Privately Advertised French Property

On these pages you will find French property privately advertised by both English and French owners.

The chief attraction of French private sales is that you have no estate agent’s commission to pay - this can represent a saving of between 5% and 10% (the more expensive the property, the lower the percentage). You will still, however, have notaire’s fees to pay (see the French Property Centre Notaire’s Fee Calculator)

Reduced to Clear For Sale

Nord-Pas-de-Calais

• 4 Bed. House
• Plot Size: 740 m²
• Pas-de-Calais
• In Hesdin
• € 250,000 € 225,000

Just In View

For Sale

Languedoc-Roussillon

• 4 Bed. House
• Hérault
• Near NARBONNE
• € 260,000

Just In View

For Sale

Limousin

• 7 Bed. Estate
• Plot Size: 37.07 acres (15 ha)
• Creuse
• In Ajain
• € 395,000

Just In View

For Sale

Limousin

• 2 Bed. Apartment
• Plot Size: 28 m² (0 ha)
• Haute-Vienne
• In BELLAC
• € 85,000

Just In View

For Sale

Normandy

• 4 Bed. House
• Plot Size: 1.24 acres
• Calvados
• Near Lisieux
• € 475,000

Just In View

For Sale

Aquitaine

• 2 Bed. Chalet
• Plot Size: 60 m²
• Lot-et-Garonne
• Near Rives
• € 65,000

Just In View

As always, caveat emptor or ‘buyer beware’ applies so if you decide to buy privately advertised French property, we would advise you to use the services of an English surveyor and a firm of English solicitors specialising in French property.

If you do go it alone then under no circumstances should you give your deposit (or balance) directly to the vendor – both are given to the notaire. You will sign the Compromis de Vente (initial sales agreement) at the notaire’s office and pay your deposit (usually 10%) to him. You will then have a 7-day cooling-off period during which you can change your mind and be refunded your deposit, no questions asked. You can, if you wish, even appoint your own English-speaking Notaire at no extra cost to yourself (the two notaires share the set commission between them).

Our estate agents would want us to point out that they can actually save you money thanks to their knowledge of the vendor, the current market and the buying process. They can tell you if the asking price is above the current market value, how long the property has been on the market and whether or not the vendor needs to move quickly and will accept an offer. They can also advise you on inserting ‘conditions suspensives’ (get-out clauses) into the contract - for example making your purchase conditional on getting a mortgage or planning permission. They may even apply for outline planning permission for you.

When considering privately advertised French property, only you can decide what price you put on having an ‘honest broker’ to serve as an intermediary between yourself and the vendor; or what price you put on having total peace of mind by hiring English solicitors who specialise in French property and who will vigorously represent your interests at every step of the way.