Are you interested in buying a property in France? Here, we explain how the buying process for existing and newly constructed real estate properties in France works. Let’s start with the
Buying process for existing real estate in France
If you are buying a property in France, you might feel overwhelmed by the paperwork. Your heart says, ‘This is my dream house,’ but your logical sense whispers, ‘Watch your back; they’re all French…’ Luckily, we are in Europe, and the buying process has become very transparent, especially in France, to protect the buyer. The notary even insists that a translator is present so you understand everything in the sales contract.
You will find the best existing properties for sale and available on our portal. Our team will help you with the process from the visit to the purchase. If you cannot visit France, you can still buy a property from a distance. Contact us for a video visit and how to use DocuSign or similar digital systems to sign the first documents.
Let’s explain the differences between the different types of sale agreements. There is Offre d’achat, Promesse de Vente and Compromis de Vente. The last one is the most common. Reading tip! An article about Buying new construction on the Côte d’Azur from abroad.
What is an Offre d’achat?
Once you are happy with the final price, the selling real estate agent will propose an ‘offre d’achat’ for the existing property. This paper describes the property’s main aspects, such as its address, layout, size, and separately made agreements. Both parties sign this information, and then the notary will use it to make a provisional purchase agreement. This agreement should be signed within 30 days of the ‘offre d’achat’.
Offre d’achat is a unilateral promise from the buyer to the seller. The potential buyer indicates that he wants to purchase the specified property within a specified period. However, it does not guarantee that the house must be sold to the buyer. The offre d’achat broadly describes what you wish to buy. The offer will expire if the term expires and the buyer and seller disagree.
What is La Promesse de Vente?
La Promesse de Vente is a unilateral promise by the seller. The seller agrees with this “Promise of Sale” that he decides to sell the property at a specific price for a given period. The buyer pays 10% and gets seven days to rethink the decision and stop the buying process. If the notarial deed is on for signing, your 10% of the purchase amount will be deducted, and you will pay the remaining amount. If you do not provide timely cancellation notice and have no decisive reasons (such as reserve funding), you will be in default, and the seller may retain your 10% deposit.
What is a Compromis de Vente?
The Compromis de Vente is a purchase agreement between the two parties. The seller agrees to sell his property, while the buyer agrees to buy the property for an agreed price. After signing the initial purchase agreement, you always have a right to withdraw for seven days as a buyer. In addition, it has suspensive terms, meaning the purchase will not continue under certain conditions, such as not obtaining a mortgage.
New construction real estate buying procedure
The procedure for new construction is buyer-friendly and protects buyers to the maximum. It is a bit slow but very secure for the buyer. That’s why the buyer should first sign a reservation contract to start the procedure. After signing the contract, you will have ten days to reconsider your decision. After that, you are expected to pay 5% down payment to the notary. If you need a mortgage, you will have 60 days to organise this.
Houses and apartments real estate in France for sale
France has a lot of houses and apartments for sale; in fact, everyone could find something to live here; it’s just a matter of budget and priorities. Are you happy with just being in France, and riding a bike or taking a tram to the beach is perfect for starting your day? Pricing in real estate starts as low as 100.000 euros. It will be a simple studio, but it’s an excellent start to creating a new way of living in a place that offers 300 days of sunshine!
The higher the price, the more you desire, like a large terrace, sea view, double-space parking, a complimentary view, a residential swimming pool, and a rooftop garden. There are properties for every taste and budget, from a separate-bedroom apartment to a discrete six-bedroom villa in a stunning bay.
If you’ve found a property that needs some TLC, you can contact us for a solid home renovation on the Côte d’Azur. If you need inspiration for your French Riviera interior design or help create the best rooftop terrace, we are at your service with a team of professionals.
Creative environment
If you are able to work remotely, living on the Côte d’Azur is the best environment to free your mind, be creative, and be inspired by colours and the lifestyle of people who enjoy life. Did you know that some of the world’s largest enterprises have their Research and development on the French Riviera? Sophia Antipolis is the Silicon Valley of the Côte d’Azur, where creative people develop bright new ideas.
Discover the French Riviera
Searching to buy ‘something under the French Riviera sun’ but not sure of the precise area yet? Discover the small towns, medieval villages and buzzing hot spots here. Discover the characteristics of the most popular villages in the South of France
Thousands of online websites offer you houses and apartments for sale, but most of them are generated by robots with intelligent scripts. It could be that the information is outdated because removing the information about all houses and apartments for sale would take so much time. These websites are non-personal listing websites, hoping to be able to drag you into another property from the entire houses and apartments for sale. Reading tip! An article about the Best reasons to buy a property in Nice French Riviera.
You will also find portal advertising websites where local real estate agents pay to advertise their goods. You fill in a form, and then you will be contacted by the selling agency. If there are too many demands, you will not be contacted as the process is fully automated.
We prefer our personal approach; we would like to communicate with you about why, where, what, and when would you be interested in buying a property in France? Our agency works like a boutique in real estate with extra attention for customer service. Have a look at what our clients say about us.