What to know about buying in France

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DH and I worked out what we save every month towards a family holiday for 6 each year is what we could pay on a mortgage if we purchased a holiday home.

We were thinking south west France as DH has family there and it's eventually where we would like to retire.

Dh is a carpenter so we are happy to buy something that needs lots of work. We have found somewhere for 55,000 euros.

Has anyone got any 'must knows' or tips that we should be aware of when purchasing? We plan to go over for just under 90 days per year. Would really appreciate any help. Thanks

My MIL had a French holiday home fixer upper. Things to know (from her experience) :

Paint, tools, fixings, any DIY products are very much more expensive than the UK. And sometimes in short supply.

Plumbers, electricians etc, can be much more expensive and take much longer to finish work.

Not all local folk welcome non-locals buying there. Also, dealing with the French advocates offices can be hard and time consuming (even more so than the UK)

Bonne chance!

Thankyou @Crikeyalmightey , that's really helpful. How long ago did your MIL buy there ? I've heard there are hidden taxes that have been introduced and was wondering about their equivalent of council tax.

It can be very bureaucratic in terms of setting up bills, council tax etc.
Don't use just a Notaire as they do not act in your specific interests, they are purely a legal intermediary. Ideally get a UK based French property lawyer.
If you let it out you will need to pay tax on any profit in France but you can claim it back through your UK tax return.
Hope it works out for you OP, it's a lovely part of the world.

She bought it in 1998 and sold it a few years ago. Don't know about the taxes, etc, sorry. I would love to be able to buy there. Beautiful country.

check your taxes as they are different to UK. my parents bought theirs decades ago, needed lots of work which was ££££. They don't rent it out though & they are European/have basic french which helps.

Thankyou all, great tips. Will defo get a Uk based French property lawyer.

You have to pay 2 taxes: taxe foncière which is like a regional tax also based on value/size of property which you pay if you own the property and taxe d’habitation which you pay to live in the property, a bit like council tax.

You pay notaire fees when buying. Depends on age of property usually. New houses you pay less iirc. Also add on VAT 20%

Also - sorry for multiple, separate posts - if you buy through an agent you can pay them a %. In theory it is paid by the seller but not always the case. It is usually included in the sale price but check! If you don't read/speak French well, get someone reliable to help you.

I have two houses here, I live in one and rent out the other, which was a major renovation.

In some areas, the buyer pays the agency fees, in others it's the seller.

The seller chooses the notaire but the buyer pays. You don't pay extra if you request a different one.

Mortgages are now difficult to get for non residents and some lenders have a minimum amount.

As a second home owner, you pay taxe d'habitation as well as taxe foncière. As you improve your home, eg add rooms or a swimming pool, TF increases.

Prices in my area have started to drop after a big increase after Covid. Neither of my houses are worth what I paid plus the cost of works, but I didn't buy them to make money.

Materials are very expensive here.

Having said all that, I love it and my wonderful French neighbours.

Ooh, some notaires insist on a very expensive translation of everything if you don't have good French.