Frequently asked questions

A buying agent (property search firm, carte T) searches for the property on your behalf: brief, prospecting, viewings, shortlisting and negotiation. For a non-resident, it means having expert eyes on the ground checking what no listing shows: noise, overlooking neighbours, the true condition of the property and the building. French Realty frames your project, picks the best-placed partner agent and coordinates everything through to completion.

No. French Realty acts as a business introducer: it informs, guides and coordinates. Search, viewings and negotiation are regulated acts, carried out under their own responsibility by a partner buying agent holding the carte T. You still keep a single point of contact at French Realty, who pilots the file from start to finish.

Yes, it is a journey we know well. The partner agent views and films properties for you, the notary prepares a power of attorney or a remote signature for the deed, and you follow every step from your country. Many of our non-resident clients only come to France to take possession of the property, if at all.

During your personal study, then with the partner agent, we distinguish three levels: your mandatory criteria (size, budget, location), your important ones (floor, outdoor space, quietness) and your deal-breakers. On the French market, no property ticks every box: this hierarchy finds realistic homes instead of a theoretical list that can never exist. Your non-resident constraints (airports, rail links, remote management) are part of the grid.

Every shortlisted property comes with a structured report: strengths, warning points, and whether the asking price is consistent with the local market and the condition of the property. The partner agent questions the listing agent about orientation, service charges, the co-ownership and voted works. When a property catches your attention, they view it in detail and film it: you decide with full knowledge, as if you were there.

Yes. Send us the link or reference: the partner agent contacts the listing agent or seller, checks availability, condition and price level, and the property joins the same tracking as the search. You get the benefit of the professional network and tools even on a listing you stumbled upon.

The partner agent values the property against comparable sales in the area, its condition and the works needed, then builds the offer strategy with you: amount, arguments, suspensive conditions and calendar. They lead the negotiation in French and by local customs, while you approve each step remotely. You no longer overbid on emotion: you offer on the basis of a justified price.

Fees follow the partner agent's own schedule, usually a percentage of the price; they are shown to you in full transparency before you commit to anything. The introduction and the coordination by French Realty are free of charge.

Milestones are scheduled around your availability, by video call, phone or messaging. When a sought-after property demands a fast answer, the partner agent can place a soft hold or gather the decisive information during your night, so that distance never costs you a property.

To be a credible buyer: ID, proof of address, tax notices from your country of residence and details on the origin of funds the notary will ask for. If you borrow, a mortgage agreement in principle considerably strengthens your position with sellers. Your personal study gives you the exact list for your situation.

Yes. The partner agent is chosen for their knowledge of the area you target, city, coast or countryside. French Realty operates across the whole country and mobilises, area by area, the professional best placed for your project.

With the personal study, complimentary: a few questions about your situation, budget, target areas and calendar. It leads to a clear action plan (search, financing, tax, notary) and to the introduction to the right partner agent. You then decide each step at your own pace.

No, and a request of that kind should alert you. Article 6 of the law of 2 January 1970 forbids any professional holding a mandate from receiving a sum before the transaction is actually concluded. An entry fee, a subscription or file charges presented as the price of access to a network run against that text, whatever wording is used.

Not mechanically. What confidentiality shifts is the number of candidates facing you and the time you have to decide, not the property's value. There is no bidding war and no back-to-back viewings, but a discreet seller is not for that reason a hurried one. Value is checked against the open land-transaction database, as for any other property.

Yes. The viewing can take place by video call narrated by the partner buying agent holding the carte T, and signature by notarised power of attorney or by remote appearance before a notary. The ten-day cooling-off period of article L271-1 of the Construction and Housing Code runs the same way, whether you are in Paris or abroad.

Exactly what you would check elsewhere, with nothing cut on the pretext of discretion. The technical survey file is due at the preliminary contract under article L271-4 of the Construction and Housing Code, co-ownership information under article L721-2, and the private floor area is measured: a gap above 5 % opens a price-reduction claim under article 46 of the law of 10 July 1965.

It is a property for sale that is published on no portal: a confidential sale, a discreet transfer or a simple wish to avoid publicity. These properties circulate from intermediary to intermediary, within professional networks. As a non-resident buyer you cannot see them on your own: access comes through a professional inside the network.

Because distance already puts you at a disadvantage on highly competitive public listings. On an off-market property, competition is limited, the discussion happens calmly and a well-prepared file outweighs a fast click. It is also often where the rarest or best-priced properties are found.

French Realty frames your project (criteria, budget, areas) and introduces you to a partner buying agent in the premium network, holder of the carte T. The partner taps their contacts and presents the off-market properties matching your search, under their own responsibility.

Not automatically: it is mainly less exposed to bidding wars. Negotiation happens on the facts, calmly, with fewer competing buyers. The partner agent systematically checks the price against the market before presenting a property to you.

