the croissant. France is noted for its cosmopolitan, civilized approach to life, combined with great concern for style, fashion and appearances. The national sport is football. France has been home to many world-famous artists. In the last half of the nineteenth century, one group of artists, known as the Impressionists, created an impression of scene using quick dabs and strokes of colour to capture their subject in the changing sunlight. This inspired many new artists to experiment with their own styles. The famous French artists include Claude Monet, Pierre Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, Paul Cézanne, Edouard Manet, Camille Pissarro, Alfred Sisley, and Armand Guillaumin. The French film culture is also very strong and was depicted in recent years by the excellent masterpiece by xyz. The Moulin Rouge, which means "red mill," is in Paris and was opened on October 5, 1889. The Music Hall still stands today and is fronted by a red mill. From here came the Can Can performed by the beautiful Doriss Girls and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec the famous Artisienne/Bohemian artist.

 

 

Geography:  France is located in Western Europe. To the north France borders Belgium and Luxembourg to the northeast, Germany and Switzerland are to the east whilst Italy to the south-east and Spain to the south-west. Across the Pyrenees mountain range is the small country of Andorra lies in between the two countries. The Mediterranean Sea is to the south of France, with the Principality of Monaco forming a small enclave. To the west, France has a long Atlantic Ocean coastline, while to the north lies the English Channel. The south of France has some beautiful beaches along the French Riviera.

 

Seasonal Climate:  France is for the most part temperate, winters are generally mild except for in the north east which tends to be colder. The north west of the country is prone to high humidity and frequent, often violent rain storms. Mid-summer, particularly August can get very hot  

 

Population:  61,000,000 (Est)

 

Capital City:  Paris

 

Language:  French

 

Religion:  Roman Catholic 85-90%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, Muslim 5%-10%, other 4-6%