I hear plenty of horror stories from Facebook, news articles or from youtubers of foreigners who weren’t able to crack the code. Whether it’s purchasing a little chateau, farmhouse in Dordogne, or a Hausmannian building, this guide will bring you closer to your goal of starting your new chapter abroad. In it, I’ll tell you how the French buy a house. For a summary skip here.
*Disclaimer, this blog post is updated as of January 2026.* The post assumes that you have lived in France for over a year, hence paid taxes in France.
Step 1: The Property Search, tips for scouting, & how agents operate
Plan as much as you can in advance, the housing market (as I write this) is not in the best shape and most houses will still be available when you arrive for your scouting trip. Also, learn as much history of the city as you can while also familiarizing yourself with the surrounding areas. Lastly, keep in mind each city has a website, and if you have any questions you can always contact us.
If your French isn’t top notch, I’d recommend, if possible, to find a chasseur immobilier (personalized property searcher) that speaks your language. We not only help you find listings, most importantly we foresee problems to make sure the deal happens. On top of that, we negotiate the price and serve as an interlocutor. And hiring us is simple. We draft a mandat de recherche. It’s a short document that says if we introduce you to the property, then we’re due a commission. Usually there is no additional fee as the commission is shared between the listing agent and the chasseur, but be wary some agencies might tack one on.
I’m here to provide this service and want you to feel safe with what is a major life decision. I’m someone who has made the move so I know how to manage the speed bumps along the way. When going from one language to another. Things will be lost in translation. A main pillar of doing the deal is a clear communication channel, so here are some terms used in l’immobilier that you will find useful.
Some things to point out: the (real) estate agents in France are generally paid by the seller as they are the ones who hire them. For the buyer, from the point the offer is accepted, your notaire will enter to draft the preliminary contract (compromis de vente). One of the reasons buyer’s agents aren’t as common is because the notaire will insure the deal is done in good faith and is an added protection for the buyer for an additional fee. Some agencies are able to draft them, but most delegate this part of the process to the notaire chosen by the buyer.
Going about it the French way/on your own makes it so you’re not tied to one agent. With translation apps and AI it makes it very possible to proceed without a chasseur immobilier, just make a prompt in your favorite AI along the lines of “les differences entre un achat immobilier en France par rapport aux USA“.
Frankly, agents are not a necessity (only 60% of deals are done with us ;))
You have access to (practically) all the listings online for free in France (here are mine). There isn’t a multiple listing service for agents. We sign a listing agreement (most of the time non-exclusive). It includes all the details of the house, including price and commission, etc. Then we post the info on sites most commonly used for finding properties like Le Bon Coin and Bienici. The equivalent in the US is Zillow, StreetEasy, etc. and Zoopla in London, 591 in Taiwan, etc. After publishing the listing, we receive messages directly from the potential buyer.
When you find your future home, verify a DPE has been conducted, termite diagnostic and asbestos too. Usually, they do the DPE before putting it on the market. As of 2021 it has been preordained that ads publish the score as it is illegal to let (be a landlord) a flat with a failing one. For example at the time of writing this post the lowest allowed is D, but remember that’s just concerning landlords.
Step 2: Visiting a Property – make a checklist
You have narrowed it down and have a list of viable properties that you unearthed from one of the major real estate sites in France (or found by your chasseur immobilier).
I suggest making a checklist and noting down the pros and cons during the visit, so that when you think it over, you won’t need to rely on memory. Be wary of the agent’s time. In France, you shouldn’t request more than 2-3 showings. Also with the notes, you can easily compare it with the other showings.
The second visit is normally done with an artisan(remodel expert) to see what work is to be involved and at what cost. Then you make an offer accordingly. EUR 10 000 – 20 000 less is a good rule of thumb.
Once you come to an agreement, you sign an offre ferme or a formal offer. It serves as a predecessor to the compromis de vente. It secures your agreement for a limited time (1 week) until you get in touch with your notaire.
Step 3: The notaire/compromis de vente (preliminary contract)
It is common for both buyer and seller to use the same notaire who may insist that you hire an interpreter, if they feel your French isn’t good enough as they have a legal duty to ensure that you know what you are signing. (long sentence, sorry)
Finding a notaire in my experience isn’t hard. If you don’t already have one in mind, then ask the seller for theirs. When they purchased the house they also needed one. You can ask them to put you in contact, so it’s more smooth. It is commonplace. Otherwise, you can ask/call around. I’ve noticed their buildings are blazened with a gold sign outside their office like this one (see below).