No. French Realty informs, guides and coordinates. Search, viewing and negotiation are regulated acts carried by the partner agent (carte T), who acts under their own responsibility.

It complements it. Public and off-market properties are tracked in the same file, with the same brief: you see the whole market, with no duplicate and no blind spot. Many clients combine both; the off-market share depends on the area and the type of property.

No, and the rule has nothing to do with nationality. Article R322-40 of the Code of Civil Enforcement Procedures requires every bidder, French or foreign, to be represented by a lawyer admitted to the bar of the court holding the sale. You instruct that lawyer in writing, capping yourself the amount they may bid, and you need not attend the hearing.

During the ten days that follow the adjudication, a third party may overbid by at least one tenth of the price reached. A new hearing is then scheduled and the property restarts at that increased price. If nobody overbids at this second sale, the overbidder remains the successful bidder. While that period runs, your purchase is therefore not final, even though it already binds you.

For a judicial adjudication, yes, and the lawyer must be admitted to the bar of the court holding the sale: bids are made through a lawyer, you cannot bid yourself. For a notarial or public-asset auction, no: you bid directly, or by power of attorney if you are abroad. French Realty introduces you to the right lawyer and stays in the loop until your mandate and ceiling are in writing.

In a judicial adjudication, a guarantee of 10 % of the reserve price, with a floor of 3,000 euros, handed to your lawyer as an irrevocable bank guarantee or a banker's draft payable to the escrow holder. It is returned if you do not win the lot. In a notarial sale, the deposit is set by the conditions of sale, often between 10 and 20 % of the reserve price. In both cases the counterpart must be a French bank: a cheque drawn on a foreign bank is refused.

No, not after a judicial adjudication: there is no cooling-off period and no mortgage condition. If you do not pay within two months, the property is re-auctioned at your cost, you lose your guarantee and you owe the difference if the resale price is lower. An online notarial sale, by contrast, closes with a standard preliminary contract: there you regain the ten-day cooling-off period and the option of a mortgage condition.

Yes, with no prior authorisation and no nationality or residence condition. The difficulties are practical, not legal: you need a guarantee issued by a French bank, genuinely available funds since no mortgage condition protects you, and a currency transfer that fits inside the two-month deadline. These three points are arranged before the hearing, with the partners we direct you to.

Yes, but on imposed dates. A judicial officer opens the property once or twice, in a short group viewing, with no possibility of commissioning a surveyor or coming back. If you are abroad, your dedicated concierge attends for you and reports back in photographs and video, with what they saw and what they could not see.

It is the right, open to any third party during the ten days following a judicial adjudication, to take the property back by offering at least one tenth more than the price reached. A fresh hearing is then listed, starting from the overbid price, and you may take part. The risk is structural: on an obviously undervalued lot it must be factored into your ceiling from the first round.

No, and it is the most common trap. A large share of judicial lots is occupied, often by the seized owner. Becoming the owner does not hand you the keys: an eviction must be started, which takes months and pauses during the winter truce, from 1 November to 31 March. The conditions of sale state whether the property is vacant or occupied, and on what basis: it is the first line to read.

No. The bid belongs to the lawyer you instruct, the valuation to a partner buying agent holding the carte T, the deed to the notary. French Realty watches sales across the whole of France, reads the conditions of sale with you, sends a concierge to the viewing, coordinates the lawyer, the bank and the currency transfer, then handles moving in. Each regulated act stays with the professional qualified for it, under their own responsibility.

Yes, but with a reduced number of institutions. Since the 2014 FATCA agreement, a share of French banks no longer open files for US persons, citizens or tax residents of the United States, because of the reporting obligations it imposes on them. Those that remain know these files well and in practice ask for a 30 to 35 % down payment. The partner broker knows which ones, and presents the file only to them.

The rule is the same for everyone: 25 years at most, or 27 when the project includes works of at least 10 % of the total cost or an off-plan purchase. In practice many institutions cap a non-resident at 20 years, and all look at the age at the end of the loan, often 70 to 75, because loan insurance becomes difficult or very expensive beyond that.

Most often a mortgage charge. Guarantee institutions, which secure the majority of residents' loans, frequently refuse non-residents' files. The bank then falls back on a charge over the property: the lender's special legal mortgage for an existing property, the cheapest, or a conventional mortgage for new builds and works. Both go through the notary and survive the last repayment by one year.

Yes, in practice: the loan is domiciled in a French account, the instalments are debited from it and the down payment must pass through it before the notary calls it. Some banks open that account with the loan, others require it to exist already. It is the first task to start, several weeks before the rest, and French Realty helps you do it remotely.

Yes. Several French banks regularly finance non-resident buyers, with specific criteria: a larger down payment, stable and analysable income, sometimes different rate conditions. We connect you with a partner broker used to these files, who knows which banks will study which profile depending on your country of residence.

