France is divided in to 22 regions; these are then divided into 95 departments. The French
have made this incredibly easy to understand with regards to buying a holiday home. When
looking at holiday homes on internet sites you will view the region you are looking for
followed by the division’s name, an example of this is Aquitane – 64 Pyrenees – Atlantiques.
This example when means in the region of Aquitaine and the department number is 64.

French properties are sold in many different ways, they can either be private via Notaires
(public notary) or via estate agents (immobiliers). The majority of Britons who are looking for
a holiday home choose to use the more familiar method of estate agents – you are also more
likely to find an English speaking worker if you choose this method.

When looking for estate agents, ensure they are a member of a registered body such as:
FNAIM, SNPI or UNPI. You can either ask them for a certificate, or it should be advertised in
the office you are looking at. Always make sure you are discussing matters of property in an
environment that deems itself credible, rather than a mobile home that may disappear when
you hand over the money.

It is common practice that the estate agent will ask you to sign a ‘Bon de visite’. This confirms
to the vendor that they will be the people that will show you around the property. It also stops
any confusion and will help you if any problems arise in the process – especially if you are not
familiar with the language.

The prices of the properties should be displayed in the same way they are in England, either
in the window or in a brochure. The agents fees should also be displayed in the price, this
should be around 4 – 10 percent – if the fees are included it should be followed by the letters
FAI. However, this may not include the Notaires fee. Always ask for an estimate of any
additional fees that are not included and do not forget to add on 19.6 VAT on any extra fees.

When you are signing contracts or viewing properties, some of the paperwork you deal
with may appear in French. This is nothing to be surprised about. Before you sign any legal
documents, make sure you get this checked by someone who is fluent in French to stop
any problems occurring later on – no one likes to have the rug taken from under their feet,
especially when working with large amounts of money. Within France there are also officially
registered translators qualified to help you process these with ease.

The final signing of any paperwork will be dubbed the Acte Authentique (Acte de Vente). The
agent of Notaire will advise you of the proposed date to sign the full contract. If possible, you
should be present to sign the final document, if you are not you can always arrange a lawyer
or solicitor to complete the signing on your behalf. The final contract will assume that you
have viewed the property as you are agreeing for it to be sold on the date of signing – make
sure you are happy with the property before you make the final decision.

Written by Alex Corcoran, travel obsessive and online blogger who loves to find low cost holidays
and good value hotels

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Filed under: French Property

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