DPE and Notaire

[stan]

Over 2 years ago when we bought our house here in France, the DPE (which was already 2 years old), along with the Compromis de Vente, were all included in the forms which had to be signed during the "buying" day meeting at the Notaires with the selling party.

Due to unforseen circumstances, the house has been up for sale for year now, and via 2 out of the 5 estate agents (ie, those who asked for it) who are marketing the property, the DPE was provided to prospective buyers to comply with the property marketing laws and whilst further ongoing renovation work was carried out.

We now have a prospective buyer who has made an offer, but I have not had an updated DPE done. My understanding is that the DPE is for the info of prospective buyers in order for them to make an informed decision and quite rightly so.

However will I now have to obtain an updated DPE in order for the buying process with the Notaire to proceed?..or is a new DPE unneccesary, given the fact that the prospective buyers have already decided to buy by making an offer. The thing is, I doubt that the prospective buyers have not seen a copy of the old DPE in this case.

[idun]

Your notaire should be able to tell you exactly what is needed and if anything needs doing again. In fact the agent immobilier should too.

[stan]

[quote user="idun"]Your notaire should be able to tell you exactly what is needed and if anything needs doing again. In fact the agent immobilier should too.[/quote]

Thank you for taking the time to reply idun, and I appreciate that both the Notaire and estate agent will keep me right, however my question is whether a DPE is necessary for the Notaire process. I would intend to obtain an updated DPE before this sale went anywhere near a Notaire, so I`m just trying to save a bit of time.

[derf]

According to the Notaires website the DPE is for, information proposes only.

Also it's valid for 10 years.

[Pommier]

Don't forget that you'll need any of the diagnostics which have gone out of date re-doing. When we sold recently, all the previous diagnostics were still valid except for termites which had to be re-tested. I got someone to come out in under 2 days and he emailed the results to me and to the notaire so as not to hold up the Compromis.

[stan]

So is the DPE "for information only" as per DERF`s post.....or is it a necessary part of Compromis as per POMMMIER`s post?

[derf]

[quote user="stan"]So is the DPE "for information only" as per DERF`s post.....or is it a necessary part of Compromis as per POMMMIER`s post?

[/quote]

http://www.notaires.fr/notaires/en/property-surveys

[Pickles]

[quote user="stan"]So is the DPE "for information only" as per DERF`s post.....or is it a necessary part of Compromis as per POMMMIER`s post?

[/quote]

Yes to both.

It is a legal requirement to have the DPE in place - I believe that now you have to have it in place BEFORE you advertise the property. However, it is valid for 10 years. It is effectively "for information only" because it is NOT based on a REAL measurement of the energy performance of the property: it is arrived at by using "standard" values that reflect the characteristics of the type of construction used and the type of heating and lighting fitted (as is the UK EPC).

[stan]

Thanks Pickles, it was just that I wondering whether I now had to go and arrange a DPE as the Compromis is being drawn up on Monday. The original DPE that I have is slightly different from the current "status" of the house, in that one extra curcuit for an electric cooker, and a 30 foot extension to one electric lighting circuit. It seems daft to pay all that money for a full DPE to simply reflect these small changes, given the fact that the buyer has already made an offer.

[Pickles]

[quote user="stan"]Thanks Pickles, it was just that I wondering whether I now had to go and arrange a DPE as the Compromis is being drawn up on Monday. The original DPE that I have is slightly different from the current "status" of the house, in that one extra curcuit for an electric cooker, and a 30 foot extension to one electric lighting circuit. It seems daft to pay all that money for a full DPE to simply reflect these small changes, given the fact that the buyer has already made an offer.

[/quote]

You already have a valid DPE. The changes to the circuits will have no effect on the DPE value.

[stan]

SORRY FOLKS<, my grave error. I meant the diagnostic report for the house, of which the DPE is only part. basically a prospective buyer has made an offer for the house without seeing a copy of the diagnostic report which is dated 2009. As previously said I have made a few minor electrical alterations. Should I have to get an updated diagnostic report asap as the estate agent says he can draw up the Compromis de vente imminently.