For a non-resident, a down payment is almost always required, most often between 20 and 30 % of the price, sometimes more depending on the country and profile. The partner broker tells you exactly what is realistic for your situation before you start viewing.

No, but it is a point to address early. Some banks accept income in a foreign currency, with conversion rules and sometimes tougher requirements. The partner broker prepares the file so that your income is presented solidly, whichever your country.

Usually: ID, proof of address, employment contract and payslips, local tax notices, bank statements, existing loans and details of the property. The partner broker tailors the list to your country and checks every piece before sending: a complete file fares far better.

Allow several weeks between assembling the file, the agreement in principle and the loan offer. This is why we advise preparing financing before the search: signing a sale agreement without financing ready is the main risk of the non-resident journey.

Yes, and it is recommended: the partner broker assesses your borrowing capacity and can secure an agreement in principle, which makes you more credible with sellers and more serene. You then search with a real budget, not a hoped-for one.

It is often the sensitive point of non-resident files: insurers look at your country of residence and your local health cover. The partner broker knows the insurers open to international profiles and uses delegation of insurance when it is more favourable.

Financing is a partner service: the specialist broker carries the bank file under their responsibility, and French Realty coordinates it with the other steps (search, notary, currency). The introduction by French Realty is free of charge; the broker is paid under their own rules, most often by the lending bank.

Depending on the bank and your down payment, financing can cover the purchase and a renovation envelope, with supporting documents. This is prepared when the file is assembled: the partner broker includes this need from the start if your project involves renovation.

In the rate, almost always, which is why a commission advertised at zero says nothing about the price paid. The cost of a conversion is the gap between the interbank rate, public and viewable at any moment, and the rate applied to you. That gap is a margin, it appears on no line, and on a property price it weighs more than all the fixed fees combined. To compare two offers, ask one question in the same minute: how many euros will I receive exactly?

No, and it suspends the signature that very day, even when everything is perfectly legitimate. The notary is subject to the vigilance duties of article L561-2 of the Monetary and Financial Code: funds must leave an account in your name. If a third party funds the purchase, that is prepared upstream by a deed of gift or loan received by the notary, never by an improvised transfer the day before.

Retail banks apply exchange margins and fees on international transfers which, on a property purchase, can amount to several thousand euros. We connect you with a currency specialist dedicated to property transfers, whose margin is lower and whose rate is known in advance.

The partner specialist offers professional tools: a forward rate to lock in your purchase cost, limit orders to convert at your target rate, or staged conversions to smooth the risk over time. They explain each option against your buying calendar, without ever pretending to predict the market.

Partner providers are licensed and supervised by the financial authorities of their country, with segregated client accounts and strict anti-money-laundering standards. Your funds travel on traced routes, documented for the notary and your bank alike.

A purchase is paid in two stages: the deposit at the sale agreement, then the balance at the deed. The specialist schedules each conversion and each wire around these deadlines, so funds reach the notary on time, neither too early (idle money) nor too late (a delayed signing).

An ID, a proof of address and, on property amounts, details on the origin of funds. It is the same regulatory requirement everywhere: the partner walks you through this formality step by step.

No. Once the account is open, it serves all your France flows: renovation fund calls, service charges, local taxes, or rents to repatriate if you let the property. Recurring conversions can be scheduled.

Once your account is active and the conversion done, funds reach France within one to three business days depending on the currency and the banks. Ahead of a notary deadline, the conversion is prepared in advance so nothing ever hinges on the last minute.

The introduction is free of charge for you and the specialist is paid through their exchange margin, which is disclosed. Where applicable, French Realty receives an introducer commission paid by the partner, at no extra cost to you: that is the principle of the model, stated in full transparency.

No, and this is probably the least known fact in a French property purchase. When two notaries act, one for the seller and one for the buyer, they do not charge twice: they share the same fees, set by decree and identical from one practice to another. The total cost is rigorously the same. What you gain is a review by somebody who did not draft the deed, and, if the practice works in your language, a reading you genuinely understand.

The authentic deed follows strict rules, and an overseas buyer's journey adds specifics: power of attorney, international funds, cross-border tax. We connect you with a partner notary who handles these files routinely and can assist you in English: every clause is explained in a language you master.

Yes. For the sale agreement, remote signing is common; for the deed, the notary prepares a power of attorney, to be executed before a local notary, an embassy or by whatever form your country admits. The partner notary orchestrates these formalities and points you to the simplest route for your residence.

The partner notary reviews and explains the sale agreement clause by clause before anything is signed: suspensive conditions, deadlines, diagnostics, possible easements. In France, a private buyer then has a ten-day withdrawal period: we make sure you use it with full knowledge.

The same as for a resident: transfer taxes for the most part, plus the notary's fees and formalities. The partner notary gives you the itemised figures before the sale agreement, so your purchase budget includes them from the start.

