Clause suspensive - Notaire trying to hold us to purchase after diagnostic proves dry rot - mérule.

[ventodue]

[quote user="ross.e"]  so without wanting to seem too foolish and a time waster we have decided to complete the purchase.

 "arghhhhh" - I hear you say - "what a tosser..." [/quote]

Absolutely not.  The exact opposite, in fact.  You have wasted no-one's time who wasn't willing to give it; and, at the end, after just a little wobble, you've made a reasoned and informed decision. I hope it turns out to be the right one, good on yer, and I hope all goes well from here on in.

Craig

[ventodue]

[quote user="Debra"]I find that people worry a lot less about things like woodworm and rot in France than they do in the UK [/quote]

 +1, Debra.  The whole thing with dry rot in the UK can be traced back to a large part to the timber frame housing scandal of the 1980s.   Yes, for sure, the abuses were rife and the consequences serious. But unfortunately certain scare-mongering 'experts' have been making their living off it ever since ....

[quote user="Debra"]The only thing that would put me off would be termites.[/quote]

Ah!  There's a simple solution to that one, too!  Build in concrete/stone/brick/steel ... Hey, like wot they do round here  ... [:D][:-))]

[NormanH]

Many congratulations on your purchase.

I hope you will get great pleasure out of it.

You may also find out the chasm that separates the apparent rigidity of French codified law, and the ducking and diving that go on in the 'real' world, but that takes time.

On the language issue please don't rely on Google for anything more than a vague idea of what is being said.

The exact text is important and obviously that is in French for documents.

I have lost count of the number of people I have met who have only half-grasped the full implications of what the test actually says.