Pitfalls of Buying Property in France: A Buyer's Warning Guide

French conveyancing has a reputation for being slow, but it is also heavily regulated. FrenchEntrée describes the process as "very well organised and secure", and the protections built into it are genuinely strong. The pitfalls below mostly come down to not using those protections, or not knowing they exist.

They fall into three groups: mistakes made before an offer, mistakes made when signing the compromis de vente (the preliminary contract) and problems that surface after you own the property. Each one comes with the safeguard that prevents it.

Before you make an offer

1. Assuming that owning a home lets you live in France

Buying a house in France gives you no right to live there. GOV.UK confirms that UK nationals can stay in the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa, and second-home owners may be asked to prove ownership with a tax or utility bill. To stay longer, you need a long-stay visa, applied for before you travel. If your plan is to live in France rather than holiday there, sort out the visa route before you commit to a purchase.

2. Underestimating the costs on top of the price

The figure commonly quoted by French banks and the Paris notaries' chamber is that acquisition costs, usually called notaire fees, come to around 7 to 8% of the price for an older property and 2 to 3% for a new build. Caisse d'Epargne's breakdown puts around 80% of that down to transfer taxes, with the notaire's own fee and disbursements making up the rest.

That figure has moved. The 2025 French finance law allowed departments to raise their share of the transfer tax (the droits de mutation) by 0.5 points, to 5%, from 1 April 2025, according to service-public.fr. First-time buyers purchasing a main home are excluded from the increase. The rate depends on the department, so ask the notaire for an exact figure for the property you're considering.

Agent fees are a separate cost, and they may or may not be included in the advertised price. FrenchEntrée's estimate that notaire and agent fees together can add 10 to 15% to the price of an older home shows how quickly the total grows. Our guide to notaire fees and the real budget you need works through the numbers.

3. Viewing through rose-tinted glasses

A sunny spring viewing tells you very little about a property in January. FrenchEntrée recommends visiting at different times and in different seasons, for example on a Friday or Saturday evening as well as a weekday afternoon, and checking access rights over any private lanes or neighbouring land. It also suggests asking why the sellers are moving, because a death or divorce can delay a sale.

4. Being unrealistic about renovation

FrenchEntrée's advice is to budget generously, be realistic about your DIY skills and overestimate renovation costs. Get builders' quotes before you offer, not after. Check whether planning permission is needed for the work you have in mind.

Location matters here too. According to the French Ministry of Culture, works that change the outside of a building within 500 metres of a listed monument, and within its line of sight, need the approval of the Architecte des Bâtiments de France. In a historic village, that can affect windows, roofing materials and even paint colours.

When you sign the compromis de vente

5. Signing without a loan condition

If you need a mortgage, the compromis must include a condition suspensive d'obtention de prêt, a loan condition. It lets you walk away and recover your deposit if your loan is refused. French consumer law sets a minimum of one month for the condition, and FNAIM, the French estate agents' federation, notes that 45 to 60 days is common in practice. Make sure the clause states the loan amount, maximum interest rate and term, and allow enough time for your lender. Our guide to getting a mortgage in France explains the application process.

6. Treating the cooling-off period as longer than it is

After signing the compromis, a non-professional buyer of a home has 10 days to withdraw without giving a reason or paying a penalty. This is set by Article L271-1 of the French Code de la construction et de l'habitation. Once the 10 days have passed, pulling out without a valid condition usually means losing your deposit. Use those 10 days to read every document, not to celebrate.

7. Relying only on the seller's notaire

In France, one notaire often handles a sale for both sides. You're entitled to appoint your own, and FrenchEntrée points out that a bilingual specialist can be valuable for UK buyers. Using two notaires does not double the cost: the regulated fee is shared between them, as French property publisher PAP and insurer MAIF both explain.

