Buying A Property In France - Pleasures And Pitfalls

Buying a property in France should be a pleasure, an absolute joy, but too often people come here short on information. When you're talking about the sort of serious money a house costs, of whatever size, it's up to you to take due care. If you end up choosing a French house that's got problems you're the one who has to live with it.

So how can you take the pitfalls out of buying a French property?

Well first off, learn to speak French. I don't mean be fluent in the language, we certainly weren't, but learning a few words and phrases will do a couple of things. It will increase your confidence when dealing with people - and the French will recognise it. They'll also treat you better because you've taken the trouble to make the attempt, however haltingly. The French are big on being polite and speaking their language is the ultimate example of this.

They'll also be wary about what they say. Now don't get me wrong, the French aren't all out to pull the wool over your eyes when you're out searching for your French property, but if they know you can't speak the language some of them, a minority, might say things they wouldn't otherwise. Speaking a bit of the language puts you on their level.

No, it's not easy, but it is worth it.

Now no amount of expertise in French is going to have you understanding the processes and paperwork for buying a property in France. It will certainly help, but you need to do some research as well. The French do love their paperwork.

Fortunately the internet is a great help. There are dozens of sites offering advice on French property buying, French mortgages, Notaires (kind of a solicitor but not), in fact every facet of finding and buying your place in France.

Make sure you check multiple sources though. It is clearly in some people's interests to promote certain things or give particular information. It's not necessarily deceptive but a lot of them are doing this for a living, after all.

Then eventually you're going to find yourself here in France. You may or may not have the help of an interpreter, consultant or an English-speaking agent. It's another area you need to research. Interpreters and consultants can be a big help but they can also be expensive. What services are they offering? Would a French estate agent be doing a lot of these things anyway? These are the sort of questions you need to ask.

And when you're buying a property in France what checks do you need to make on the building? What about planning regulations? Rights of access? For instance, if it's a rural property does a local farmer have any rights? Does the local maire have a right to buy? It's the sort of thing that exists in France that you may not be aware of.

None of this information is hidden from you. None of it is secret or particularly difficult to find out but the French property buying system is different so you need to make sure you know what's going on. A French agent may quite understandably assume that you know what you're doing. Their French clients would, why not you?

However, they are also very helpful. If you don't know, ask. If you're not sure, ask again. Re-phrase it perhaps. French property agents get well paid, make them work for it!

In general, to turn pitfalls into pleasures when buying a property in France, all you have to do is ask questions and make sure you understand the answers. It's easy to get drawn into the atmosphere and the excitement and forget common sense. Don't. This is far to big a decision to be made without all your wits about you.

Jeff Seems is an Englishman living in France. He is author of The French Property Buyer's Guide which is vital reading for anyone thinking of buying a property in France.