They will request a slew of documents called a dossier de vente which will include the DPE (diagnostic performance énergétique). It’s essential to get eyes on this before getting too excited about the deal. The DPE grades your house based on its consumption of gas and electricity in relation to others in terms of efficiency. It will also give insight on the costs associated with heating/lighting up your future home. And remember, the grade of your house needs to be at least an E if you ever wish to rent it. If this looks good, then congratulations! You are through the hard part and ready to request an appointment to sign a preliminary contract.
The Rendez Vous Chez Le Notaire
It will take a little over an hour, longer if you are someone who likes to flip over every stone. At the end of this meeting, you will be charged a small fee, ~ EUR 500, payable by card. Afterwards, the notaire will explain to you your next steps. Deals will differ in this regard so listen up! My deal was contingent on a loan offer, so the down payment which is called la versement du dépôt de garantie, was to be posted at the time they received the offer. The buyers received it within 12 days and put 5% down. The amount shouldn’t matter, but I wouldn’t post less than 5-10%. Had they been denied the loan, they would’ve been given 2 months to find another bank. If you’re paying cash, then your deposit should be wired upon signing the preliminary contract.
Afer the meeting, a 10-day cooling-off period kicks off (your final chance to withdraw from the deal without penalty). The next step is you wait and see. Mainly, for the notaire to confirm there aren’t plans for the city to invoke eminent domain. In total, from the first to the second/last appointment, we waited 10 weeks! Note: the deal happened in the summer. Average wait times are around 8 weeks.
Step 4: Sign the acte de vente/l’acte authentique or Final Deed
The day starts off with the visite contradictoire at the property to make sure everything is in order (i.e. the seller has moved out and/or the furniture you requested remains). During this visit, it is necessary to record the gas and electricity meter at the time of ownership change.
Now onto the appointment, much of what is in the acte authentique or final deed was already discussed/agreed upon when signing the preliminary contract. The delay between the two appointments seem to be for moving, financing, and the dreaded possibility of eminent domain. The city has a month to decide to purchase the property voiding the sale. Finally, the handing over of keys is done and the payment of arrears (la taxe foncière1) will be calculated by the notaire.
Takeaways
Looking back, the deal was unofficially “a done deal” following the preliminary contract, we met at the house with a bottle of rosé and there wasn’t anything to deter the buyer or seller from withdrawing. You could feel it, it was beautiful and the wine was delicious.
The whole buying process usually takes around 3 months from when you first visit the house to when you get the keys. Our deal took 3 and a half.
If you need housing for the short-term I’d advise to use services like Airbnb, VRBO, Booking.com.
Purchasing a property can be straight forward. A mix of frustration and lack of professionalism can screech a deal to a halt, but I’m here to reassure you that it takes time. Some nuances don’t exist anywhere but here. My style is to always stay positive and work with what we know. In turn, making sure that your deal has the highest chance of closing and uncorking a bottle of rosé.
Passez une belle journée,
Chandler BELL
Real Estate Agent
chandler@lesterrassesimmobilier.fr
+1 423 488 1063
+33 7 89 05 64 06
RECAP
The Timeline of Buying a House in France in 2026
1️⃣ Property Search & Offer (1–… months)
Find a property, visit, and negotiate the price.
Sign a compromis de vente (preliminary contract) with a 10-day cooling-off period.
2️⃣ Cooling-Off Period (10 days)
Buyer can withdraw without penalty within 10 days of signing the compromis.
Buyer typically pays a deposit (dépôt de garantie, usually 5–10%) upon signing the compromis, held in escrow by the notaire.
3️⃣ Mortgage Application (1–2 months)
Apply for a mortgage (if needed) and receive a binding offer from the bank.
Buyer has a 10-day reflection period before accepting the mortgage.
4️⃣ Notaire Due Diligence (1–2 months)
Notaire checks property title, liens, and legal status, including any risk of eminent domain (expropriation for public use) or local preemption rights.
Seller provides required diagnostics (DPE, termites, asbestos, etc.).
5️⃣ Signing the Acte Authentique (Final Deed)
Buyer and seller sign the final deed at the notaire’s office.
Buyer pays remaining funds (including notaires fees and taxes).
6️⃣ Keys Handover & Move-In
Buyer receives the keys immediately after signing.
Property is officially transferred, and buyer can move in!
⏳ Total Time: ~3–6 months
(Can be faster for cash buyers or slower if financing/legal issues arise.)
Note on Eminent Domain in France:
Called expropriation pour utilité publique, it allows the government to take private property for public projects (e.g., roads, schools).
The notaire will check if the property is subject to any planned expropriation during due diligence.
- La taxe foncière or Tax Foncier is the equivalent of UK rates and is paid annually in arrears by the owner of the property on 1 Jan, ↩︎
Les Terrasses Immobilier 