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How we work for you during the search process...
Questions, questions....
Once you have contacted us, we will ask you to download an initial
questionnaire that we ask you not to fill-in. Eh?
Well, basically, the questions are there as an aide-memoire
for us to talk about together, as we delve a little deeper into
what it is you hope for in your French property choice. Only after
we have had the chance to speak in-depth, will we really have the
information we need to start our search for your new French home.
We will then fill in this questionnaire for you as a double check
that we have fully understood what you have told us and will then
e-mail it to you for you to amend or agree as you see fit. Only
after we are both happy about what it is you have asked us to do,
can we start to find your place in France.
Money, money, money
Once we have, together, determined the parameters of our property
search, we need to agree a price. Everyones' criteria is different,
we realise, so we operate a "menu" system of arriving
at an acceptable cost for our services. This costing
structure you can inspect by clicking this link.
Whole market search
As this implies, we will then search the whole local market
for you, using all our considerable contacts and local knowledge.
This does mean, of course, talking to all the local estate agents.
At the same time, we will search the local press; search amongst
private websites that selling owners sometimes put up themselves;
we will feature your search criteria on the Property Owners section
of this website; we will talk to the Notaires; check the various
local noticeboards (much used!)... we will even knock on doors!
Thank heavens for the internet...
We will report back to you as soon as we have come up with properties
we feel are suitable. We will do this by e-mail and will also post
our search results up on your private section of this website, so
that you can refer to them easily and whenever you want. This feature
of our service is particularly useful, especially if you have friends
or family that you want to be involved in the decision process.
All you have to do is let them have your private link.
Longlist... shortlist
We let you know about properties as soon as we source them, but
don't forget, that at this stage, we may not have actually seen
them "in the flesh", as it were. What we are looking for,
at this early stage, is your initial feedback as to suitability.
From our subsequent discussions, we can together, decide upon the
next course of action on our way to arriving at a considered shortlist
of properties for you to view. It could be, that a simple "drive-by"
could eliminate the property, for nobody wants an electricity pylon
in their back garden... and you can be sure that the estate agents
or owners photo will not show it! On the other hand, you may be
sufficiently excited about a particular property, that you would
like it thoroughly inspected. Please see below.
Creating a shortlist of properties that you want to follow-up will
be an ongoing process for we may also need time to closely inspect
the property for you, if you have chosen this option. Please see
the section on Property Inspections
on our costing page. The sooner we arrive at our shortlist the
better, for make no mistake, even in a buyers market like this one,
the best properties in any particular category go first. France
is no different from England in that respect. Except that you cannot
gazump (or be gazumped)! Also, assuming that we are working toward
a definite date that you have set aside for travelling to France
to view the shortlist of properties we have found, we need to act
quickly to consolidate the viewing schedule.
Opportunity to see
When the day finally arrives and you wake up on the morning
of your first property viewing appointment, you will expect things
to run smoothly... and they will. For not only will we come with
you to make sure, we will have also made sure that the owner or
agent we are going to see is firmly booked and expecting us, that
they are actually able to sell you that property, have the keys
for it.... and know where it is! We kid you not! We know of instances
of all these things going wrong.
How much...?
Once you have chosen the property that you would like to buy, it
is is time to make that all important first offer. Caution is needed.
No-one wants to pay over the odds, but, at the same time if you
put in too low an offer, you may miss your chance, with another
buyer pipping you at the post. In addition, we have known French
owners take real and genuine offence at a low offer. One French
owner, their pride sorely dented (it's an honour thing), with their
opinion of perfidious Albion now confirmed, promptly withdrew
their home from the market. They did later sell it, but to a Frenchman...
and at a price that would have been acceptable to our clients!
The point here is, that we are likely to know highly relevant facts
about the property, both its presented price and "opinion"
about its true worth. Sometimes we will know how urgent a sale is
needed, or whether the owners have already rejected an offer. Needless
to say we will use all this knowledge to arrive at an acceptable
price for your offer, which represents not just a price with which
all parties are satisfied, but a good investment opportunity for
you.
Promises, promises...
Having decided to buy your French property and your verbal offer
has been accepted, you are now about to enter the French legal system.
You can review the Buying
process and our role in it, by clicking this link.
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