The next step was to consider how the buying process would work.We had heard horror stories about French bureaucracy that would make your hair stand on end. After some research and a very long chat with the agent it seemed to boil down to a three stage process.

  • The Offre d’achat - An agreement between the buyer, seller and agent (if using one) to sell the property at a certain price.
  • The Compromis de Vente - A preliminary contract that triggers the payment of the deposit and relevant searches.
  • The Acte de Vente - The final sales contract
A mountain of paperwork

Fear not! We will add further information on each stage here.

At this stage we needed to sign a document called the “ Offre D’achat”. This initial agreement is basically a “will you marry me?” to the house (minus the awkwardness of meeting the in-laws). You, the seller, and your agent (if you have one) all sign a document, locking everyone in and preventing the seller from, you know, selling the house out from under you to a higher bidder or using another agent (because who needs heartbreak on top of home buying?).

A quick run through an online translator and the document was signed! Do bear in mind that online language translation varies in sophistication, so validate results before committing.

A love letter

The Mortgage in Principle - Battle of the documents

Before you can move on to signing the Compromis de Vente there are a few things that need to be ticked off the list.

Firstly you need to show the seller that you can pay for the house. If you are a cash buyer this can be as easy as showing a few bank statements. If you need a mortgage, prepare to fasten your seatbelts!

A mountain climber

In our case, we needed a mortgage to cover some of the cost. We found a broker recommended by our agent, and things started smoothly… until they hit us with a request for a mountain of documents. It felt like applying for a visa to Mars! But the broker was a champ, explaining the general process and eventually granting us a mortgage in principle. All we needed now was a copy of the sales agreement and we were ready to approach the bank.

The Dreaded Diagnostic Reports

If you’ve ever bought a house in the UK you will understand the trepidation involved in awaiting the outcome of your surveys. The diagnostics or the Dossier de Diagnostic Technique (DDT) are similar to a UK survey with a few key differences.

The first being that they are the responsibility of the seller (Hurray!!) and the second being that they cover very specific things (electrics, gas, septic tank, lead, asbestos, termites, energy efficiency, radon and geographical risks).

We are going to nedd to run some tests

The reports landed in our inbox! A 100-page monster written in French, filled with enough jargon to make your head spin. Translating this beast took several days. Long story short, we had poor energy ratings, asbestos, dodgy electrics, a non conforming septic tank and an insect rave happening in the barn with the after party being held on the property balcony.

The diagnostics reports can be terrifying. They are full of jargon that would be difficult to understand even if they were written in your first language. It is easy to think you might be buying the house that Jack built but using sites such as Reddit and Google to ask for advice and translations of the technical terms can be super helpful. After doing this our main concerns were the insect activity and the heating and insulating of this very old property.

Thankfully, the insect issue was swatted away easily (pun intended) – the seller agreed to engage a professional for treatment of the wood . But insulating this old house proved trickier. We wanted to keep the gorgeous exposed stone walls, but traditional methods meant covering them up. External insulation seemed like the only option, but that meant researching methods and costs for re-rendering the exterior of the whole house. Both external insulation of the house and re-render can be very expensive, so make sure your budget can cope, before making any commitments.

dancing insects

The Compromis de Vente - The First Big “Oui!”

While we were busy battling insulation woes, our agent was on with the task of drafting the Compromis de Vente, the first legally binding agreement for the buyer. This document outlines the sale’s terms and is usually prepared by a notaire or estate agent. Ours was handled by the agent, and we provided all the necessary documents. The remote signing of this document was scheduled for mid-November.

legal contract

With winter approaching and all our extremities crossed, we were on track to complete the purchase by February. Excitement levels were rising, and the dream of French homeownership felt closer than ever.

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