Buying Property in France Contents:- What to Look For The Notaire Septic Tanks Termites Property Insurance Links to property sites If you're thinking about purchasing property for a holiday home, a second home or even as a principal residence, then Brittany has much to offer. Apart from the price (Brittany has some of the lowest priced properties in Europe) there are many traditional Breton properties available surrounded by beautiful countryside, all of which are not far from the north or south coasts. Looking for property is not too difficult; this web site has around 1000 houses for sale in Brittany. Choose a few properties to look at. When you find somewhere you like, you can contact the notaire in charge of the sale to arrange to view the property without obligation. What to Look For If you are buying a property to restore, make sure it is structurally sound, with a good roof (replacing a roof costs around 50 Euros/m²), and connected to water & electricity. The last 2 items can be expensive to install. If the property has no electricity connection, this could cost around 1000 Euros as the interior installation must be undertaken by a qualified electrician & a certificate of conformity must be obtained before the connection is made. The water connection can cost upwards of 60 Euros depending on the amount of work required. Most rural properties do not have any mains drainage & a septic tank must be installed for which planning permission is required. There are many local companies which will undertake this work & the price should be between 1500 Euros & 6000 Euros depending on the type of installation. The Notaire The notaire is the equivalent to a solicitor, it is their job to complete all the legal transactions relating to the purchase of property in France. Notaires negotiation fees are fixed by the French government by a Decree of 8th March 1978 and are as follows:- 5 % of the purchase price on the first 46,000 Euros 2·5 % on everything above All fees are subject to TVA (VAT) @ 19.6% Wether you buy from an immobilier, a notaire or directly from the owner, you will have to use a notaire for the legal transactions. The following documents are required:- passport, brith certificate, mariage certificate and a deposit check for 10% of the property price. You will be required to sign a 'compromis de vente' (promise of sale). From the date of signing you have 7 working days to withdraw from the transaction without any obligation; the vendor has no right to withdraw. The compromise de vente is a legal document. After 7 days withdrawl from the purchace is difficult, you will deffinetly loose your 10% deposit and possibly be required to pay any additional fes incured by the notaire and the vendor. In the worst case you could be forced to buy the property. You can include certain clauses in the compromis; for example, if you wish to undertake work on the property which requires planning permission, include a clause in the compromise to say that if permission may not be granted, the sale will not go through. Speak to your notaire about such subjects.* Septic Tanks Under the law of 1992 each commune has to divide its area into zones that will be served by main drainage and those that are not. Properties outside the main drainage zones must be provided with "non-collectif" drainage systems; a septic tank (fosse septique). The whole system consists of the fosse itself (normally a concrete tank), a filter within the tank, and a water disposal system. The fosse is ventilated through a pipe that is taken up above the gutter level of the house. As from 2005, all properties with septic tanks must comply to the new EU regulations. When purchasing a property ask for the certificate of compliance for the septic tank, if this is not available, ask for an "Etude du Sol", (a soil test) this test should be paid for by the seller, it could save you around 600 Euros later on. Until recently instalations of septic tanks in properties with small gardens was a problem but with new designs and inovations tanks can be installed into gardens as small as 150m². Termites Termites are wood eating ant-like insects and cause a considerable amount of damage in a short space of time. The greatest concentration of termites is in South Western France, however recently they have spread over a wider area. Areas infected with termites are the subject of a decree: - THE TERMITE LAW: LAW N° 99-471 of 8 June 1999 to protect the purchasers and owners of buildings against the xylophagous** termites and other insects ordering that each property sold in that area infected needs to have a termite survey. The map on the left gives the areas and percentage of infestation. The cost of the survey is bourne by the vendor. Any infestation must be treated or removed. **xylophagous = Eating, boring in, or destroying, wood   Property Insurance Under French Law, you must take out insurance on your property as soon as you purchase it; this can be arranged with the notaire or you can do it yourself through one of the many local insurance companies. Links Brittany Property Agence Bretagne Immobilier Seglien ABI-Pontivy Michelle Paganin - Notaire- Rohan *When buying property in France, the notaire can act for both the seller and the vendor, it is difficult to see how a single notaire can give both parties the best 'deal'. My advice is to choose a notaire in the area where you wish to purchase and ask them to represent you as you would with a solicitor. You will not incure any further charges as the fees will be split between the vendors' notaire and your notaire. Your notaire is a valuble asset and can advise you on all aspects of French law. Ask also about inheritace laws which are different from the UK.