Purchasing Process

We at Maison Individuelle have been helping UK buyers of French property for over 21 years. We support our clients throughout the purchase process both directly and through a network of trusted and recommended third party professionals.

The French purchase process is highly regulated and extremely safe, we have created the following guide to the stages of a typically French property purchase for guidance, however if any further information is required then please call us on 01707 376255 or email us at info@mifrance.co.uk.
 
Stage 1.  A Preliminary Enquiry
At some point the dream of owning a French ski property in the Alps or the perfect holiday home on the Cote d’Azur has to start with some preliminary enquiries. We hope that this website will provide a good grounding in the types of property available, the types of purchase structures available, the costs and processes and give you a basis for starting to clarify your criteria and get the property search going in earnest. At this point you may want some expert input about the areas you are considering the types of property available. Undoubtedly the best way to do this is have a direct one to one conversation with someone who really knows what they are talking about, which is why Maison Individuelle offers free no obligations telephone consultations to anyone interested in investing in a property in the French alps or on the Cote d’Azur. To book your consultation please call us on 01707 376255 or email us at info@mifrance.co.uk, or simply send us your details via our contact us page on this website and we will call you back.
 
Stage 2.   A Specific Property Enquiry
Once you have decided on the specific area or areas you are interested in you will want to see details of some specific properties – hopefully ones that meet all of your stated criteria. After your initial consultation Maison Individuelle goes to work on your behalf to identify these properties for you and put the details together in an easy and accessible format. Whether the property is one featured on our website, one being promoted by one of our many partner Agences Immobilieres (French Estate Agents), or one we have to go out and search for – we will find and present the properties that are currently available, meet your criteria and preferences and are approved and recommended by Maison Individuelle with its decades of knowledge and experience.
At this stage you will also want to make sure all of the purchase costs are understood, and that any loan that may be required is offered in principle, so you fully understand your budget and can really go for the property of your dreams. Maison Individuelle will help you understand all of the costs involved your purchase both during the purchase and also annually after taking ownership, and can help secure you a favorable loan through our tried and trusted network of recommended French mortgage providers.
 
Stage 3.  Inspection Visit
Once we have helped you select one or more properties that meet your criteria and personal preferences, you will need to go and view the property before deciding to buy. Maison Individuelle will plan your viewing trip and ensure that you are met or shown to each property by us or by one of our partner Agences Immobilieres or developers, all of whom will be able to answer questions on the property and the area.

Stage 4.  The Option and Reservation Contract
Once you have identified the property you want to buy Maison Individuelle will place an option on the property ensuring it is not sold while the paperwork is being complete and send you a ‘Reservation Contract’ or ‘Compromis de Vente’ (agreement to buy). You will need to sign the Compromis de Vente, usually in triplicate, and pay a 5% deposit for an off-plan purchase or a 10% deposit for an existing property.
The vendor will countersign the documents and return one copy back to you by recorded delivery. Once you receive the countersigned documents back, you will have a 7 day period during which you are able to withdraw from the sale for any reason and be entitled to a full refund of your deposit. The deposit is paid to the French notaire and held in a special escrow account ensuring that you are not at risk of losing your deposit for any reason.
Once you have signed the reservation contract you will need to arrange a mortgage within a few weeks if you require one, and forward details of the loan to the notaire. 

Stage 5.  Completion of the Sale (Acte de Vente / Acte Authentique)
Once the Reservation Contract or Acte de Vente has been signed buy both you and the seller, all of the paperwork goes to the notaire and work begins on preparing the final sale agreement – the Acte de Vente or Acte Authentique for a new build property. During this period the notaire conducts a number of searches required by French law (for example asbestos and termite surveys), and the final paperwork is usually available to sign in about three months.

When the searches are complete and the notaire is ready to complete the sale, you will be given the choice of travelling to France to sign in person or completing a ‘procuration’ giving limited power of attorney for the sales deeds to be signed on your behalf. You will need to make sure funds are with the notaire for the balance of the sale price and any taxes and fees due before the sale is due to be completed, and the notaire releases these funds to the vendor only after the sale is complete.

Once the sale is complete the notaire will pass the keys to the property to you, and the French property of your dreams is now yours.

If the property has been purchased off plan, then construction will continue to an agreed schedule, and complete payment for the property is spread out over this build schedule. A final 5% payment is reserved until the property is complete and has been inspected and accepted by you (subject to any minor snagging that is almost inevitable with a new construction).