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In compiling this list of services, we have taken the sweeping
assumption that you will be time strapped and your fluency in French
is not up to dealing with the French bureaucrats that inhabit the
dimly understood world of France's utility services. Deal with France
Telecom on anything other than a very straightforward matter and
you will never complain about BT ever again! And getting a telephone
line installed is often not a straightforward task. We've
been there.
To survey or not to survey...
Immediately after you sign the Compromis de Vente, you have
to decide whether to call in a surveyor or not. Remember, you cannot
have "Subject to Survey" inserted as a Clause Suspensive.
You buy a house here "as seen". At the same time, it is
fairly unusual to have a survey done along the accepted British
lines. New builds come with a 10 year guarantee. Old houses here
are not built like old houses back in the UK. The French take the
view that if a house has been there a couple of hundred years, it
will last another century or two. If it is that crack in the wall
you are worried about, or are unnerved by the sagging roof line
or maybe the ominous looking bulge in the ancient stone wall, then
you may wish to call in a structural engineer to investigate. Whatever
you decide to do, it has to be done very, very quickly, as you only
have 7 days to either pull out entirely or re-negotiate the price
downward according to the engineers estimate of any "put-right"
costs. We can help you find a local engineer or surveyor.
A bank account...
This is the most extraordinary drawn-out procedure and can take
hours. If you do not have the necessary paperwork, it will just
not happen. We believe this complicated procedure is all to do with
stopping money laundering by organised crime. As our bank manager
says (off the record of course), these procedures stop no-one but
honest people, as the gangsters always have a way round these problems.
The fact remains, that you cannot take out insurance (see below)
open an electricity account or any service in France, without providing
bank account details. You can better judge, therefore, the importance
of successfully opening a bank account... and quickly.
No insurance... no completion
You will be asked to hand over your property insurance policy by
the Notaire, at the time of completing the Acte de Vente
process. Such insurance is a legal requirement and, as a Government
appointed representative, the Notaire's job is to see that the law
is upheld. Arrive at the Notaire without the proper insurance document
(in French, of course) and you will have to come back another day.
We will point you in the right direction and accompany you to help
you achieve your insurance policy ... providing you have a bank
account, of course.
The Final Act
You or you duly appointed power of attorny, will have to be present
at the Acte de Vente.We will accompany you as well.
Now what...?
If you have arrived in France for the Acte de Vente in your removal
van, then you move in. We would not, of course, recommend this as
in our experience, houses in France you can just move straight into
and hang you pictures on the wall are few and far between. This
is the time to interview any artisan/trades that you may need to
make you new house in France into your home in France! Not
to mention getting all the services up and running and in your name.
Again, we can help you to arrange all this.
.......
more
We are here to help. Whether you just need a plumber, or assistance
on the whole renovation process, from Permis de Construire
through to Certificat de Conformité... through to
our complete Property
Management Service for absent owners.
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