we are off to sign

[Harry]

Just been reading this thread. Very topical to us. We are off to sign in Feb 2006. Learnt a lot from your replies.

Our purchase is an apartment in Etaples.

Thanks for the info.

 

[Miki]

So its the lovely seafood at Pecheurs d'Etaples for you then, or Serge

Pérard's in Le Touquet OR for excellence, Flavios in Le Touquet to

really celebrate !!!

[Deimos]

[quote user="janetandmartin"]We are off to sign on the 28th Jan, booked flight etc. Are we wise??[/quote]

If its a long way flights are definately a wise idea [:D]

Ian

[Deimos]

No “celebrations” in my case.  After all the paperwork, ushered out whilst vendors remained to

purchase their next house from the next set of people who were waiting in

reception.  Visited the house before

going to the Notaire and then had to return to the hotel as I was renting the

place to the vendors (for free) for a few more days (to allow them the get

their children to help them move over the following weekend).

During the signing there was a bit of confusion as part of

the land was listed as being in both neighbouring communes and ownership had

only been established over the listing in the commune where the land actually

was.  Seems that when the commune

boundaries changed the old commune never “de-listed” the land and thus kept it

on their “books” so to speak.  However,

half an hour of telephone calls resolved everything.

Ian

[Harry]

[quote user="Miki"]So its the lovely seafood at Pecheurs d'Etaples for you then, or Serge Pérard's in Le Touquet OR for excellence, Flavios in Le Touquet to really celebrate !!!



[/quote]

 

'Pecheurs' is a walk away and I have a feeling we will get known there soon. Been there a couple of times during our searching visits.  

[Mochas]

The day before we were due to sign the agent let us into the house to drop off some stuff we'd brought from England. It was immediately clear that the M Le Vendor, who was at work, had made no effort to prepare for moving out. I told the agent that I wouldn't sign the next day if we didn't have vacant possession so he took me to where the vendor worked and explained the problem. M Le Vendor seemed very surprised and said he didn't think we would want to move in so quickly, which I thought was a bit rich as he was obviously expecting his money. (As it happened we'd been staying at a local hotel for a couple of days but we'd brought airbeds with us so we could stay at the house until we sorted out furniture etc.)

So M Le Vendor agreed that he would clear the house before we signed the following afternoon and we duly met at the notaires. Then we were informed that he hadn't had time to finish moving out so would it be OK if he kept the keys until 8.00pm? We agreed to that and dealt with the formalities, pausing only for insertion of a rather important clause relating to a right of way which went with property but which the notaire had lost somewhere along the line. We spent the next four hours celebrating (by ourselves) in a local bar and finally got the keys at 8.30pm. M Le Vendor apologised for the delay and shot off. Then we found that he'd left us a knackered old bedframe and a disgusting settee neither of which were suitable for human use. Oddly enough though, he'd found time to remove nearly all the light fittings and two kitchen cupboards. (Moral: make bloody certain you stipulate in the contracte de vente precisely what must be removed and what must be left behind, mention of fixtures and fittings is simply too vague.)

On the good side, the agent was very helpful throughout. The day before we signed he took us on a grand tour of EDF, insurance company, Tresor Public and water company to sort out all the changeover problems and to a bank to set up an account. He's still a good friend as is, strangely enough, M Le Vendor who invariably offers us a drink whenever we bump in to him round the town. Come to think of it, so he should, if only to pay for messing us about and the bits and pieces he took with him!

 

[Cerise]

Our house in England sold quickly and the completion was a few days before the French house.  Had to move out, furniture in storage, dogs in kennels etc in Uk and we rented a gite for a few days prior to signing.  Day before signing went to immobiliers to check which notaires office we were signing at - there were 2 - and he (nasty oily chap that I had not liked) said that he knew he had e-mailed us to the effect that planning permission for our new car entrance had arrived and that all the surveys had been done, but he had done that because NORMALEMENT they should have been.  However, désolée and all that but they hadn't.

Husband - who at that stage did not speak French - looked on in horror as yours truly threw a momentous tantrum and had to be restrained from killing the little oik.  Immobilier cowered in corner of office saying he couldn't see what all the fuss was about and we were in a lovely area and why didn't we just relax and have a nice holiday as the necessary papers should be there in a week or two!!  Phoned notaire who was also expecting to sign the next day - she too having had the assurance from M L'immobilier that he was bringing all the paperwork - she too came to the office with murder in mind.

