Interested in Buying a Home in France? Here is An Explainer Guide for Foreigners

Are you wondering how to buy a home in France as a foreigner? Buying your own home in France, specifically in Provence, might be a long-awaited dream finally coming to life. You can already see yourself living that Provencal dream. However, real estate transactions in France are complex and include multiple steps. This article explains how to buy a home in France as a non-resident.

Where to find French homes for sale?

There are many ways to advertise homes for sale in Provence, France. Often, but not always, one or more local real estate agents are used. However, an owner can also choose to sell their house directly in their own name.

©Lieke Lobregt

For direct sales, homeowners use:

• A sign on the house or in the garden with the text “Maison à vendre,” with only a telephone number shown.
• An advertisement on the French website https://www.leboncoin.fr/. Here you can search for properties by village or region. This website is a Facebook Marketplace-style platform. People can offer all kinds of goods here: cribs, cars, roof tiles, and even houses.
• Their local network. You tell the carpenter, hairdresser, and baker at the local bar, and before you know it, the whole village is in the know.

©Lieke Lobregt

For selling through a real estate agent, other communication channels are often used:

• The real estate agent’s website and any social media channels.
• Websites of large real estate agencies with franchise offices across a specific region or nationwide, such as French Estate Agents, Savills, and Sotheby’s Realty France.
• A listing on a collective website where multiple real estate agents advertise. Such as: Green Acres, French Property, Se Loger.
• There are also real estate agents who collaborate with buyer’s agents, specifically targeting American, British, or Dutch buyers, such as BD France for Dutch buyers, La Residence for British buyers.
• As well as boutique agencies such as Maison Victoire Immobilier, with a team of bilingual agents focused on the Luberon and Vaucluse.

©Lieke Lobregt

So, how can you best find your French property?

• Browse websites to find homes that meet your needs.
• Visit Provence and, specifically, the region in which you’d like to purchase a home and contact several real estate agencies.
• Ask to visit multiple properties during your stay and express your preferences.
• Once in Provence, it could be helpful to chat at the local bar. Even if you speak French like a ton of bricks, your efforts will be appreciated.

©Lieke Lobregt

In my experience, foreign buyers typically spend 3 to 5 years researching the market before purchasing a French property. Take your time and visit in different seasons. Don’t hesitate to visit multiple properties; it will help you clarify your wants & needs.

For me, for example, a house needed to include period details, such as the typical hexagonal tomettes tiles from Salernes and old wooden beams. Once I had that clear, it was much easier to make a selection.

How do French real estate agents work?

A real estate agent works on behalf of the seller. They advertise and promote the property, organize viewings, and negotiate offers. After an agreement is reached, they oversee the process at the notary’s office. Some agents are present at the notary for the transfer of ownership.

A real estate agent in France rarely has an exclusive mandate. This means that multiple real estate agents can list a single property. The person selling the property receives the commission. Typically, no fee or a minimal fee is paid when the property is put up for sale.

You can imagine, then, that competition among real estate agents can be quite fierce. They work incredibly hard, only to see their property sold by a competing agent, and then completely miss out. If they do manage to sell the property, the commission is substantial. Typically, real estate agents earn 4% to 10% of the purchase price in commission. The seller pays this.

It’s important to remember that a real estate agent works on behalf of the seller. That’s the person who pays them—an estate agent, therefore, benefits from keeping the seller satisfied and maximizing the selling price. If you want support from the buyer during the process, it’s recommended to hire a buyer’s agent. They can negotiate with the seller’s agent on your behalf. There are buyer’s agents specifically for buyers from different origins. For example: BD France for Dutch buyers, La Residence for British buyers.

©Lieke Lobregt

The legal process of buying a French property

There are three major steps in the legal process of becoming a homeowner in France. There are many smaller steps and significant bureaucracy.

1) Agreement on purchase price
The real estate agent can record the purchase price agreement in a “lettre d’intent” or “offre d’achat” (a contract of sale). This is a letter indicating the intention that person X intends to acquire property XXX from person Y for a price XXX. Not all real estate agents draw up such a contract.
Once the buyer and seller have agreed on the purchase price, they can go to the notary.

2) Compromis de vente
The notary will first draft a preliminary sales contract, known as a “compromis de vente” (a contract of sale). This is a legally binding contract, and it is essential that you fully understand it before signing.

After signing the “compromis de vente,” there is a 10-day cooling-off period. This is the finalopportunity to withdraw from the purchase without incurring a 10% penalty (your deposit). At the end of this 10-day cooling-off period, the buyer must pay the 10% deposit into the notary’s account.

Then a waiting period of at least two months begins. However, it can easily be 3, 4, or 6 months. During this period, SAFER (Les Sociétés d’Aménagement Foncier et d’Etablissement Rural) is informed of the sale of a property in a rural area. SAFER has the right to purchase properties exceeding a certain size (which varies by area) for local or agricultural projects. The notary will inform SAFER of the proposed sale. It may take some time for SAFER to approve the sale.

3) Final purchase contract
After approval, the purchase is completed with the purchase contract at the notary’s office. Before the appointment to sign the purchase contract, the buyer must pay the remaining purchase price (90%) into the notary’s account. Do this promptly to account for any bank delays.