Anti-money-laundering rules require the notary to verify the origin of funds, especially from abroad. The partner notary tells you which documents are expected (savings, sale of securities, gift, inheritance) and how to proceed so this check never delays the signing.

Depending on your situation: rental income to declare in France if the property is let, property tax and, for a second home, vacant- or second-home dwelling tax depending on the commune, and capital gains tax on resale. The notary and, for more complex structures, a partner tax adviser give you the exact framework for your country of residence and the applicable tax treaties.

Non-residents' capital gains are taxed in France, with allowances that grow with the holding period, and country-specific obligations that may involve a fiscal representative. It is a point to prepare before listing: the partner notary walks you through the mechanics and the expected amounts.

It depends on your family, tax and estate situation: an SCI can simplify a transfer between heirs living in some countries, or create constraints elsewhere. There is no universal answer: the partner notary, with a tax adviser if needed, studies your case before the purchase, because this choice is hard to make afterwards.

In French or English, as you prefer: the partner notary translates the key points and writes the explanations in your language. French Realty remains your single point of contact to coordinate the notary with the other steps of the journey.

Yes, a bank is free to decline a commercial opening, without having to give reasons. But article L312-1 of the Monetary and Financial Code opens a right to an account for French nationals living abroad and for people lawfully residing in another European Union state: on presentation of the refusal certificate, the Banque de France designates an institution within one business day, and that institution must open the account with the basic banking services free of charge.

In law yes: the European regulation forbids a creditor from refusing an IBAN from another SEPA country. In practice refusal remains frequent, often because the supplier's form technically only accepts an IBAN beginning with FR. Energy suppliers, managing agents and the tax administration are the three places where the problem arises most often, and asserting the right takes longer than opening an account.

It is not a different product but an administrative status attached to the account, deriving from your tax residence and not your nationality. It changes three things: the balance and interest are reported to your country of residence under the automatic exchange of information, some products reserved for French tax residents stay closed, and the fee schedule is often different. The status is updated as soon as your tax residence changes.

An account with no transaction and no contact from you for twelve months is deemed dormant. Capped management fees follow, then, after ten years, the transfer of funds to the public deposit institution, where they remain claimable for twenty years. For a non-resident owner, direct debit of the charges is enough to keep the account active: that is why it should be set up from the opening.

To pay friction-free for everything tied to the property: service charges, property tax, water, energy and internet subscriptions, tradespeople and managers. A French account avoids FX and international wire fees on every direct debit, and reassures co-ownerships and local partners.

Yes: the law grants a right to a basic account, and several banks specifically welcome non-residents, online or in branch. Conditions and documents vary by institution: we point you to the ones that handle your profile well, depending on your country of residence.

Usually: ID, proof of foreign address, a tax document (local tax notice or proof of country of taxation) and sometimes proof of the origin of funds or of activity. French Realty prepares the file with you to avoid back-and-forth.

Depending on the bank, from a few days to a few weeks once the file is complete. We advise starting the opening before the deed is signed: the notary and the utilities expect French bank details from the moment you take possession.

Yes, it centralises everything: rents received if you let the property, as well as running expenses. For flows in other currencies, it pairs well with a dedicated currency account, also available through our partners.

French Realty advises, prepares the file and supports the dealings with the bank: it is a care service, individually quoted and delivered by our teams. The contractual and pricing relationship remains with your bank.

Everything that makes your home immediately livable on arrival: opening meters and subscriptions (water, energy, internet), starting up appliances, basic outfitting of the home, first-necessity shopping and the finishing touches. You arrive, everything works.

To land in your home, not in a building site. French meter-opening and subscription formalities happen in French, on local time slots: we take them on before you arrive and synchronise everything with the key handover date.

Yes: deep cleaning, appliance checks, purchase and placement of basic linen and crockery from a list you approve, heating and airing. Every item is approved with you before purchase and captured in a quote.

We work to the deed's calendar: subscriptions open on the key handover date, the home prepared just before you or the movers arrive, and providers expected on the right day. One pilot, no scheduling clash.

Yes: ahead of each season or each stay, restarting the house (winter-drained water, water heater, shutters, checks) follows the same principle. Many of our non-resident clients book it before every return.

Everything that makes a home ready to live in or let: choosing and buying furniture and equipment, delivery and assembly, basic linen and crockery, decoration, and presenting the property before a letting or a sale.

Yes: you approve a list and a budget, we order, receive deliveries, handle returns and check assembly. Every purchase is approved with you before ordering and billed at actual cost.

Both. A standard equipment pack (bedding, basic kitchen, linen, essential appliances) covers the essentials fast and well; for a designed interior, we bring in partner decorators and furnishers.

Yes, decisively: full equipment from the listing onward, referenced consumables, linen in quantity, and a refresh between seasons. Booking rates and guest reviews soon follow the condition of the property.

