This page is in the process of development, but does contains useful information.

At French Liaison we have partners who can give people advice and help in purchasing their dream home in France. France is a wonderful place to live, but it is essential to follow some basic rules otherwise the dream can be over in a very short time.

The property buyer does have a reasonable level of protection under French Law. Unlike the UK the process of buying a house in France is very structured and regulated. These laws are strictly enforced but there is however a small number of unprincipled Estate Agents (Immobilier) and sellers who take advantage of the differences in language, culture, law and ethics. It is therefore advisable to instruct someone to guide you through the purchase or sale process and protect your interests. We can offer this service to you at French Liaison; we are totally independent of any agencies and therefore act with your interests at heart.

The purchase or the sale of a property raises many questions, even fears, particularly when buying from abroad. The process involves a complex legal procedure intended to avoid problems both for the purchaser and the seller. An initial agreement sets the sale's terms and conditions this is called (compromis de vente). It is a provisional contract while the Notaire prepares the Title Deeds. The preliminary contract is legally binding upon both the buyer and the seller. The buyer agrees to purchase the Land/Property subject to specific conditions (called conditions supensives). This is one of the most important agreements you will ever sign, it determines the conditions under which you will make your purchase.

There is a 7 day cooling off period, after which the agreement becomes binding on both buyer and seller, and no changes can be made. When you come to sign the Title Deeds which are normally 3 months later, you will only sign Deeds if all the conditions in the initial agreement the (compromis de vente) have been complied with. We can not emphasis enough the importance of getting the conditions included correctly. In most cases the initial signing is done with a Notaire ( Solicitor ) who should be totally independent. The purchaser and the seller can share Notaire's, there is no additional costs in using a Notaire of your choice.

In our experience problems often occur when the initial signing is done with the Estate Agent ( some are qualified to do the initial signing) who is selling the property, they just want to sell the property and are not always interested in putting in a lot of conditions.

The main tip I can give, is always go with a shopping list of conditions in writing, hand over a copy, the fact that it is in English does not matter. The important thing is that you have made your wishes known. In the end if your conditions have not been complied with you can ask for your deposit back.

Property Services

These are just a few of the services we can provide just phone or e-mail for more detailed information.

* At French Liaison we can give you an Introduction to English speaking French Estate Agents. (agents Immobilier) We can make appointments for you and also give sound advice on purchasing a property in France.

* Appointment with a Notaire (Solicitor) We can arrange this for you.

* Long-term rented & temporary accommodation. We partners that help with finding all types of accommodation.

* Property key-holding. We can recommend a trusted person from our list of partners.

* Property & Gite Management. Our Partners can provide a comprehensive service at competitive rates.

* Insurance: For property also motor and other requirements.

* Translation Services: We offer a full range of translation services which include legal documents, contracts etc.