Buying in France

A question about : Buying in France

We have just put an offer on a house and waiting to see if it's acceptable. We are interested in any advice and tips.

Some things that instantly spring to mind:

how would we find out if any other building works are planned nearby which affect the property

surveys

inheritance laws

A vast subject, I know, but any advice much appreciated!

Best answers:

• Its a while since I looked into this so my memory is a bit sketchy. !You are right to query the inheritance laws which are different to ours and quite complicated. !As far as I can recall properlt passes to children automatically, not the spouse. There are also issues involved in making a will in England in relation to French property. !I think it is that France does not recognise wills made here that just state "all of me estate..........". !I believe you have to specifically state in your will that you are including the property in France as your estate, otherwise it is excluded and subject only to French law.
  You need to see a solicitor specialising in this area of law and get a proper will drawn up to make sure all angles are covered, according to your personal situation.
• Has anyone had any experience with the leaseback investments available in France? It seems like a hassle free way to buy property in France but is it worth it in the long run? What is the catch? The 19.5% tax discount is very appealing but they also mention a shortfall in the early years which makes me wonder how much you really pay. Are there any other hidden costs, or is it really just the deposit I need?
  Any comments and advice wouldbe greatly appreciated.
• Hi Dabor !
  The best person to answer to your queries is a french "notaire" , forget the estate agents (they are hopeless, I am french and I bought a flat to let and planning to buy a 2nd one there). You can find in the city council or "mairie" all the maps and information relevant to future work buildings. Check out that you do not buy in a zone where floods happened. It is worth also having a chat with the neighbours (if you have any). If you need a mortgage I would advise you to look at Credit Immobilier and Credit Agricole, their mortgages offer are much better than the UK ones (but careful with bank transfer fees and exchange rate).
  Voila
• From our experience, the advice given above is correct.
  French property will be inherited by your children unless you do something about it, like form a company to own the property, with shares in the company owned in the same proportions as you wish beneficiaries to inherit. A notaire will set this upo for you. There is also a clause (called "en tontine&quot which you can have inserted in your purchase contract which changes inheritance to protect your partner, if required.
  Note that you cannot disinherit your children unless you make provision for this in the purchase of the property by forming a company or using a tontine clause.
  I am by no means an expert, and unless you are in your first marriage, with children only from that marriage, you would certainly be best advised to seek legal help in getting it right.
  Solicitors in the UK specialising in foreign house purchases abound, but their fees are enormous. Take this into account when you are budgeting.
  You can find lots of information in the discussion forums run by Living France magazine, and at Total France . Other sites exist, too.