French Realty's time (advice, purchasing, receiving, fitting) is individually quoted; furniture and supplies are billed separately at their real cost. You approve the purchasing budget before any order.

Yes, if you come from a country outside the European Union and three conditions of community regulation 1186/2009 are met together: genuinely transferring your normal residence to France, having owned the goods for at least six months before departure, and not disposing of them for the twelve months that follow. The relief is not automatic, it requires a declaration of transfer of residence and a valued inventory. From another Member State the question does not arise: free movement applies.

No, and this is what most surprises buyers who keep their residence abroad. The relief supposes a transfer of normal residence; shipping furniture to a house you spend a few weeks a year in is an ordinary importation, subject to duties and value added tax. On ordinary furniture from another continent, buying it in France is almost always cheaper than shipping it.

Record written and PRECISE reservations on the delivery document, then confirm them by registered letter within ten days of delivery, under article L133-3 of the Commercial Code. Precision decides everything: "box 14 crushed, crockery broken" protects, "subject to unpacking" has been held insufficient and protects nothing. After ten days the right to compensation lapses, even on obvious damage.

With three documents, and above all in the right order: electronic identification first, rabies vaccination next, European passport or health certificate last. The order is a rule and not a convenience, a vaccination given before identification not being recognised. It is the most frequent mistake, and the only one that can make an animal travel weeks after its family, since everything must start again, waiting period included.

Four to eight weeks in a dedicated container, six weeks to three months in shared freight, depending on origin. Shared freight is the cheapest and the least firm on dates, since the container leaves when it is full. So plan for living through the transit: documents, bedding and minimal crockery travel with you as accompanied baggage, never in the container, because they are your real equipment for weeks.

We scope your project end to end, then point you to a specialist partner remover: sea, air or road transport depending on volume and country, customs clearance, transit insurance and delivery to your French address. French Realty drives the calendar and reports at every step.

Everything is managed remotely: a technical survey by video or through a local partner to assess volume, a written quote, dates aligned with your travel. On the day, one of our staff can attend delivery to receive on your behalf and check the condition of the furniture.

Moving home to France can qualify for duty relief on long-held personal belongings, with proof. The transport partner prepares the documents (detailed inventory, proof of residence) and handles customs formalities for you.

Same coordination: truck, carrying crew, optional packing and reassembly, insurance. For a flat in a co-owned building, we first check the building's rules: time slots, lift booking, management's authorisation.

By quote, after the technical survey: volume, distance, access, packing services and insurance. French Realty compares the partners' proposals and presents you a clear figure before anything is committed.

A trusted staff member visits your home at the frequency you choose: they check for break-ins, damp or leak marks, heating and water working, the condition of joinery and visible electrics. Every visit produces a report with dated photos, filed in your space.

You are alerted immediately, with photos. Depending on the issue, we send a professional (plumber, glazier, electrician), contain the damage and keep you informed at every step. For an owner abroad, it is the difference between a leak fixed the same day and damage discovered months later.

You choose: weekly, fortnightly, monthly or one-off, before and after your stays. Note that some insurers condition their cover on regular watch of an empty home: we set the frequency to that requirement as much as to your preference.

Yes: heating and airing the day before you arrive, checking appliances; and on departure, shutting off the water as appropriate, appliances on standby, shutters and access checked. These visits follow the same format as check visits, with a photo report at the end.

The points checked, dated photos room by room, useful readings (meters, thermostat), what is fine and what needs attention, with a clear recommendation: keep, watch or act. A short format, designed to be read from another time zone.

More and more often, yes: home insurance policies, building rules or loans can condition their cover on regular presence. The visit report provides that trace. We advise checking your contracts; if a specific form of proof is required, tell us: we adapt the report.

Yes: after a storm or cold snap reported in your area, before or after a stay, before works, or because a neighbour reported something. A one-off visit follows the same format and the same report as regular visits.

We collect the mail from your box at the agreed frequency, then sort it against clear instructions defined with you: keep on site, flag to you, forward on. Important letters (tax, bank, building management) are flagged to you with a photo of the envelope.

Never without your instruction. By default we photograph envelopes and flag important senders; opening and scanning a letter happens only on your explicit, logged request. Your mail stays your business.

Yes: tracked letters or parcels reposted to your address abroad, with the tracking number shared. Purely promotional mail is destroyed on instruction, without needless forwarding.

We can receive parcels at your address, store them safely and alert you. Useful for online orders you would otherwise find as expired delivery notices.

Because French deadlines do not wait: tax notices, reminders, summons, co-ownership general-meeting votes, formal notices. An overflowing mailbox also signals absence; attended mail means a home that lives.

A trusted staff member visits your home at the frequency you choose: they check the condition of the home, air it, collect the mail, check the equipment and send you a photo report after every visit. You keep an eye on your property from abroad, continuously.

