General advice on buying real estate in France

One of the most important pieces of advice we can give you is to always be accompanied in this complex world of French Real Estate – and not to try to go it alone !

 
 
 
 
 

Find out below why you absolutely shouldn’t try to go it alone !

The vast majority of buyers don't have the professional expertise, local market knowledge or access to the right resources to help evaluate and value a property correctly, let alone uncover all the hidden pitfalls.

A Real Estate Agency can generally only sell its own mandates - which significantly limits the number of properties it can show you.

Real estate agencies are businesses with mandates, sales and commission targets to meet. So they naturally have their own interests to defend. Our Expert Property Angels are freed from such constraints and pressures, allowing them to concentrate solely on the client's needs and optimizing the property transaction.

Foreign buyers, and often French buyers too, don't have the means to inform themselves properly, or simply do not think about, local rules and regulations that could seriously compromise their real estate project and plans to "Live in Provence".

Buyers, not being professionals in the real estate business, are open to "deliberate omissions" and being victims of outright lies. Once you have signed the pre-sale agreement, you're done - literally !

Buyers who attempt to purchase a property "direct-owner" are often convinced that they are smarter than the sellers. In my experience, sellers who deliberately choose not to use the professional services of a Property Angel, agency or competent independent agent, may be hiding trouble that they know good professionals in the trade will normally be able to uncover. As the hidden face of a property is the weak point of any transaction, we advise our buyers and sellers to carry out a Preventive Home Health Report with our partner Les House Doctors before signing the pre-sale agreement.

The courts are full of difficult litigations lodged against sellers by buyers who were inadvertently or maliciously misled, but notably because the buyers tried to go it alone and, very theoretically, "save on agency fees".

Buyers are often unaware of, or considerably underestimate, the importance and scope of all the administrative documents required to prepare the pre-sale agreement (le Compromis de Vente) and the final deed of sale (l'Acte de Vente).

The Advantages of Working with an Expert Property Angel

Buyers who try to acquire a property directly often forget that many vendors want the services of a Property Angel, an Agency or an Agent to :

  • Help them determine the right selling price for their property.
  • Avoid the pitfalls of local regulations.
  • Protect their personal and financial interests.
  • Negotiate a fair price.
  • Guide them through all the administrative procedures.

  • And, in general, to be there to ensure a transparent and smooth real estate transaction, and in particular that the sale of their property does not lead to penalizing delays, disputes or “calculated” legal proceedings.

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The Consequences of Refusing to Work With Professionals

An obvious but essential point : buyers who refuse to work with competent Property Angels, agencies and independent agents, immediately cut themselves off from a large number of properties visited, assessed and validated by these professionals.

Very Important !

Please be aware that contacting local French agencies (as you will automatically be registered in their databases and become de facto “their” client), may severely limit the scope of our intervention – including visits and price negotiations. So it’s best to entrust us with your search criteria, and we’ll carry out the necessary investigations and evaluations. This won’t prevent you from searching on your own, but we strongly advise that if you see a property you really like, please send us a link and we’ll do the validation work and get back to you.

Conclusion

A buyer who seeks the advice of our Expert Property Angels will have access to a multitude of services, quality representation and will pay a more well-founded and justified price. This winning combination logically leads to an easier, faster and smoother acquisition which greatly facilitates the ultimate motivation of all our buyers – to find and buy their dream home in Provence without falling into a real estate nightmare!

 

 

At Provence Property Angels  we work with an extensive, if not the largest, network of partner agents and agencies covering the Vaucluse, which includes the Luberon and Mont Ventoux regions and often beyond. We therefore offer buyers a considerable multiplier effect by having access to thousands of properties. If the property you’re looking for is on the market, we’ll find it!

 

Finally, are you really committed to finding and buying a property ? Then don’t hesitate and ask to be called by one of our Expert Property Angels to discuss your project, and receive our Buyers Beware Advisory document in return ! !

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