Owning from abroad
A property in France does not look after itself when you live abroad. Inspection visits, opening and closing for the season, mail, claims: our guides set the rhythm and the reflexes to keep your home alive in your absence.
31 articles
Having someone present when a tradesperson calls
Having someone present when a tradesperson calls avoids vague quotes, unchecked work, missed deliveries and damage discovered weeks later at your property.
Leaving a property empty or keeping it alive: wear, insurance, value
An empty property wears faster, loses insurance cover and signals vacancy: the degrees of presence, from regular visits to home sitting, that protect it.
After a storm or a cold snap: having roof and façades inspected
Having a roof inspected after a storm follows a protocol: view from the ground, time-stamped photos, declaration within the deadlines, then the expert.
The trusted neighbour: what they can and cannot do
A trusted neighbour provides real services for an absent owner: alerting, collecting post, emergency calls. But their role has limits worth respecting.
Securing an empty apartment without turning it into a fortress
Securing an empty apartment rests on simulated presence: post collected, shutters and lighting varied, sober equipment rather than a visible fortress.
Keeping rodents and pests out of an empty home
Keeping rodents and pests out of an empty home means removing food, sealing openings, reading warning signs at every visit and calling a professional early.
Keeping a garden from abroad: mowing, pruning, watering
Keeping a garden from abroad takes a seasonal mowing and pruning calendar, automated but checked watering and a local gardener bound by a written scope.
Maintaining a swimming pool from abroad: rhythm, people, pitfalls
Maintaining a swimming pool from abroad requires the right in-season rhythm, a regular local pool keeper, careful winterising and working safety equipment.
Receiving rent and paying charges from abroad: accounts, transfers, dedicated accounts
For a non-resident owner, the property's cash flow gets organised: a French account or foreign IBAN, transfers and exchange fees, the manager's separate account, provisions for charges.
The annual upkeep checklist for an empty house
An upkeep checklist for an empty house runs by frequency: every visit, each season, once a year, from gutters to the water heater, to avoid costly damage.
The property file: the document that speeds up every remote intervention
A well-kept property file speaks for you: access, meters, valves, equipment, contacts, contracts, keys. It speeds up interventions and saves emergencies.
The stewardship mandate: what it contains, and where it stops
The stewardship mandate frames the care of a property held from abroad: written scope, reports, insurance, payment on time spent. Its limits protect the owner.
The recurring cost lines of a property held from abroad: charges, taxes, contracts, stewardship
A French property held from abroad lives on recurring lines: co-ownership, taxes, insurance, energy, stewardship. A panorama by frequency, with no public prices, everything on a quoted basis.
Lending your French home to relatives while living abroad: rules, insurance, upkeep
Lending a French property to a relative lightens stewardship, provided the loan is framed: duration, running costs, insurance, upkeep, and the boundary with letting.
Who can manage my French property while I live abroad?
Five relays can run a French home for an absent owner: a neighbour, a house-sitter, a private concierge, a rental manager and the managing agent. A panorama, and how to combine them.
Being represented with the managing agent when you are away
Being represented with the managing agent gets organised: charges tracked, access authorised for voted works, notices forwarded, warning signs watched.
Co-ownership general meetings: taking part and voting from abroad
A co-ownership general meeting followed from abroad relies on a proxy, a professional representative in the room and your written questions to the agent.
Insuring a French property as a non-resident: cover and pitfalls
Insurance for a French property as a non-resident requires the right cover, a vacancy clause read before signing and visit reports that support your file.
The occupancy declaration: the annual obligation foreign owners miss
Since 2023 every owner declares the occupancy status of their homes. What it governs, when to update it, and why forgetting it produces a wrong tax assessment.
Water damage discovered from afar: the right steps, in order
Water damage discovered from afar is handled in order: secure, document with dated photos, declare to the insurer in France, then track the compensation.
Damage to your property while you are abroad: what to do
Reporting deadlines, protective measures, joint statement, the insurers' convention and the loss adjuster: how to proceed when damage occurs and nobody is on site.
Handling your French mail from abroad: collection, scanning, forwarding
Handling your French mail from abroad relies on collection, scanning or forwarding, so that no tax, managing-agent or bank letter ever goes unanswered.
Home sitting: having your property lived in and looked after
Home sitting means having your property lived in and looked after: principle, suitable properties, contract and the limits of occupied guardianship in France.
Protecting an empty house in winter: frost, damp, break-ins
Protecting an empty house in winter means guarding against burst pipes, trapped damp and opportunist break-ins, so the house comes through the season intact.
Opening and closing the season: the routine that protects your home
The opening and closing of the season protect your empty second home in France: the autumn checklist and the spring restart, both coordinated from abroad.
Inspection visits with a photo report: what they achieve, how often
An inspection visit with a photo report protects an absent owner: what each visit checks, dated photos, meter readings and the right frequency of visits.
How to keep an eye on an empty second home all year
To keep an eye on an empty second home, three lines of defence combine: neighbourhood relays, regular documented visits and sober technical detection.
Managing your French property from abroad: the complete guide
Managing French property from abroad takes method: a seasonal calendar, trusted tradespeople, emergency handling and a written record of every action.
Choosing trusted service providers in Paris
Choosing trusted service providers in Paris: the complete method to find, vet and keep the finest everyday professionals for your Parisian property.
Managing your Parisian property from afar: the guide
Managing your Parisian property from afar: mail, inspection visits, deliveries and contracts, the method to keep an eye on your home from abroad.
Preparing your Parisian second home before the season
How to prepare your Parisian second home before the season: opening, closing and the watch between stays, for a pied-a-terre always fully ready to live in.