You choose: weekly, fortnightly, monthly, or one-off before and after your stays. Some insurers require regular presence during long absences: we set the frequency to that requirement as much as to your preference.

No break-in and proper locking, damp or leak marks under sanitary fittings and on ceilings, heating and water working, condition of joinery, mail overflowing the box, unusual smells. Any weak signal is reported at once, not only in the report.

The visitor alerts French Realty immediately; we send a professional (plumber, glazier, electrician), contain the damage and keep you informed live, with photos. For a non-resident, it is the difference between a leak fixed the same day and damage discovered months later.

Keys are logged and stored securely, assigned by name to your property's visitor and never duplicated without your consent. If you change the lock, the set is updated right away.

We favour continuity: a dedicated staff member knows your home, your equipment and your habits. If they are unavailable, a briefed stand-in takes over, with the same instruction sheet.

Yes: water damage or an attempted break-in does not wait for the year to turn. A regular visit also secures your home insurance, whose cover is often conditional on an empty home being watched.

Individually quoted, on time spent and the chosen frequency, with a photo report after each visit. You follow the visits from your client space, and your hours remain yours.

Those your written mandate lists. Article 1988 of the Civil Code limits a mandate drafted in general terms to acts of administration: receiving a tradesperson, taking a delivery, reading a meter, attending an appointment. Any act of disposal, selling, mortgaging, renouncing a right, requires an express power that names it, and notarised form where the act itself is notarial.

The vote belongs to the co-owner, who delegates their right to a person of their choosing through a written proxy, under article 22 of the Act of 10 July 1965. The managing agent, their spouse and their employees are excluded, and one proxy may not hold more than three delegations, without limit as long as the total votes do not exceed 10 % of the association's. We prepare the file, gather the documents and report to you; the voice stays yours.

We enter a written, reasoned reservation on the slip, describing the damage found, and photograph before and after unpacking. That is what preserves your claim: article L133-3 of the Commercial Code extinguishes any action against the carrier where no reasoned protest is notified within three non-holiday days of receipt, and a note reading "subject to unpacking" is not enough.

Only within the limit your mandate sets, and never without reservation where the work does not match what was ordered. A slip signed without reservation amounts to acceptance and shifts the burden of proof onto you. We therefore refuse a signature of convenience and enter written reservations, even if it means calling the company back.

We can attend as the owner's mandatary, record and photograph. Article 3-2 of the Act of 6 July 1989 requires a joint and amicable inventory, made by the parties or by a third party they appoint; failing agreement, it is drawn up by a judicial commissioner, at costs shared equally. Rental management itself belongs to a professional holding the corresponding licence.

In writing, before the first intervention: the person named, the property identified, the permitted acts, a spending limit beyond which you are consulted, the form of the report and an end date. A mandate is freely revocable at any time, article 2004 of the Civil Code says so expressly, and the written instrument recording it is then returned to you.

Individually quoted, by the time actually spent, travel and coordination included. A service window is rarely booked to the minute: the quote states an estimated duration, and the final count is on the time recorded. Supplies and the work of the companies attending are invoiced by them, directly.

We go on site, draw up a full report (photos, circumstances, consequences), take the emergency measures to stop the damage (shut-off, draining, tarping), then coordinate the repair work. You are kept informed throughout, with factual elements.

We prepare what must come from you: dated photos, report, quotes from the professionals involved, elements for the claim within the deadlines. Handling the file remains with your insurer and you; our role is that your claim is complete and sent on time.

The most frequent in unoccupied homes: water damage, break-in, storm or frost damage, heating failures in winter, building-related incidents. For each case, the same triage: emergency, evidence, repair.

Yes: emergency plumber, glazier, locksmith, electrician, depending on the loss. Properties we watch have logged access and keys, which speeds up the intervention when every hour counts.

Our assessment and coordination time is individually quoted; tradespeople's work is billed at their real rate. Depending on your insurance policy, part of these costs may be covered: we provide the supporting documents for your claim.

That is precisely our role: French Realty scopes the works and points you to the right professionals, then coordinates the site: quotes, schedule, milestones and handover, with photo and video reports at each key stage. You approve from your space, remotely, without needing to be in France.

Partner architects, project managers and tradespeople, chosen for their references, their insurance and their familiarity with foreign clients. French Realty informs, guides and coordinates; the work is done under the responsibility of the professionals involved, and their quoting is shown to you in full transparency.

We break quotes down item by item: what is included, what is not, guarantees, deadlines and payment terms. Comparing prices without comparing scopes is meaningless: we put everything on the same basis before giving you a clear briefing.

Not always: the building rules and general-meeting votes govern some works, notably facade, windows and common parts. We check these rules upfront to avoid an unworkable project, and prepare the required authorisations.