Finally when everyone had finished shouting returned to our rented gite scared, homeless and weeping.  Gite owners were marvellous, thank goodness it was out of season - they made us a meal, soothed us and said we could stay for the forseeable future.  The next day Monsieur came with me and did some more formidable shouting and desk banging. 

Finally signed, 10 days after the appointed date and all was well, even though the vendors had got fed up and returned to their distant home leaving the wretched immobilier with power of attorney.  The longest 10 days of our lives and the most expensive in terms of all the extra expenses.

However, cheer up SB, after 4 years we can now see the funny side of it - particularly as the immobilier describes us as 'some of his most satisfied customers!'

Maggi

 

[le bouffon]

Just one word of warning,check the day before you fly out to sign that indeed the day of signing as not changed and all the paper work is in place etc etc.

[andyh4]

Mochas

A not dissimilar background to our purchase occurred.  On the morning of signing we found the house still frugally furnished - this had been an inhertitance sale, so no-one actually living there.

 

At the signing the heirs asked if they could pick up a few things.  The notaire and the immobilier agreed that since they had had 18 months to do this anything left in the house was part of the sale - sellers were somewhat disgruntled at this.  I rather think we may have been left minus light fittings and anything else that could be removed without destroying the fabric of the building had that not been the case.

[SaligoBay]

[quote user="Cerise"]

However, cheer up SB, after 4 years we can now see the funny side of it - particularly as the immobilier describes us as 'some of his most satisfied customers!'[/quote]

LOL, our immobilier is distantly polite to us.  Definitely a bad conscience there!  [:)]

I'm at the computer to have a break from all this paperwork I've decided to do.  It's starting to take over the (small) house!   I mean, it's in good order, but it's time to put the older stuff into retirement somewhere it can moulder peacefully.

I wish I hadn't.  There was all the rental and sale stuff for our old house, and I couldn't help it, I started crying.  I had this awful wave of Something, and all I could think was "we were HAPPY there".  [:'(]    Merde, it was even WARM inside!!!!  

Time to buy a lottery ticket, I think! [:)]    

 

[Teamedup]

I am so sorry Saligo, I remember you being cold in your last place, so this one must be really glacial.

[Jc]

With our agent and notaire we kept back the last 5% till we got the keys.

[Alan Zoff]

Agent and vendor met me at house to check all as expected and to agree meter readings with EDF and sanitation/water officials (as arranged by agent).

Vendor then gave me a lift to Notaire's office (5 miles away).

After we had agreed documents and figures, all had signed, and I had taken possession of keys, Notaire wrote out a cheque for net proceeds and handed this to vendor. Gave me receipt and temporary document for deeds until title registered. (Final documents arrived some weeks later.)

I, vendor and agent then trooped off to nearest bar (Notaire said he had another engagement). Vendor and agent each bought us drinks but refused my offer to buy one back - was not sure at time if this was protocol or because they were both driving....

Agent took me to insurance agent and introduced me to local bank before running me back to house. Next day, bank set up direct debits for me and generally sorted out paperwork with EDF, etc.

All very straightforward, civilised and friendly.

 

[vervialle]

I remember mine as though it was yesterday, fifteen years ago, no translator just the notaire and his assistant who just smiled she did all  of the talking and the notaire just sat there,he had obviously had a large lunch as he fell asleep at one point he looked like Mr Bumble with a red face.It was hilarious as we did not understand anything the office was like going back 40 years we were in there two hours.We all shook hands at the end then the notaire got out a bottle of whisky to drink to his .triumph and we all joined in with his joy at organizing the deal. It was one of those experiences in life you never forget,they gave us the keys which looked as though they belonged to a Jailhouse and we went on our way.We cooked steak and chips on a camping stove and celebrated with a 50p bottle of sparkling wine in our new very unhabitable farmhouse happy as pigs in muck,we did not know then the adventure we were embarking on and the happiness our little piece of France would bring us.Sadly our aged notaire died of liver failure a year later with no sympathy from the locals, but he made us smile.I hope you enjoy your signing and good luck.