When the estate agent has accepted your offer on behalf of the Vendor you will sign a preliminary contract with the agent. For an existing property this is called a Compromis de Vente, if your property is still under construction (VEFA – Vente en Etat Future d’Achèvement) you will sign a Contrat de Réservation.
This preliminary contract commits both parties to the transaction at the stated price – so there is no gazumping. You also have a seven-day cooling off period after signing during which you can withdraw from the agreement - without giving reason - and incur no penalty. There is no such luxury for the vendor.
You can also insert a number of conditions suspensives into the contract, these are let-out clauses which will ensure your deposit is returned should you not be accorded a mortgage or planning permission to build gîtes for example.
After your seven-day grace period, you pay a deposit, usually 10% of the purchase price for older properties and between 2% and 5% for properties under construction. You should make this cheque payable to the Notaire who will deposit it in an escrow account until he distributes it at completion.
The Notaire (see Who is the Notaire?) then starts his land use, conveyance and lien searches. The vendor is obliged to commission an expert to inspect his property and prepare reports on the presence or otherwise of lead paint, asbestos and, in some regions, termites.
When the Notaire has finished his searches (before the date you have agreed with the vendor for completion) you will be able to make your final payment of the balance due and sign the Acte Authentique de Vente (Deed of Sale) at the Notaire’s office.
You are now the proud owner of your new French home!
Monday 27 November 2006
Do I have council tax or rates to pay on my French property?
Property owners in France have two types of annual tax to pay:
Taxe Foncière: this is a land tax and and is always paid by whoever owns the property on January 1st of any given fiscal year. The figure is based on the rental value of the property and the rate of tax is determined annually by the authority. This tax is actually comprised of the Tax foncière bâtie i.e. on the building and the Tax foncière non- bâtie i.e. on the land. Owners of new properties are exempt for the first two years.
Taxe d’habitation (local rates): this is a dwelling or occupancy tax covering services and maintenance provided by the local council. This is paid by whoever occupies the property on January 1st – whether owner or tenant.
The amount of these taxes does vary according to the commune and the size and quality of the building. The estate agent who holds the instruction to sell the property will know the amounts concerned and is duty bound to inform you.
It is possible to pay Taxe Foncière and Taxe d’habitation in monthy instalments by prélèvement (direct debit) which you can set up from your French bank account. The local tax office (l’Hotel des Impots) will provide you with an application form.
Taxe Foncière: this is a land tax and and is always paid by whoever owns the property on January 1st of any given fiscal year. The figure is based on the rental value of the property and the rate of tax is determined annually by the authority. This tax is actually comprised of the Tax foncière bâtie i.e. on the building and the Tax foncière non- bâtie i.e. on the land. Owners of new properties are exempt for the first two years.
Taxe d’habitation (local rates): this is a dwelling or occupancy tax covering services and maintenance provided by the local council. This is paid by whoever occupies the property on January 1st – whether owner or tenant.
The amount of these taxes does vary according to the commune and the size and quality of the building. The estate agent who holds the instruction to sell the property will know the amounts concerned and is duty bound to inform you.
It is possible to pay Taxe Foncière and Taxe d’habitation in monthy instalments by prélèvement (direct debit) which you can set up from your French bank account. The local tax office (l’Hotel des Impots) will provide you with an application form.
Why not get a job in France ?
You don’t have to wait until you win the lottery or retire in order to relocate permanenlty to France – you can pay your way just like any French person does by working in France.
2006 is the European Year of Workers’ Mobility so you needn’t let an accident of birth stop you from choosing where you want to live and work. You don’t need a work permit to work in France.
Jobcentre Plus has 22 full-time European Employment Services (EURES) advisors who can give you advice and guidance on finding work in France – there will be at least one advisor in your region. EURES advisors work with advisors in France, helping employers to recruit people by organising jobs fairs and interviews. They also hold seminars and recruitment days. You can call the International Jobsearch Advice Team on 0113 307 8090
You can also visit www.eures.europa.eu which contains thousands of job vacancies in all countries in the European Economic Area. You can search by typing in the type of job you are looking for or just scroll through all the vacancies and see what is on offer.
You can also put your CV online for employers to consider – you could be the ideal person a French employer is looking for!
Other websites to try include:
www.eurojobs.com
www.yourjobabroad.net
www.careereurope.co.uk
2006 is the European Year of Workers’ Mobility so you needn’t let an accident of birth stop you from choosing where you want to live and work. You don’t need a work permit to work in France.
Jobcentre Plus has 22 full-time European Employment Services (EURES) advisors who can give you advice and guidance on finding work in France – there will be at least one advisor in your region. EURES advisors work with advisors in France, helping employers to recruit people by organising jobs fairs and interviews. They also hold seminars and recruitment days. You can call the International Jobsearch Advice Team on 0113 307 8090
You can also visit www.eures.europa.eu which contains thousands of job vacancies in all countries in the European Economic Area. You can search by typing in the type of job you are looking for or just scroll through all the vacancies and see what is on offer.
You can also put your CV online for employers to consider – you could be the ideal person a French employer is looking for!
Other websites to try include:
www.eurojobs.com
www.yourjobabroad.net
www.careereurope.co.uk
Currency Exchange specialists can save you a fortune!
As we jet off for our hard-earned holiday each year we all notice that the same number of pounds seems to get us differing amounts of the same foreign currency from one year to the next.
But while buying our holiday spending money on one day as opposed to another might save us tens of pounds, it can make a difference of thousands of pounds when we are transfering the large sums of money that are involved in purchasing a French property. Consider the following example:
While a property costing 250,000 Euros would have cost you £165,175 if you made the transaction on the 24th of June, the same 250,000 Euros would have cost you £174,775 on the 21st of July – a difference of £9,600.
Using currency exchange specialists allows you to eliminate the risk of fluctuations in the exchange rate. A Forward Contract allows you to lock into a price today for a transaction that will take place in the future – especially useful if you have staged payments to make over a period of time. This allows you to budget ahead and gives you the peace of mind of knowing exactly what you will be paying over the term.
But while buying our holiday spending money on one day as opposed to another might save us tens of pounds, it can make a difference of thousands of pounds when we are transfering the large sums of money that are involved in purchasing a French property. Consider the following example:
While a property costing 250,000 Euros would have cost you £165,175 if you made the transaction on the 24th of June, the same 250,000 Euros would have cost you £174,775 on the 21st of July – a difference of £9,600.
Using currency exchange specialists allows you to eliminate the risk of fluctuations in the exchange rate. A Forward Contract allows you to lock into a price today for a transaction that will take place in the future – especially useful if you have staged payments to make over a period of time. This allows you to budget ahead and gives you the peace of mind of knowing exactly what you will be paying over the term.
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