Depending on the works: a simple prior declaration at the town hall for most facade or change-of-use alterations, a building permit beyond certain surface thresholds. We identify the applicable regime and track the application for you.

Each key stage comes with a photo report, sometimes video: what is done, what remains and any drift from the schedule. You talk with your dedicated contact in your hours, whatever your time zone.

We step in immediately: shared findings, dialogue with the company, a written reset of scope and calendar and, where needed, another company from the network. The approved quote is the reference: no extra is paid without an amendment you have accepted.

That is exactly why the service exists: we translate French requirements, electrical standards, energy obligations, ten-year insurance, into a clear action plan. You decide knowingly, without having to become an expert in local rules.

From the property's EPC and the available information (diagnostics, photos, plans, heating system), we build a works scenario: which levers to pull, insulation, windows, heating, ventilation, in which order, with order-of-magnitude costs and the expected gain on the energy rating and comfort.

France is progressively tightening the rules: the least efficient homes are being phased out of the rental market, and a poor rating weighs on both price and resale speed. For a non-resident buyer, reading the EPC correctly before offering is direct financial protection.

Yes, it is a central point of the projection: what is imposed or will be in order to let, what drives comfort and bills, and what is mere optimisation. You then know where money is essential and where it is optional.

We give realistic order-of-magnitude figures per item, enough to arbitrate a purchase or calibrate a negotiation. They do not replace tradespeople's quotes, drawn up further along the journey.

Yes: an energy-hungry property is negotiated differently. The projection provides figured arguments, expected works cost and impact on future value, to adjust your offer knowingly rather than apply a rough discount.

The projection then crosses works with the letting strategy: target EPC level to let without regulatory constraint, attractiveness of the upgraded property, and ranking of items by their effect on both rent and energy rating.

France's main incentives are generally reserved for French taxpayers; depending on your tax situation, some remain available, others not. The projection tells you what applies to your case and, if needed, we point you to a partner to secure this point before costing your financing plan.

The introduction points you to a partner architect, project manager or company who carries the site under their responsibility. Coordination is a French Realty service billed by time: we handle day-to-day access, schedule tracking and handover, while the professionals carry out the works.

Tradespeople access and key handling, schedule chasing, checking key stages with photos, progressive handover, consolidating elements for quotes and invoices, and a regular briefing with you, in the hours of your time zone.

No: we accept on your behalf against the checklist approved together, with photos and written reservations where needed. You approve from your space, and reservations are tracked until cleared before any final payment.

Among the trusted professionals we reference: verified references, up-to-date insurance, familiarity with foreign owners' files. We compare quotes item by item and give you a clear briefing before anything is committed.

Yes: a photo report at each key stage, what is done, what remains, any drift from schedule, and the decisions to make. You stay in control without calling five contacts at odd hours.

A heavy renovation calls for an architect or project manager, whom we help you choose through an introduction. French Realty remains your interface: we track the site, consolidate elements and keep the overall picture, while the professional carries the project management under their responsibility.

Yes, with no restriction linked to residence. The choice between the flat-rate and the actual-cost regime is the same as for a resident, and the actual-cost regime is often more favourable as soon as the property was bought recently, since it allows depreciation of the building and the furniture. The option is taken before the filing deadline for the income return: taken too late, it does not recover the year gone by.

No longer for residents of the European Union and the European Economic Area, who are exempt. For other countries the authority may require one, in practice mostly at the time of a resale and the computation of the gain. The annual rent return itself is filed online from abroad, with the tax office for non-resident individuals.

Yes, with no nationality or residence condition. The non-professional furnished landlord status applies as long as annual receipts stay below 23,000 euros or below the household's professional income. The rent is then taxed in France as industrial and commercial profits, and declared to the non-residents tax office.

It is calculated, not decided on principle. Micro-BIC applies a 50 % allowance up to 77,700 euros of receipts for a standard furnished let or a classified tourist let, and only 30 % up to 15,000 euros for an unclassified tourist let. The actual regime deducts real costs and depreciation of the property and furniture: as soon as there is a loan running or recent works, it almost always wins.

No, and it is the most frequently missed saving. People affiliated to a compulsory social security scheme in a European Economic Area state, Switzerland or the United Kingdom owe only the solidarity levy, at 7.5 % instead of 17.2 %. The exemption is not automatic: it is claimed on the return, with an affiliation certificate, and it depends on the scheme you actually contribute to, not on your nationality.

Three things. The micro-BIC allowance falls from 50 to 30 % and the threshold from 77,700 to 15,000 euros for an unclassified tourist let, from 2025 income. Classification becomes an economic lever, since a classified let keeps 50 % and 77,700 euros. And municipalities gain regulatory powers: quotas of authorisations, compensation, reduction to ninety days of the letting of a primary residence.

