JulesB Posted June 25, 2006 Share Posted June 25, 2006 Can anyone help? We are thinking of buying a small house in France now rather than waiting the 10 years we were going to when our children are grown up. Before we do, we need to gather as much info as possible about buying and owning a house in France. I know we have to take Notaires fees into consideration when buying but is there anything else? We would probably have some sort of survey done.Once you own it what sort of taxes are there; how much does the electricity cost and are there any UK tax implications. We will probably buy in the Poitou-Charentes region or thereabouts and would only be spending around £50k total.We would only use it as a holiday home and not rent it out.Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DZ Posted June 26, 2006 Share Posted June 26, 2006 Hi JulesWe bought our small holiday house (at a similar prices quoted by you) only last December, so I am still learning lots and there are bound to be lots of other and more knowledgeable members of this Forum to advise you, but here are some facts to help you do your sums.The price of the house included the notaire's fees (the vendor paid for the estate agent's fees) and we got away with paying only a fraction of a deposit. We didn't have a survey done as it is not the usual practice in France. Running the place compares very favourably with paying similar sorts of bills in the UK. Electricity has been estimated at 250 euros per year, the rubbish collection is 170 euros, taxe d'habitation 230 euros and taxe fonciere 260 euros. We haven't paid the water bill yet. Building insurance was 210 euros. The whole process of buying was surprisingly easy. The only problems now is that I am never satisfied with my life here and want to be over there all the time!I hope you'll find a holiday house of your dreams - it can be done!Anna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyh4 Posted June 26, 2006 Share Posted June 26, 2006 Julesthings to take into account:Notaire's fees - may be included in the price- often they are not - probably 7% ish of your price. Non-negotiable since 90% goes directly to the Government for land registry fees.Estate agents fees - may be included in the slae price maybe not - the purchaser pays the esate agent in France, not the seller. could add another 5-7% on your budget there may not be much room to bargain, but it's always worth a try. Local taxes - taxe foncier and taxe d'habitation are usually lower (often much lower) that UK local taxes, but sometimes they are not - so ask the agent to find out what they are. Some areas pay for rubbish collection separately, some do not. Water is metered so costs depend on usage.Sewage (if you are connected) is calculated based on your water usage (so is metered in an indirect way) - sorry even if you water the garden it is assumed to go down the drains. I've been out of the UK for too long to make comparison on electricity costs and other running costs, but bear in mind that your usage will be low while you are using it as a holiday home. The only other thing you need to take into account is French inheritance laws. The Governement decides who will inherit your house and has fixed laws depending under what terms you have bought it. In the most simple terms, children inherit, then siblings, then surviving parents. If you have children from former marriages this needs to be sorted out before you buy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoddy Posted June 26, 2006 Share Posted June 26, 2006 Andyh4I reckon that's as close to a perfect answer as I've ever seen. I've racked my brains for something to add and failed.Hoddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie15 Posted June 26, 2006 Share Posted June 26, 2006 Yes, I agree. The 2 answers between them seem to provide almost everything. Anna's experience as to who pays what seem unusual, but the 2nd reply balanced that out. With such a small budget the house may need work on it and if you need to employ people it is not cheap, but hey, maybe you're not in a hurry, which reminds me, things don't usually get done quickly either! It can take a year to secure a good artisan cos they are booked up well in advance, but then you may be lucky and get slipped in in between jobs. You may be intending to do it all yourselves over time ? Good luck with whatever you decide to do[:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulesB Posted June 26, 2006 Author Share Posted June 26, 2006 Thanks very much to you all; this is just the sort of advice I needed and has clarified a few things. We are hoping to find somewhere habitable but are able to do work ourselves so hopefully wont need to find any external help!Thanks againJules Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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