And then the moment has arrived! The final appointment with the notary. Here, the notary will read the entire purchase contract before both the buyer and seller sign it. The keys are handed over, and you own your own French property! Congratulations!

Power of attorney

You can arrange a power of attorney to sign both the “compromis de vente” and the final purchase contract. In that case, you don’t have to be present at the notary in person, but you have authorized someone at the notary to sign on your behalf. The process for arranging a power of attorney varies by notary.

©Perfectly Provence

Buying a home in France with or without furniture?

Not every home in France is sold with furniture. However, there are more frequent situations where the house is a second home or a joint family home. In this case, the house sale may include furnishings. If you are interested in acquiring the furnishings, it is important to have the transaction properly documented by a notary.

In France, there is something called “plus value.” If you sell a house within a certain period (up to 30 years after purchase), you must pay tax on the capital gain (sales value – purchase price). Sellers sometimes price their furnishings above their actual value. In this situation, the sales value is lower than the actual value, and they must pay less tax. However, they actually receive a higher amount of money upon sale. If you accept this, your purchase price will be very low, resulting in a higher tax burden as the value increases.

French Property Diagnostics when buying a home in France

In France, homeowners are required to have a diagnostic performed before listing their house for sale. A certified company performs these broad-scope diagnostics. The house is inspected for at least the following:

• DPE – the house’s energy performance certificate. An A is the best score, G the worst. This certificate considers aspects such as insulation value and the heating and cooling methods.
• Amiante et plomb – whether asbestos and lead are present in the house.
• Gaz et electricité – how the gas and electricity installations in the house are constructed, and in what condition they are.
• Termites – the presence of termites in the house and the surrounding area.
• Etat des risques et pollutions – the presence of natural hazards and pollution in the surrounding area. This includes seismic activity and the potential presence of landslides. In this section, you will usually find a cadastral map and maps of the surrounding area.

It is important to request these diagnostics before submitting an offer! The homeowner (and/or real estate agent) is only obligated to clarify these diagnostics before signing the preliminary purchase agreement, after you’ve already agreed upon the price. The diagnostics, however, can reveal critical issues that could affect the property’s value.

There is a significant amount of paperwork; expect to read some 70-140 pages of French terminology. Don’t take this lightly and take your time. It’s important to read these documents carefully to avoid surprises. Personally, I think it’s a huge advantage that these diagnostics are mandatory for home sellers. Take advantage of it!

©Perfectly Provence

Who pays what when buying a home in France?

Seller pays:

• for diagnostics
• any real estate agent
• (chooses the notary)
• capital gains

The seller has the diagnostics carried out on their account. They also pay the real estate agent, if any, a commission of 4% to 10% of the sales value. The seller may choose the notary, but they are not required to pay for the notary’s services. This is on the buyer’s account.

Furthermore, the seller is responsible for any capital gains arising from the property. As the buyer, you have no involvement in this. The notary arranges this with the seller.

Buyer pays:

• purchase price of the home
• any inventory that you are assuming
• the notary (while the seller is free to choose this)
  taxes
• any purchasing agent fees

The buyer pays the agreed purchase price for the house. In addition, the buyer pays for the inventory if the seller has agreed to do so.

The buyer pays for the notary, whom the seller appoints. The notary’s fees amount to 7% to 8% of the purchase price for existing properties. For new-build properties, this is 3% to 4% of the purchase price. This is in addition to the purchase price.

At the notary, you pay the legally stipulated notary fees and expenses, as well as the transfer tax and taxe fonciere. From the moment of transfer, the buyer is responsible for the taxe fonciere, the French property tax. The notary settles the tax for the year of purchase. From the start of the new full calendar year, the French tax authorities will contact the new homeowner.

The buyer also pays any buyer’s agent involved.

Getting a mortgage as a foreigner

Obtaining a French mortgage to purchase a French property is a challenging process. In my experience, it is very difficult, if not impossible, to obtain a French mortgage to purchase a second home in France. Here are a couple of options that you could explore:

Are there mortgage options in your country for a foreign second home? Or you could increase the mortgage on your current home in your home country to free up funds for a second home in France?

If you want to buy a house in France for permanent residence, your chances are better. In that case, you must have a good (French) employment relationship with, preferably, a permanent contract. On these grounds, and with the contribution of your own funds, it is easier to obtain a French mortgage. To do so, you can contact French banking institutions such as BNP Paribas, Crédit Agricole, Société Générale, and Groupe BPCE.

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Lieke Lobregt

Lieke Lobregt is the owner of Lovenests, offering an idyllic stay in Provence. Her Lovenests are charming & authentic homes in the old villages of Provence. Passionate about French homes and the stories they tell, she enjoys sharing her homeowner knowledge to help others benefit.

She has over 10 years of experience in the French real estate market, having worked in the Var region. Her journey of renting out their first Provençal home began in 2025 and taught her valuable lessons.

Currently based in the Netherlands with her family, she is a proud owner of several properties in one of France's most beautiful villages. In Provence, Lieke enjoys the small villages in the countryside, the brocante and farmers’ markets, and the overall simple lifestyle, where food & good company are enjoyed most.