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To Buy A House In France

WELCOME to my website which is all about living, working and buying property in Southern France, where I now live.

I am English, of French descent, and totally bi-lingual. I made the move to Languedoc-Roussillon, on the French Mediterranean coast, in January 2002, after 30 years based in central London, and time in Paris, Amsterdam and Brussels.

Now resident near Perpignan, I am the local liaison for France Mediterranean Property Ltd, of which I am a director. Our independent, expert property consultancy services draw on my eight years' experience of France and the French property business, including two years spent as a negotiator with one of the largest and oldest-established estate agencies in the region.

A former consultant, author and lecturer on European affairs, I have a masters degree (LLM) in law from the University of Warwick, including French law, and I am uniquely qualified to advise you on all aspects of French property buying, and settling in France for work or retirement.

Here you will find numerous articles that I hope respond to your many questions about France, the Mediterranean region and what it is like to settle and live here, as well as information about buying French property, working, employment, self-employment and starting a business in France.

CONTACT
If you are in the UK, calls to the UK office are transfered to me at no additional cost or you can telephone me direct in France. I look forward to hearing from you.

Peter-Danton de ROUFFIGNAC MA LLM
Tel (UK Office) 012 93 95 21 25 or (France) 04 68 81 16 07 Email peter-danton@orange.fr


BUYING FRENCH PROPERTY
Buying a property abroad is never easy and France is no exception. France has a different system of law, and buying property involves a number of stages, designed for your protection and to ensure that the transaction is legal, transparent and fair to both buyer and seller. All documents are of course written in French, and it is rare to find estate agency staff or Notaires who speak fluent English.

Our French property consultancy services are designed to help guide you through the buying process, all the way from initial search to settling in, and are offered at a daily fee or a fixed all-in price (see Our Fees below). We do not take a share of the French agent's sales commission.

SERVICES INCLUDE Discussing your precise needs regarding French property and explaining the options, such as new-build, buy-to-let, older properties, co-ownership, occasional or fulltime occupation; French property regulations, the property buying contract, protection of the buyer, obligations of the vendor.

Explaining the implications of ownership, good title, easements, building works, management charges, property taxes, local planning regulations and other issues that may affect the value of a property and your decision to - or not to - buy.

WHEN YOU ARRRIVE IN FRANCE We can introduce you to local estate agents and accompany you on visits with the agent to view pre-selected properties, with interpretation, advice and guidance throughout. Once you have seen a property you like, we explain how to make a formal offer and its legal implications.

Interpretation and explanation of all purchase documents, and introductions to professional advisors, such as surveyor, architect, local planning officials etc as required.

Advice and guidance throughout the transaction process, from initial offer, the pre-sale contract, adding conditional clauses, paying the initial deposit, the cooling-off period, timescale to finalise a loan or mortgage, final sale contract, attendance at the Notaire, using a power of attorney, hand-over of the keys, taking out insurance on your new home.

AFTER YOU MOVE IN On completion and when you move in, we can help with all aspects of settling in for you and your family including telephone, internet, utilities, insurance, health care, renovation and decoration, and dealing with the French administration.

AD-HOC ADVICE AND CONSULTANCY For example where you may have already selected or bought a French property, buy-to-let property, buying off-plan, the use of alternative purchase vehicles such as a group purchase, using an SCI or limited company.

If you are thinking of selling a French property we advise on residency status, capital gains tax calculation, statutory abatements, payment of CGT, appointing a tax guarantor.

Explaining the options for letting your property, long or short term, furnished or unfurnished; types of contract; investing in commercial properties

Advising on formalities such as French tax and social security; registering your car, obtaining a French driving licence; retirement, working, employment and self-employment in France; entering the tax system; property taxes; what happens when you sell; succession, wills and ineritance.

STARTING A BUSINESS IN FRANCE Advice on setting up and running a business in France; buying a business in France; tax and social security regimes, auto-entrepreneur; company structures (EURL, SARL, Limited Co); partnerships.

TERMS AND FEES Full details, references and our business terms on request to bona fide enquirers.

You will find that our one-off fee package (for property purchase) is extremely competitive and just a fraction of the fees charged by other firms, which often include a percentage of the property purchase price.

OUR FEES Hourly rate £45 /hour or £320/day, or you can choose the fixed-price package (property buying from initial property search through to completion and settling-in as described above) of £1,400 inclusive. There is no additional percentage fee to pay and UK VAT is not chargeable.

Legal information

Photo credits - All photographs appearing on this website are obtained from local tourist offices and town councils, or taken off the internet, and are assumed to be in the public domain. If that is not the case, any photograph will be removed immediately on proof of breach of copyright.