Yes, since 15 February 2025. Depreciation deducted under the actual regime reduces the acquisition price in the capital gain calculation, and so increases the gain by the same amount. The advantage of the actual regime is no longer definitive, it is deferred until the sale, which remains attractive over a long holding since the holding-period allowances erase income tax at twenty-two years and social charges at thirty. Student residences and establishments for elderly people remain outside this clawback.

Yes, including for a single studio and including while living abroad. The start-of-activity declaration is made online at the single business formalities portal, within fifteen days of the letting beginning, and it is what issues the SIRET. Without that number, no industrial and commercial profits return is possible.

Not since 2015 for residents of the European Union, the European Economic Area and a few states bound to France by a recovery assistance treaty. For the others, the administration may require one, in practice mainly at the time of a sale. It is a question to settle before buying, not at the point of selling.

No. Tax advice, the choice of regime and the returns belong to an accountant, and we introduce you to a partner used to non-resident landlords, who acts under their own responsibility and invoices their fees. What French Realty carries out itself is the ground work: equipping the furnished let to the regulatory list, a photographed inventory, check-in and check-out, restoration between tenants, inspection visits.

Everything tied to your life around the property: French administrative formalities, finding trusted providers, reservations (restaurant, show, sport), private events or more unusual requests. If a request is beyond our skills, we find the right provider: you only need to remember one number.

You write from your client space or by message, at any hour of your time zone: the request is taken on by your dedicated contact, who confirms the quote and the calendar before acting. You follow progress and receive proof of completion: photo, document or confirmation.

We work with partners in hospitality, dining and events to unlock fully booked tables, tickets, private visits or bespoke experiences. Tell us the occasion and the level of expectation: we come back with costed options.

French Realty's time is individually quoted, approved by you before execution; external costs (tickets, providers, catering) are billed separately at their actual price. You approve the amount before every commitment: no surprises.

Yes: chasing administrations, subscriptions, insurance, current local taxes, tracking of required documents. We prepare the files, carry out what can be delegated and guide you through whatever requires your signature, in French or English.

Absolutely. Discretion is part of the service: your addresses, your travels and your requests are shared only with the providers strictly needed for delivery, with your consent.

With proof of address, and that is counter-intuitive because it does not look like a formality. An energy bill or a home insurance certificate in your name is asked for at almost every counter, and it is the only document no other step produces. For an owner, the ownership certificate issued by the notary stands in until the first contract arrives.

Yes, two, and they hang together. A tax number is needed, obtained from the tax office for non-resident individuals, and the owner must declare each year who occupies the home, under article 1418 of the General Tax Code. This second obligation has existed since 2023, no individual reminder is sent, and forgetting it is penalised per undeclared property.

One year from acquiring your normal residence in France. After that, the exchange is no longer possible and both theory and practical tests must be retaken. Two points are checked in the first month: whether a reciprocity agreement exists with the country that issued the licence, without which the exchange is impossible from the outset, and the real date your normal residence began, which coincides with neither the move nor the residence permit.

Yes, and by a sworn translator listed with a court of appeal: a translation made by a non-sworn translator is refused, whatever its quality. Many records must in addition be apostilled under the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961, and the apostille is requested in the country that issued the record, never in France. That last point makes this the longest formality in the file.

After three months of stable and lawful residence, under article L160-1 of the Social Security Code, and that period cannot be bypassed. It does not apply to employees of a French employer, covered from hiring, nor to Union nationals relying on entitlements opened at home. The first three months are usefully covered by a private international policy, which many arrivals discover too late.

It depends on its type, and the confusion is common. A long-stay visa serving as a residence permit requires no application: it already is a permit, and it is validated online within three months of entry into France, with a tax stamp paid. Another long-stay visa, by contrast, requires filing a permit application before it expires. In both cases, missing the deadline makes the stay unlawful and blocks every other formality.

No. Residence is by right and no permit is required to settle, work or study in France. All the other formalities remain identical, however: proof of address, tax portal account and tax number, health insurance after three months of stable residence, licence exchange within the year, school enrolment for children. The absence of a permit exempts from none of them.

Not in the administrative sense, which supposes a transfer of residence, but possibly in the tax sense, which is another rule and another code. The two notions do not overlap, and it is the second that decides whether your worldwide income is taxed in France. A buyer multiplying stays without settling can therefore remain administratively non-resident and become a tax resident without intending to.

Within the month following its acquisition or import. Beyond that, a fine, and above all a vehicle no French insurer will cover as is, which is the real risk. The document that stretches this file most is the tax clearance, issued by the authority and to be requested even before the vehicle arrives.

No, and it is a line we do not cross: legal consultation is reserved by the law of 31 December 1971 to authorised professionals. We gather the documents, hold the calendar of deadlines and direct you to a lawyer as soon as the file leaves the ordinary. A badly challenged refusal costs years, and saying so is part of the service.