8. Not reading the diagnostics

The seller must provide a dossier de diagnostic technique, a set of mandatory reports attached to the compromis. Depending on the property, notaires' guidance and the Institut national de la consommation list:

• an energy performance rating (DPE)
• a lead report for homes with planning permission granted before 1949
• an asbestos report where permission was granted before July 1997
• a termite report in designated areas
• electricity and gas reports where the installations are over 15 years old
• a natural risks and pollution report
• a drainage report for homes not connected to mains sewerage

These reports tell you what you're buying. Read them with your notaire before the cooling-off period ends.

Ready to start your search with these checks in mind? Browse property for sale in France, with listings updated daily across every region.

Problems that surface later

9. Inheriting a non-compliant septic tank

A home that isn't connected to mains sewerage has its own drainage system (assainissement non collectif). If the drainage report shows it doesn't comply, the law is clear: either the seller does the work before the sale, or the buyer must bring the system into compliance within one year of the sale. This is confirmed in a French government answer to a parliamentary question, citing the Code de la construction et de l'habitation. FrenchEntrée adds that the drainage report must be no more than three years old. Get a quote for any remedial work before you sign and factor it into your offer.

10. Overlooking SAFER on rural land

If the property includes agricultural land, the notaire must notify SAFER, the regional rural land agency. According to notaires.fr, SAFER then has two months from receiving a complete file to decide whether to buy the property in your place. If it stays silent, it is treated as having waived the right. Either way, build those two months into your timeline.

11. Skipping a building survey



The diagnostics are not a structural survey. FrenchEntrée notes that while the diagnostic reports are a legal requirement for the seller, a building survey is something the buyer has to ask for. For an older or larger property, the cost of a survey is small against the cost of a hidden structural problem.

12. Ignoring French inheritance rules

French law protects children's inheritance through forced heirship, and FrenchEntrée explains that a law of 24 August 2021 strengthened that protection for property in France, even where another country's law is chosen in a will. How you buy, in one name, jointly or through a company, affects what happens later. Raise it with your notaire before the final deed, and read our guide to inheritance tax in France.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long can I stay in France if I buy a property?
Owning a property doesn't change your immigration status. UK nationals without a visa or residence permit can stay in France, and the wider Schengen area, for up to 90 days in any 180-day period, and GOV.UK confirms that earlier visits in that window count towards the total. To spend longer in your French home, you'll need a long-stay visa from the French authorities, applied for before you travel. Check the requirements for your situation on the official France-Visas website.

What are the hidden costs of buying a house in France?
The main extra cost is acquisition costs, commonly estimated at 7 to 8% of the price for an older property and 2 to 3% for a new build, most of which is transfer tax. Since 1 April 2025, most departments have raised their part of that tax by 0.5 points, according to FrenchEntrée. Other costs include agent fees if they're not included in the price, a building survey, any remedial work flagged in the diagnostics and mortgage arrangement costs. Your notaire can give you an exact figure before you sign.

Can I pull out after signing the compromis de vente?
Yes, within 10 days. French law gives non-professional buyers of a home a 10-day cooling-off period after signing, during which you can withdraw without a reason or penalty. After that, you can only withdraw without losing your deposit if a condition in the contract isn't met, for example if your mortgage is refused and the compromis includes a loan condition. That's why the conditions you include at signing matter so much.

Do I need my own notaire in France?
It isn't compulsory, but it's worth considering. One notaire can act for both buyer and seller, and the notaire's role is to make sure the sale is legally valid. Appointing your own means someone is looking only at your interests. It doesn't cost more, because the regulated fee is shared between the two notaires. For UK buyers, choosing a notaire who speaks English, or using a specialist adviser alongside, can make the process much clearer.

Buy with your eyes open

Buying property in France is safe when you use the protections the system gives you. Several of the costliest pitfalls happen at the compromis stage, so that's where to slow down: include a loan condition if you need one, use the 10-day cooling-off period properly, read the diagnostics and consider appointing your own notaire. Budget for acquisition costs at today's rates, and build SAFER and septic checks into your timeline for rural property.

When you're ready to look, set up a free property alert on propertyinfrance.com to hear about new listings first, or browse more than 5,000 properties for sale in France. For the full process step by step, read our guide to how to buy a property in France.