Researching Property.Spend some time thinking about:-
What location are you looking for?
Weekendable or half-terms and main holidays?
Within reach of a ferryport or near to an airport?
A mild, warm or hot summer climate?
A mild winter climate or snow and skiing?
Near the coast, rolling countryside or mountain views?
Town, village or rural?
What type of property are you looking for?
A holiday home, a permanent home, income producing or
"get-away-from-it-all"?
Lots of land and lots
of upkeep or a small garden and low maintenance?
A restoration project (and the end of carefree holidays)
or renovated and more expensive - bear in mind that property prices in France are cheaper because land is
cheaper, building and restoring costs can be as expensive as in the UK.
Personal use or space for gites
- they say the average gite can make £4,000 per year but a lot depends on number of bedrooms,
off season use (central heating) and marketing, etc, and there are running costs to consider.
Choosing your Property.
There are two methods of choosing your property.
You either choose a SPECIFIC property from
our website database (which is automatically updated as and when we are informed of changes) or you choose
the TYPE of property that interests you.
If you choose a specific property, you MUST be prepared to drop
everything and get to France as quickly as you can. Whilst we employ the speed of the Internet to keep you
informed and to update our systems, ensuring we are always ahead of printed brochures and magazine adverts
(which have a minimum 4 week leadtime), it should be appreciated that because in France the buyer pays the agency fees
rather than the seller (as in the UK), some owners will put their properties on the
books of more than one French Estate Agent and whilst every effort is made to ensure availability with
our offices, it could be sold by another agent the day after an appointment is made. This is true for everybody
working with French properties.
If you choose the TYPE of property that interests you then this is not a problem. We maintain over 3000
properties on our website and our offices have over 35,000 more on their books thus ensuring there is always
a selection of the type you like, available for you to view.
The Viewing Appointment.
You can have an organised itinerary, reasonable journeys each day and good "value for money"
accommodation waiting for you each night or you can skid up and down the country exhausting yourself - and
France is a big country.
Trying to squeeze in 3 or 4 appointments a day, an hour here, a late arrival there
might seem like the best way to cover ground - but mostly, that's exactly what you'll achieve - covering ground
and you won't endear yourself to the French agencies.
Once we understand the property TYPE you're seeking and the amount of viewing time you want us to
fill, we brief the agents in your chosen area(s). They confirm availability of a number of suitable
properties and we book the amount of time necessary for you to view the selection. This can range from
half a day to 2 full days, depending on the number of properties to see. We then arrange the whole itinerary
into the most efficient travel and accommodation circuit, ask you to confirm that
you are free to accept the appointments and, finally, firmly confirm your appointments with the agents
concerned.
If you are not free to accept the appointments, if you're waiting for other agency confirmations,
if you have "rest" days in mind, please tell us beforehand. It is far more
preferable to accommodate your needs from the start than begin cancelling confirmed arrangements later.
Having numerous agencies tripping over each other, producing double bookings and cancellations, might
seem like the best way of organising your trip but you really are reducing your chances of success and
when you need to return to France for a second time, you may find you're not treated as seriously as
you'd like.
Visiting Properties.
1. Keep your itinerary, mobile phone and map with you. Then,
you shouldn't get lost, you'll have all the relevant directions and phone numbers with you and if
you get delayed or find your ideal French home, you'll be able to advise all the agents accordingly.
2. Equip yourself for the task. Don't wear your best clothes. Do take a torch, tape measure, compass, camera
(consider investing in a small polaroid and sufficient rolls of film for instant results),
pen and notebook, and a pair of wellingtons. Then, you'll be able to crawl around the haylofts, see into all
those dark corners, take a photo of the unusual feature, measure each room and area, decide where the sun
will rise and set and make sufficient notes to aid your decision later.
3. Try to prepare a list of general questions, pertinent to all the properties you will see, beforehand.
How old is the property? How old is the roof? Is there a septic tank? Are services connected (water, electricity,
etc,)? Is there a good plumber, carpenter, electrician, etc, nearby? How much are the local taxes? How long will
the sale process take (is it a straightforward single owner sale or a multiple owner inheritance sale)?
4. Tell the agent, honestly, what you like and don't like about each property you see. It will allow him/her
to fine tune your viewing list if you're on the wrong track.
Making an offer.
Just like people in the UK, some owners will accept an offer and others won't. Your agent should know
whether the owner will accept and, if so, within what range - so use his knowledge. After all, he wants to find
a suitable property for you as much as you do.
If you can afford the time, it's generally a good idea to leave your last day free of appointments.
This will allow you time to review the properties you've seen and if you've made your mind up,
sort out the paperwork without being rushed into mistakes.
When you've reached an agreed price, you will be required to sign the first contract - "compromis de vente".
Without this, your offer remains only an offer and most owners will not stop the marketing of their property.
However, once you do sign it, you are legally bound to purchase the property or forfeit your deposit
(usually 10% of the agreed price). Equally, once signed, the owner is legally bound to sell it to you at the
contracted price. - There is a 7 day 'cooling off' period.
A registered agent, advocat or notaire is allowed to draw up the compromis and it is at this point that you
might want to insert any clauses which you feel must be met in order for the sale to continue to completion.
For example, should you require a mortgage, should you NOT want to be subject to the normal
French inheritancy laws, subject to an amount of "to be defined" land, subject to particular items being
included in the sale, etc,. These conditions are called "clauses suspensives".
Whilst speed is of the essence in the signing of the compromis (as mentioned, without this, the property
could be bought by someone willing to sign the contract more quickly than you), it is possible and acceptable
for all the documentation to be sent to you in your own country so you do not have to sign anything there and
then if you accept the risk of losing the purchase through your delay.
Once you have signed, the notaire will begin his work (relevant enquiries and searches) which normally take
2 to 3 months. You will then be required to return to the notaires office to complete the purchase and pay
the outstanding amount of the purchase price and associated fees or appoint a "power of attorney" to
do the same on your behalf.
After what can be a quite straightforward process, you will be the proud owner of a French home.