Blog
Advice for owning, maintaining, letting and passing on a property in France from abroad: the non-resident owner's Journal, city by city.
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Where do you stand
Our city pages
The art of living
The improvised weekend: leaving with nothing to prepare
The improvised weekend: decide on Thursday evening, arrive on Friday to a prepared house, stocked fridge and a table requested by your dedicated contact.
Read the articleResidence
Set-up & furnishing
The non-resident move-in checklist: utilities, access, safety
The non-resident move-in checklist: utilities, meter readings, access codes, basic safety and the property file to open on day one after the signing.
Set-up & furnishing
Furnishing for seasonal lets: durability, safety, comfort
Furnishing a seasonal let in France: durable furniture, safety to standard and the comfort that drives ratings, for a furnished home hosting strangers.
Set-up & furnishing
Entrusting and tracking keys: custody, copies, handovers
Entrusting and tracking keys for a property run from abroad: labelled sets, a dated handover log, coded key boxes and lock rotation after an incident.
Set-up & furnishing
Internet in a seldom-used home: what are the options
Internet in a seldom-used home: fibre or mobile options, subscriptions for an empty property, remote installation and continuity when nobody resets the box.
Set-up & furnishing
Smart home tech that helps absent owners: heating, detection, alerts
Smart home for absent owners: remote heating control, leak detection, alerts and visit cameras, the sober kit that truly serves owners living abroad.
Set-up & furnishing
Working with an interior designer remotely: moodboards, samples, photo sign-off
Working with an interior designer remotely takes method: moodboards, posted samples, written photo sign-offs and a proper remote handover at the end.
Set-up & furnishing
Equipping a home for short stays: essentials that last
Equipping a home for short stays: sturdy essentials room by room, the useful spares that save a stay and the upkeep of the property between each stay.
Set-up & furnishing
Organising an international removal to France
An international removal to France is planned early: volume, groupage, storage, customs, calendar and arrival-day reception, with a partner removal firm.
Set-up & furnishing
Turnkey set-up: arriving in a home that is ready to live in
Turnkey set-up for non-residents covers contracts, deliveries, assembly, first essentials, cleaning and basic shopping, all photo-validated before you arrive.
Acquisition
Financing & tax
When to see a tax adviser: the moments worth preparing
When to see a tax adviser: purchase, lease, change of residence, gifting, sale or a tax audit. The moments worth preparing, and what you can prepare alone.
Financing & tax
Becoming a non-resident: the exit tax and what changes for your assets
The exit tax when becoming a non-resident: latent gains on certain assets, payment deferrals, property kept in France, and how to prepare the departure.
Financing & tax
Notaire's fees on older properties: how they break down
Notaire fees on older properties: how transfer duties, regulated fees and disbursements combine, the adjustment levers and how to get a rough estimate.
Financing & tax
The fiscal representative: when must a foreign owner appoint one?
Fiscal representative for a foreign owner: when appointment is required, the real role, how to choose the professional and the cost to plan for the sale.
Financing & tax
Is a rental loss still deductible when you live abroad?
Rental loss deduction non-resident: how a French property loss carries forward to future rental income when you live abroad, and the common traps to avoid.
Financing & tax
Rental income for non-residents: regimes, withholding, filing
Rental income for non-residents: choosing micro or real regime, handling withholding, the dedicated French return and the tax credit in your country.
Financing & tax
Reading your tax treaty: avoiding double taxation
Tax treaty and double taxation: how to read your convention article by article, understand exemption or credit, and avoid double taxation on your property.
Financing & tax
The IFI wealth tax on foreign residents' French real estate
French wealth tax IFI non-resident: how the tax on French real estate actually works for owners abroad, from the asset base to deductible debts and filing.
Financing & tax
Local taxes on a property held from abroad: foncière, habitation, surcharge
Local taxes on property held from abroad: foncière, second-home habitation tax and waste charge, with notices, alerts and payment organised at a distance.
Concierge
The art of living
Storing and maintaining a car in France between stays
Storing a car between stays: choosing the right storage place, caring for a resting vehicle, keeping the technical inspection and insurance cover current.
The art of living
Caring for art and valuables in an unoccupied home
Caring for art in an unoccupied home: the silent enemies, the preventive routines and the documented inventory that saves the non-resident's insurance claim.
The art of living
Delegating everyday formalities: utilities, appointments, paperwork
Delegating everyday formalities: cancelling a contract, settling an arrears, renewing a document, reaching a service counter when you live far from France.
The art of living
Settling in as a family: schooling and enrolling children
Schooling and enrolling children in France: types of school, the enrolment calendar, the file to prepare from abroad and support up to the first day of term.
The art of living
Getting a second home ready for the festive season
The festive season in a second home: the reverse calendar, from November works to guest rooms ready for guests, with the big day itself shared from afar.
The art of living
Hosting a reception at home from abroad
Hosting a reception from abroad: the complete method for a dinner or cocktail party in your French home, with caterer, styling and validation by photo.
The art of living
Landing the impossible table: how a concierge goes about it
Landing the impossible table: why some tables stay out of reach and how a concierge service maximises your chances, with honest plan Bs of the same standing.
The art of living
Arriving at a ready home: a stay with no preparation
Preparing a home before arrival: the method for landing in a heated, stocked and freshly cleaned home, with every milestone validated remotely in writing.
The art of living
Bespoke concierge services: what they change day to day
Bespoke concierge services built around your home: one dedicated contact who knows your tastes and your time zone, for a delegated, documented daily life.