Information and advice on this website is offered in good faith by the author and only as an informal guide to living, working and buying property in France. It should not in any circumstances be regarded as or employed as a substitute for formal legal counsel.

Website text copyright France Mediterranean Property Limited 2009, 2010. Registered in England no. 05838920. Registered office: The Old Bakery, Jews Lane, Lansdown View, Bath, Somerset BA2 3DG. Representative office registered in France SIRET 517491953-00029 , APE 7022Z. Conseil pour les affaires et autres conseils de gestion. Résidence les Villégiales du Mole, 66700 Argelès-sur-mer.

The Company's services are advisory and consultancy. We do not act as estate agents in France nor do we receive a percentage of any French agency's commission in the event of a property purchase by our clients. (Loi Hoguet January 1970, July 1972; JO 12/08/08 Q. 20525, p. 6987).

We do not receive a commission from any professional advisor, or from any other provider of goods or services, to whom we may introduce our clients.

(08/02/10).

Antiquing in France where flea markets and antiques are as plentiful as the stars in the sky, it is not difficult to be a collector. One can collect an array of antiques, big and small, furniture, porcelain, rustic art, books, fabric, silver, and ephemera in lightening speed. If you like antiques do not come to France because you will go crazy the moment your foot touches the flea market ground.
 


At the French flea markets where history lays out before you as easy as any major chain store does in the USA, it is not a question of what will you find? The real question is: What do you want to find. If you want to find ribbon you will--- but if you want to find a certain shade of mauve, or aubergine, or maybe a certain tint of grey and in silk.. than that is another thing. Pink ribbons are the most common.




Common is not a word I usually attach to antiques. Nevertheless there are many French antiques that are common:  Items that are a given to any flea market. Let me say it like this.. Certain brocante items are as common as apples and oranges in a grocery store. Where apples and oranges are available every single day. We assume they will always be there, expect them and do not consider buying them unless we are hungry for them. It is the same with certain antiques in France.... but if you are looking for a certain type of apple other than a Granny Smith you might have to look a bit harder and pay more.




 Take postcards for example. Post cards are plentiful in France, but a bundle of postcards with beautiful handwriting, stamped, and with a lovely image on the opposite side-- that is another question. Linens, dishes, books, mirrors, sconces... are plentiful and a given to any French antique/brocante market. The question is price. You can find it, but how much are you willing to pay for that one special piece verse the ordinary.

I have been going to the antique/brocante markets for over twenty years. Sometimes just to be inspired, often for the cultural/historical lesson to learn, and mainly because I have the *brocanting bug badly". (Brocante: Is a noun to say Antique Market. I am using the word as a verb for my own pleasure. Or as my French Husband would say butchering a perfectly good French word into Franglais.).





When is the best time to go antiquing in France?

Anytime. Antique markets are year round. When in France ask at the local Tourist Office for the nearest: Brocante (antique market), Marche aux Puces (Flea Market), or Vides des Grenier (garage sale like market).
Though I find May and September to be very good months for antiquing.

What should you bring?

Cash, since credit cards and foreign checks are not accepted. A large backpack or push cart to carry your purchases. A small notebook to write down what you bought, newspaper or bubble wrap to protect the items that you find and hand sanitizer because your hands will get dirty.

How do I ship my goods back home?

1) Post your purchases from the post office. You can purchase a pre paid box that holds 14 pound. It costs $61. Or you can box your goods yourself in a box up to (but it can be smaller) three feet by three feet, not weighing more than 60 pounds. Cost: $279.

2) If you are a passenger going or coming from France to the USA, or the USA to France. You can cargo frieght your goods home. You need to package your own goods and take them to the airport. Size and weight are unlimited. Though all items must be boxed and ready for shipping. Your purchases will be sent by cargo freight, door to door. Check out Bagages du Monde on the internet. The cost is per pound.

3) Or you can pack your purchases in your suitcases. Check your airlines for size and weight limitations. Usually an extra suitcase cost around $80 for 50 pounds.

4) Contact Fed EX and have your items picked up wherever you are staying.


5) LTC or "Less Than Container" you can use an international transporter (most antique shops can lead you to one) a cubic meter can cost up to $1000. Delivery is up to eight weeks and often your will have a custom entry charge. If you buy items at a local antique/brocante fair you will need to take your goods to an international transporter. If you buy your goods at an international fair or at an Antique shop, the international transporters will pick up directly for you. International transporters can be found on the internet, or at most French antique shops,