The Complete Guide To Buying A Property In France: Buying, Renting, Letting, Selling

by Davey, Charles

• ISBN13: 9780749442613
• ISBN10: 0749442611
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-01-30
• Publisher: Kogan Page Ltd

Summary

Praise and Reviews "Packed with practical, expert advice, this is an indispensable guide on how to avert disaster when purchasing a French property. With step-by-step guidance, it deals with the finer details to make your move a stress-free success. No prospective buyer should be without it."- Everything France"A practical guide that deals with all the relevant issues."- Mortgage Advisor and Home Buyer"A constant reference point."- French Property LinksMore and more people are buying property in France. The climate, culture and lifestyle make it a very seductive proposition. This fully revised second edition of The Complete Guide to Buying Property in Franceis the most informative and best-value book available on the subject. It is packed with expert advice on every issue you will need to consider, including:choosing your location - the regions of France, their property markets and transport linksevery step of the purchasing processfinancing your purchaseFrench inheritance and taxation ruleshealth and educationadapting to your French lifestylerenting and letting a home in Francesetting up a business in FrancePacked with practical details such as useful vocabulary, Web sites, contact addresses, flight information and sample letters, it is your essential companion to avoiding the pitfalls and turning your dream into a reality.

Table of Contents

Preface	xiii
Acknowledgements	xv
Choosing your location	1	(16)
Climate	1	(4)
Property prices and the cost of living	5	(3)
Employment	8	(1)
Crime	8	(1)
Noise and pollution	9	(1)
Tourists	9	(1)
Education	10	(1)
Proximity of facilities	10	(1)
The local population	10	(1)
Transport links to the UK	11	(1)
Availability of English-speaking contacts	12	(1)
British/Irish/American goods and services	12	(1)
Flooding	13	(2)
Termites	15	(1)
Drought damage	16	(1)
Other hazards of nature	16	(1)
The regions	17	(65)
Nord-Pas de Calais	20	(3)
Normandy	23	(3)
Picardy	26	(1)
Paris and lle de France	27	(2)
Champagne-Ardennes	29	(2)
Lorraine and the Vosges	31	(1)
Alsace	32	(2)
Brittany	34	(5)
Les Pays de la Loire (Western Loire)	39	(2)
Centre -- the Loire Valley	41	(2)
Bourgogne (Burgundy)	43	(1)
Franche-Comte	44	(2)
Poitou-Charentes	46	(4)
Limousin	50	(2)
Auvergne	52	(2)
Rhone-Alpes	54	(3)
Aquitaine	57	(4)
Midi-Pyrenees	61	(3)
Languedoc-Roussillon	64	(3)
Provence (excluding Alpes Maritimes)	67	(4)
Cote d'Azur -- Alpes Maritimes	71	(8)
La Corse	79	(3)
Renting a home in France	82	(22)
Reasons to rent	82	(2)
Finding a home to rent	84	(2)
The protection afforded by French law	86	(1)
The rental agreement	86	(7)
Before you move in	93	(2)
When you come to leave	95	(1)
Resolving disputes	95	(1)
Representation	96	(8)
The purchase of your home	104	(26)
The first step: deciding on legal advice	104	(1)
The French notaire and the solicitor	104	(2)
Title insurance	106	(1)
Methods of owning a property	107	(1)
Finding a property and negotiating with the vendor	108	(6)
Declaring at an undervalue	114	(1)
Purchasing at auction	114	(1)
Viewing the property	115	(5)
Surveyor's report	120	(2)
Transfer of the property	122	(3)
Fixtures and fittings	125	(1)
The costs of purchase	126	(1)
The purchase of farms	126	(1)
Local property taxes	126	(1)
Insurance	127	(3)
Mortgages and financial assistance for the housebuyer	130	(6)
Loans and financial packages for the house purchaser in France	133	(1)
