The
information below is a short description of “how to’s” if more information
is needed you can sent us an email
Purchase
procedure and costs
In France one public Notary will often act for both the purchaser and the
vendor. The Notary fees and land registry fees are calculated on sliding scales
and the total legal fees are usually between 2% and 3% of the purchase price.
If purchasing an old property (over 5 years old) additional purchase taxes must
be paid to the département and to the commune. These will total 4.89% of the
purchase price. If purchasing a new property (less than 5 years old, being sold
for the first time) then, there is no additional government purchase tax to pay
- you will have to pay TVA (VAT) but this will be included in the sales price.
The government purchase tax on a plot of land (if purchased for the construction
of a chalet for your own use) is also 4.89% if buying in your own name, but is a
punitive 19.6% if buying in the name of a limited company or SCI.
French inheritance laws will apply to a property in France even if the owner is
resident outside France. Because of the complexity we will advice on this matter
if you wish to purchase a property.
Mortgage
Interest rates are currently lower in France than in the U.K.
French banks will lend up to 80% of the purchase price over 15 years and
at an interest rate of around 4.5%. Offcourse we can provide more information on
the possibilities.
Running
costs
Local property taxes consist of the "taxe d'habitation" and the
"taxes foncières" which are based on the cadastral value of the
property. The rates of tax will vary as they are set by the région, the département
and the commune.
Our rental agencie charges around 20% commission for providing a full rental and
management service. Most owners rent their apartments through our agencie on a
weekly basis and set aside a week or two each season for their own use. However
we always customize our rental agreement depending on what the customer wants.
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