When we first started the process of buying and setting up our house in France there were lots of small things that were unclear. Most of the learning only came after we had already gone through the process.
None of it is particularly difficult, but the order you do things in and a few practical tips can make life much easier. I thought it might be useful to share what we did and what we wish we had known at the start.
The legal purchase itself is fairly structured because the notaire manages most of it. Where things become more hands-on is immediately after the purchase when you start setting up banking, utilities, internet and local administration.
One thing we would advise is using an English speaking notaire. If you do not, you normally need to appoint a translator for the legal documents, which adds cost and complexity and is generally unnecessary if you simply choose a notaire who already works with English speaking buyers.
One thing that surprised us is that the seller must provide a very detailed diagnostic report on the property. This covers things like the ground the property is built on, flood and earthquake risks, termites in the area, energy efficiency, electrical safety and other structural points.
It can feel overwhelming when you first read it, but do not stress too much about it. One positive is that these reports highlight issues such as unsafe electrics or other problems and you can negotiate for the current owner to fix them as part of the deal.
One other thing to be aware of is that in France the estate agent fees are often added on top of the purchase price and are usually payable by the buyer. Sometimes the advertised price includes the fees and sometimes it does not, so it is worth checking this early on when viewing properties so you understand the true total cost.
Also do not be afraid to make a lower offer. In France it is not unusual to start well below the asking price. Offering twenty to twenty five percent under the listing price is not uncommon and the worst they can do is say no.
The biggest surprise for us was how much easier things become once you have a French bank account and at least one official document linked to the property address.
First, take out house insurance on the property as early as possible. We arranged insurance before completion. That meant we had a document in PDF form linked to the property address. It sounds small, but that document helped us prove the address when opening other services.
We used an English speaking insurance broker called Insurance.fr which made the process much easier.
They specialise in helping English speaking property owners in France and were very straightforward to deal with.
Second, open a French bank account. This is key because many services in France expect to be paid by French direct debit. Once the bank account is active, a lot of other things become much easier.
Third, set up internet and mobile. This can take time so it is worth starting early. Many utilities and service providers will only allow you to register using a French mobile number.
Fourth, organise electricity and water. These are normally straightforward but can still involve a bit of paperwork and waiting.
Once those four things are in place, the rest of the practical setup tends to fall into place.
The bank that worked best for us was Britline. It is backed by Crédit Agricole and is specifically designed for English speaking customers buying property or living part time in France.
We found the process much easier than dealing with a standard French retail bank.
They understand cross-border situations and the documentation you tend to have as a UK buyer, which makes the process far more straightforward.
They will tell you that you need to do foreign exchange through them, but their FX rates are not particularly competitive. In practice we did the first transfer through them to open the account and then used our own FX provider for later transfers.
The provider that seemed to work best for us was Orange.
The setup can take a little time and sometimes requires persistence, but one of the big advantages is that they have an English speaking helpline which helps a lot if something goes wrong or stalls during installation.
The number for their English speaking support line is:
+33 9 69 36 39 00
Internet packages are usually around €25 to €50 per month depending on speed and whether fibre is available in the area.
One small piece of advice that helped us a lot was to ask everyone to communicate by email rather than phone.
When you first contact a provider, it is worth politely explaining that written communication is preferred as phone conversations can be difficult unless you are fluent in French.
Email gives you time to translate properly, keeps a record of everything and avoids misunderstandings. It also makes chasing things much easier because you can reply to the same thread.
The biggest delays we experienced were usually administrative rather than technical.
One thing to be aware of if you are buying in a rural area is something called SAFER. This is a government backed organisation that has the right to review certain rural land purchases.
Your notaire will submit the transaction to SAFER and they have a short period where they can decide whether they want to intervene and purchase the land themselves in order to preserve agricultural use.
In practice this rarely causes issues for residential buyers, but it can add a little time to the process and is something your notaire will manage.
Internet can take longer than expected, especially in rural areas.
Bank accounts can take time because of identity checks and paperwork, although Britline was actually very quick for us and the process was handled online.
Utility companies can be slow to confirm contracts or direct debit arrangements.
None of it is usually a problem, but it is sensible to allow time and expect a bit of follow up.
The ongoing costs vary depending on the size of the property, heating type, insulation and whether there is a pool, but these rough figures are useful as a guide.
Electricity is often somewhere between €80 and €220 per month averaged over the year.
Water is usually around €20 to €60 per month averaged over the year.
Internet tends to be around €25 to €50 per month.
Mobile phone packages are often €10 to €25 per month.
Home insurance is typically between €250 and €750 per year depending on the property.
Taxes to be aware of
There are two main property related taxes in France.
Taxe foncière is the main property ownership tax and is payable by the owner each year.
Taxe d’habitation has been removed for main residences in France but still applies in many cases to second homes. Because the property is not your main residence you may still receive this tax.
The amounts vary a lot by location and property size, but very roughly a rural second home might see around €600 to €2,000 for taxe foncière and perhaps €300 to €1,500 for taxe d’habitation.
Waste collection is usually included within the property tax bill.
As a rough guide many second home owners budget somewhere between €2,500 and €6,000 per year in running costs before maintenance or renovations.
One thing that can catch people out after Brexit is keeping track of the 90 days in 180 rule for time spent in the Schengen area.
To make this easier, I built my own simple spreadsheet calendar template that tracks your days automatically and helps you stay within the rules.
If you are planning to spend regular time in France or other parts of Europe, it can be a very helpful way to avoid accidentally exceeding the limit.
If you would like a copy of the spreadsheet template, feel free to contact me and I would be happy to share it.
Just use the contact us link below.
If you have dogs or pets and plan to travel to France regularly, one tip that helped us a lot was registering with a local French vet once you have the property.
A French vet can issue an EU pet passport for the dog.
Once you have that passport and the rabies vaccination is recorded in it, travelling becomes much easier because you do not need to arrange a new Animal Health Certificate each time you travel.
Instead the passport remains valid as long as the rabies vaccination stays up to date.
This saves time and cost when travelling back and forth between the UK and France.
Keep digital copies of everything including passports, insurance, contracts and utility confirmations.
Take photographs of meter readings on the day you take ownership of the property.
When something is agreed by phone, follow up with a short email confirming the details.
Keep a simple tracker of who you have contacted, what documents they requested and what is still outstanding.
Expect to chase things politely from time to time.
Once the bank account, internet and utilities are active, life becomes much easier.
The initial setup can feel slow, but after those first few months everything tends to settle into a routine.
This guide is based purely on our own experience of buying and setting up a house in France. It is not legal, tax, financial or property advice. Processes, costs and rules can change and can also vary depending on location and individual circumstances.
The intention here is simply to share what we learned along the way in the hope that it helps others starting a similar journey.
I am not affiliated with any of the banks, insurance companies or service providers mentioned in this guide. They are simply organisations that worked well for us during our own research and experience.
As with anything property related, it is always sensible to do your own research and speak to the appropriate professionals where needed.
As always on Effortless New Way, this is simply shared to help others learn and explore ideas. Do your own research and make decisions that work for you.