beware hard sale tactics on the Riviera

[christw]

Hello,

Well, after witnessing the travails of a neighbours family getting caught in property hard sales pre-agreements and losing a lot of money, thought I would offer out some general pointers for those coming down to this part of the world to buy property. Its been a while since this was last discussed but I've heard a few stories around these parts in the past year now and it seems as if it might be on the rise again, with the Spanish-costas style hard sales tactics preying on the foreigners.

Firstly, never, ever sign any kind of property sale pre-agreement with anyone other than a recognised notaire or have it made clear that the contract you sign has been drawn up with a particular Notaire firm. And contact that firm to confirm this.

Never ever accept the offers of 'bilingual' lawyers from an agent to help you with your purchase. You can find these yourself in advance, either by contacting the UK law society who will be able to provide a register of British accredited lawyers working in France and specialist in French Law, or again through a Notaires office, who will be able to provide you with reputable firms.

Never. ever, be pressured to feel that the property will go and you will miss the boat. Take a breath, step back. There is plenty of property on the Cote, if you miss one, you will find another, often one you like even better. Always give yourself a day or two to reflect and never exchange any money with anyone other than a Notaire, preferably a day or two after you return home if you have any kind of doubt. Ensure that the bank transfer is to the name and account of a named notary firm and not anyone else.

In particular, be very wary of any larger firms who specialise in Trade Shows style events back home, offering free, weekend inspection visits. Be vary wary about any third party 'independent' specialists they offer. Always use the various professional bodies and the help of the Notaire for any additional specialists you require.

Generally, you will be far safer dealing with French based agencies in the region, probably the majority of whom speak English and are duty bound to act more impartially and have closer relationships to the local Notaires offices. You will have the added bonus of a wider selection of properties available online or by telephone.

New developments are far riskier purchases that resale properties. Always ensure that you appoint your own local lawyer in advance, if you need assistance, or insist that you dealings will be only directly with the Notaire. If french is not your first language, it is by law necessary that contract details be translated for you. Always insist that this is referred to the Notaire first and they will be able to provide local bilingual lawyer contacts, if you have not already researched this in advance. However, dealing directly with the Noatire through a single agent is fairly failsafe, even if you did not speak the language, as you will have a week to reflect over your decisions. Remember, once you hand any kind of initial money over, if you have not gone through the Notaire directly, you may face your own legal battles to reclaim your funds.

It has been said many times before here. Be very cautious and careful when you dealing with property. If you go through a local agent, dealing directly with the Notaire, you will be very unlikely to have any problems at all. British, Spanish or other nationality firms add a layer of complication that can be indispensable useful in providing English language services but do require that you keep your wits about you since some of their tactics will not be as open to Fench practices and French law as would be the case with a French based firm.

So Good luck. Better safe than sorry!

[monaco]

What useful and sensible advice.  Many thanks.

[La Roche]

Christw what great advice for those that are looking , we had been looking for our house for just over 3 years now and have walked away from many houses for one  reason or another ..apart from the photos looking great on the internet only to arrive a few hundread miles later only to see what you thought you saw on the net is nothing like what you thought you had seen on their websites ..... I also know this sounds bad but over time we also had a huge dis- trust for english agents who over valued the houses also . with a little bit of research can save you a lot of money and heartache ....... So Once again a great posting from you christw