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French Houses

We ONLY deal with reputable and registered French Estate Agents (Agents Immobilier Français).
All the properties on this site are though French Estate Agents and our introduction
to these agents and their properties does not cost you anything.     

Are you buying a holiday home or do you intend to re-locate to France?   If you have yet to decide which area would suit you best and you want some guidance then DON'T RUSH IN.   Visit a few areas that you feel might suit you best and get to know these areas from the point of view of: schools, work opportunuties, holiday rental options, shops and services, transport options (airports, trains or road access), weather, terrain or even local attractions and restaurants.
We at are familliar with the:
  • Limousin (19 Corrèze - 23 Creuse - 87 Haute-Vienne),
  • Loire Valley ( Pays de la Loire - 44 Loire-Atlantique - 49 Maine-et-Loire - 53 Mayenne - 72 Sarthe - 85 Vendée),
  • Centre ( 18 Cher - 28 Eure-et-Loir - 36 Indre - 37 Indre-et-Loire - 41 Loir-et-Cher - 45 Loiret),
  • Poitou-Charantes ( 16 Charente - 17 Charente-Maritime - 79 Deux-Sèvres - 86 Vienne),
  • Aquitaine (24 Dordogne - 33 Gironde - 40 Landes - 47 Lot-et-Garonne - 64 Pyrénées Atlantiques)
For €199 (Approx. £130) including transport whilst in France, can meet you at any airport or hotel in the area we cover and spend 2 whole days with you (including the first evening) for a guided tour of any area that is of interest.  You will visit towns and villages of interest, agencies, Notaires, and anything else that might be important to you.  You will be accompanied by one of the principals of (who are all bi-lingual).  

Sorry but the price quoted for this service is not available in July and August, Christmas weeks or Easter week.   For more details on this tour please call us on 0118 931 0832.   For this service we need at least 1 week's notice.
Once you have chosen a property and you want to make an offer, you must sign "LE COMPROMIS DE VENTE" (French preliminary contract to purchase) which is legally binding for both the Vendor and Purchaser. At this stage you must be in a position to pay a deposit (usually 10 % of the price of the house).

From the date of signing the COMPROMIS DE VENTE you have a 7-day cooling off period during which time you can change your mind but the vendor cannot offer the property to anyone else. The vendor will supply a certificate to say that there is no asbestos on the property.

After anything from 1 week to 3 months the buyer and the seller sign the final contract at the office of a French notary. We can attend this meeting with you (see below).   It should be noted that during this period you should not expect much communication from the notary's office as, unlike England, there is little correspondence.

We at are all bi-lingual and we will, if required, help with the move to France and/or any documentation requirements you may encounter with which you do not feel comfortable.  We also have good contacts with money transfer agencies that can save you money.  We will even help you to open an offshore bank account and help you with any off-shore pensions and investments.
When the time comes and you feel you cannot or do not wish to be left alone when you are ready to face French Officialdom then:
  • We can be present when you wish to discuss arrangements with any vendor and the
    Estate Agent whose client this is.
  • We can be present when you are dealing with the Estate Agent and even help to translate
    the Compromis de Vente.
  • We can accompany you when visiting the Notaire to ensure all aspects are understood.
    You may even wish to look at inheritance laws in France.
  • We can arrange to help you with settling in once you have moved and need to sort out
    any regulations that need to be attended to for example: registering with the local Mairie (town hall).
One of us can arrange to meet you and spend the day with you to help with any of the above.   Please call us or e-mail us for a quote on this service but remember we need 1 week's notice for this service.   

e-mail: enquiries@frenchhouses.co.uk