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.

Rental income should be declared to the French tax office by 30th of April and credit may be claimed for any French tax paid against any liability in your own country.

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