Buying Property in Provence: Viewings

House purchase negotiations are a delicate process anywhere in the world. Tempers quickly flare, and communications can break down because of misunderstandings or hurt feelings. When you don’t speak French fluently and don’t know the ins and outs of French customs and the French real estate market, then things could go wrong even quicker when buying a property in France.

Viewings in France

Non-French house hunters tend to be very surprised when the owners are present at a viewing, eager to point out the positive sides of their home. This is not uncommon here, so be prepared! Long conversations about an exotic plant or a painting can be distracting when you’re trying to evaluate a property for the first time. For a second viewing, it can be beneficial to have the owners present, and at that point, you should not hesitate to ask as many questions as possible. The estate agent is not as likely to have all the answers as the owners and a good relationship with the vendor can also be very helpful later on.

One potential reaction to owners being present is house hunters becoming overly friendly out of awkwardness. If you’re not careful, your interactions with the owners could end up jeopardizing the negotiation process. Unless you speak fluent French, your conversations with French vendors (and their estate agent) risk being limited to lots of polite smiles, nods and positive words. To the French, such extensive politeness generally indicates that you love the house and want to buy it at (or near) the asking price. Being respectful is, of course, very important, but French vendors simply won’t expect you to make a lowball offer after you’ve been overly smiley and chatty. When receiving a much lower offer than expected, French vendors can easily refuse to negotiate any further. With second homes, there is often less of an urgency to sell, and you could easily lose out on a property because of this type of misunderstanding.

The other thing that can happen is that non-French buyers are purposefully negative about a property in the presence of the owners, thinking that this will persuade the vendors to accept a lower price. Focusing on and discussing the downsides of a property with each other is essential. But best do this quietly, and ideally, after the viewing is over. Also, no matter how outdated or badly maintained a house is if you’re interested in buying it, best find something positive to say in the presence of the vendor, even if it’s the roses in the garden. This simple courtesy will get you much farther than lots of negative remarks.

Before deciding to make an offer, make a second visit (contre visite) to inspect the house thoroughly without the owners or their estate agent hovering over you. You must have the time to walk around alone and take as many photos or videos as you like.

Here are things to consider when buying a property in France.

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