Agents and Notaire Fee Advice

[ayjay]

I hope someone can help.

We are looking to buy a property and although expecting to pay high fees we have been told that the Notaire's fees are 4,000 Euros and Agents fees 3,000 Euros for a 21,000 euro property.

They have said that the Notaire's fees went up to 14% 6 months ago and their agents fees are fixed whatever the price of the property.

Any answers gratefully received.

[Kitty]

http://www.notaires.fr/static-content/site_gb/web/english-homepage.html This is the French notaires website - English version.

On the French version (click on the French map), there is a fee calculator at the bottom - calculer vos frais d'achats immobilier.

[BJSLIV]

The fees will vary from Departement to Departement but 4000 Euros for the Notaire seems on the high side. I would expect a figure closer to 2000 unless you are having a mortgage in which case 4000 might be accurate.

The Estate Agent fees are usually included in the advertised price of the property (TTC =Tax included).They won't be fixed but there is often a hefty minimum figure. Again the stated figure seems rather high I would have expected something nearer to 2000.

[idun]

The Notaires are tax collectors and lot of this large amount is in taxes.

We once bought a small bit of land next to our land and the taxes and the little bit of actual notaires fee was about double of the price of the actual land.

[P-D de Rouffignac]

Agency commissions are based on a percentage of the property's selling price, with generally higher percentages for lower value properties, reducing for higher value - the argument being it is as time-consuming to sell a cheap property as it is a more expensive one. As noted prices in the agent's window or in advertising usually include their commission and will be marked 'F A I' (not TTC) which means 'frais d'agence inclus' (= including agency fees). Their percentage commission rates must also be prominently displayed at their premises.

So-called 'notaire fees' include taxes and land registration charges, which are applied even to the sale of something as small as a parking space, and again are based on a percentage of the sale price. The Notaire's actual fees are quite low, being a small proportion of the total sum described as 'notaire fees'.

Hope this helps - P-D de R.

[Araucaria]

Maybe Ayjay also needs some advice about how much it might cost to make a €21k property habitable?

[Fureys]

We plan to buy a small piece of land (1000 sq m) from our neighbours, we are in agreement about price and time for hand-over and so on, do we still need to use a Notaire or can we register the change of ownership ourselves at the Hypotheques?

Fureys

[ayjay]

Thanks to everyone for their help.

Any advice gratefully received.

[ayjay]

Many thanks Cathy for the calculator. I wonder if you can help clear up some questions regarding it please?

• Would a barn renovation be a property completed less than 5 years ago or more (does it mean when the property was first built?)

• What is 'Negotiation by Notary Public' mean? It makes a difference to the prive by about 1200Euros.

Thank you

[andyh4]

[quote user="Fureys"]We plan to buy a small piece of land (1000 sq m) from our neighbours, we are in agreement about price and time for hand-over and so on, do we still need to use a Notaire or can we register the change of ownership ourselves at the Hypotheques? Fureys[/quote]

No way to bypass the notaire legally.  He is a tax collector first and foremost.

[idun]

When was a 1000sq m a small piece of land ? And where I used to live it would be a pretty price too, well before the taxes.

There will be taxes to pay on this and I cannot help wondering if the Mairie would get the offer of it, IF it was being sold relatively cheaply, suppose it would depend on the classification of the land concerned.

[bluebaguette]

The higher fees are if the notaire has negotiated the sale for you. Some notaire's also sell properties, aswell as doing the legal documentation for buying.