French property : French property sales : Property in France : French property for sale

How to successfully purchase your property in France THE FOUR POINT PLAN TO SUCCESS Step 1 - SELECTION To make your best selection you will need to carrying out some research. Some questions for you to think about: - What climate to I want? - Nearest airport or ferry? - Do I want beaches, skiing, rolling countryside, mountain views? - Do I want to be in a town, village or rural? - Am I looking to live in France permanently, looking for a holiday home or somewhere to produce an income? - Land - Am I looking for lots of land or a small garden? - Am I looking for a "move in" property or a restoration project? - Am I looking for a personal use property or space for gites? (The average gite can make £5,500 per year.) Two methods of selecting your property: Method 1 - Specific Our database of properties is automatically updated instantly as soon as we are informed of changes, making our list of properties for sale much more accurate and up to date than any of the French magazines listing properties (these all have at least a minimum of 4 week lead times due to printing and distribution). One important fact to remember about buying property in France, is that the Buyer always pays the French Estate Agent fees not the Seller (as in the UK). The impact of this is that the Seller will more often than not, put the property for sale on with more than one Agent as it will not cost him/her any more money to do this. Consequently, if you have choosen a specific property off our database, you will need to act very swiftly and get to France as quickly as possible as someone else may have also seen the same property and it may well have been sold before you even get to France. This is unfortunately true for everybody working with French properties. Method 2 - Type By the time you have carried out your research, you will have a general idea of the type of property that would be ideal for you. We maintain over 750 properties on our constantly updated website and our agents offices have more than 5,000 more on their books, so there will always be a vast selection of the type of property perfect for you.

How to successfully purchase your property in France THE FOUR POINT PLAN TO SUCCESS Step 2 - VIEWING Two methods: Method 1 - Organised itinerary Once you have let us know the type of property you are seeking and the amount of time you will be in France, we will brief the agents in your chosen area(s). They will then confirm the availability of a number of suitable properties and we will 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 you wish to see. We can then arrange your whole itinerary program into the most efficient travel, with reasonable journeys and good "value for money" accommodation waiting for you each night. We would then ask you to confirm that you are free to accept the appointments and, finally, firmly confirm your appointments with the agents concerned. In order to organise the smoothest trip for you, please bear in mind that we need to know from the start if there are any days that you are not available for viewing properties due to other committments or "rest" days. Method 2 - Organising the trip yourself You can, of course organise your trip yourself. However, do bear in mind that we have years of expertise in organising many successful visits to France: we know the Agents and we know the travelling times. Few French Agencies can handle "walk-in" appointments, so you would need to pre-book appointments. Trying to squeeze in 3 or 4 appointments a day, an hour late here, a missed appointment there might seem like the best way to cover ground - but mostly, that's exactly what you'll achieve - covering ground (France is a big country) skidding up and down the country exhausting yourself and you won't endear yourself to the French agencies. 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, phone numbers, mobile phone and map with you. Then you shouldn't get lost. However, if you loose your way or get delayed or find your ideal French home before you finish the itinerary, you'll have all the relevant directions and phone numbers with you so you'll be able to advise all the agents accordingly. 2 - Equip yourself for the task. Wear suitable clothes and take a pair of wellingtons Things to take: - Torch - Tape measure - Compass - Camera plus sufficient film (digital or video camera - for instant results) - Camera chargers or spare batteries - Mobile phone and charger - Pen - Notebook - Refreshments This will enable you to really investigate the properties, crawl into those haylofts, look round the land, peer into those dark corners, measure rooms and areas, note where the sun rises and sets, photograph those unusual features and make sufficients notes to help aid your decision later. It is wise to take refreshments with you to make the most of your viewing time - shop opening hours vary from area to area. 3 - Prepare a list of general questions beforehand, pertinent to all the properties you will see. For example: - 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)? - Where is the nearest village/town and how far away is it? 4 - Be honest with the agent. Tell them what you like and dislike about each property you view. That way, if you don't manage to find a property, the agent can fine tune your viewing list to you specific requirements.

How to successfully purchase your property in France THE FOUR POINT PLAN TO SUCCESS Step 3 - PURCHASING Do I need UK professionals? Well, it's a fairly straightforward process that most people, obviously using a measure of common sense, should handle easily. Equally, no matter who you pay or which UK professionsal you use, the legal documents still have to be passed by the French Notaire and, under their supervision, property problems and litigations are lower in France (less than 0.5%) than any other country. All our agents are fully trained, have long experience of non French clients, are ENGLISH SPEAKING and will guide you through the whole process, at NO EXTRA CHARGE. After all, if they didn't, you probably wouldn't recommend us to your friends. 1 - 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 your 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. 2 - Signing the Contract When you've reached an agreed price, you will 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 foreit 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. 3 - Completing the purchase 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 notaire's 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.

How to successfully purchase your property in France THE FOUR POINT PLAN TO SUCCESS Step 4 - OWNING Once you've signed "on the dotted line", had your celebratory glass of champagne and met your new neighbours, the practical realities of ownership and settling into your new community soon begin to demand your focus. But, if you are one of our clients, you need worry no further. Our Property Office personnel not only conduct client viewing appointments, negotiate the sale, supervise the sales process and generally guide our clients to successful ownership, they will also assist our clients to establish themselves in France and integrate quickly and effectively. They will guide you through the bureaucratic maze of red tape that awaits the unwary and sort out those essentials that clients normally want assistance with, such as:- - translations - opening bank accounts - arranging telephone installation - arranging insurance - electricity connection - water connection - septic tank installation - finding builders and artisans etc. As they live and work in France it means that they are already familiar with the majority of the requirements you may have and the relevant contacts, people and systems necessary to smoothly get you set up with the various French authorities and integrated into the French way of life.