Buying a future retirement property to let	134	(1)
Other financial assistance	135	(1)
Buying a new property and having a property built	136	(9)
Building plots	136	(2)
Planning and building regulations	138	(2)
The building contract	140	(1)
Buying from a developer	141	(2)
The four guarantees	143	(2)
The purchase of an apartment or private property on a housing development	145	(3)
Heating your home and optimizing your utility bills	148	(9)
Choosing how to heat your home	148	(1)
Electricity	148	(1)
Oil (mazout or fioul)	149	(1)
Gas	149	(1)
Wood	149	(1)
Solar energy	150	(1)
Carbon monoxide poisoning	151	(1)
Electricity bills	152	(2)
Gas bills	154	(1)
Water bills	154	(1)
The telephone	155	(1)
Standing orders	155	(1)
Moving house	155	(2)
Settling in	157	(22)
Your right to stay in France	157	(1)
Retiring to France	158	(1)
Payment of other UK benefits while living in France	159	(1)
Entitlement to French state benefits	160	(1)
Importing your belongings	160	(1)
Pets	161	(1)
Your car	162	(1)
Taking and transferring money to France	163	(1)
A French bank account	164	(1)
Your regime matrimoniale	165	(1)
Pacte Civil de Solidarite	166	(1)
Your children	166	(1)
Pool safety	166	(1)
Household insurance	167	(1)
Communications: the telephone and postal system, fax, Minitel and the Internet	168	(2)
Television and satellite	170	(1)
Welcome to France	170	(2)
Speaking and learning the language	172	(2)
Formalities	174	(1)
The black market	175	(1)
Your neighbours and you	175	(2)
Noisy and nuisance neighbours	177	(1)
Taking French nationality	178	(1)
Letting and selling your French home	179	(9)
Holiday lettings	179	(3)
Longer-term lettings, unfurnished	182	(1)
Longer-term lettings, furnished	183	(1)
The nightmare tenant	184	(1)
Insurance	184	(1)
Income tax	184	(1)
Financial incentives for prospective landlords	185	(1)
Selling your property	186	(2)
Education and health	188	(17)
Pre-school care	188	(1)
Nursery school education	188	(1)
Choices for primary and secondary education	189	(1)
The French system -- state and private	190	(2)
Ecole primaire (from ages 6 to 11)	192	(1)
College (from ages 11 to 16)	193	(1)
Lycee (for ages 16 to 18)	193	(1)
Bilingual children	193	(2)
University education	195	(1)
Les grandes ecoles	195	(1)
Distance learning -- l'enseignement a distance	196	(1)
Obtaining information	196	(1)
The Open University	196	(1)
Healthcare and the French health system	197	(3)
Your rights to medical care in France	200	(1)
The system of reimbursement	201	(1)
Language difficulties	202	(1)
Emergency treatment	202	(1)
Vaccinations	203	(1)
Reform of the health system	203	(2)
Working and setting up a business in France	205	(13)
Employment	205	(3)
Income tax	208	(1)
Starting and running a business in France	209	(3)
Taxation of businesses	212	(2)
The purchase of a business	214	(1)
Business premises	215	(1)
Bank finance	215	(1)
State aid	215	(1)
Jeune Enterprise Innovant (JEI)	216	(1)
Insurance	216	(2)
French inheritance laws and the taxation of capital	218	(10)
Rules of succession	218	(3)
Making a will	221	(1)
Procedure on death	222	(1)
Inheritance tax	223	(2)
Wealth tax	225	(2)
Capital gains tax	227	(1)
Appendix 1 Useful addresses	228	(25)
Appendix 2 Direct flights from France to the UK and Ireland	253	(5)
Appendix 3 Useful French words and phrases	258	(12)
Appendix 4 Abbreviations and phrases used in property details	270	(2)
Appendix 5 Pet travel scheme -- approved routes and carriers	272	(3)
Appendix 6 Public holidays	275	(1)
Appendix 7 Further reading	276	(1)
Index	277	(6)
Index of advertisers	283