Buying Property in France: What Nobody Tells You
The independent insider's guide to purchasing property in France, written for first-time international buyers from the US, UK, and beyond. What no French real estate agency will tell you, and what most online resources get wrong.
The guide we wish had existed when we first navigated the French property market ourselves.
It looks familiar at first. There are online portals with property listings. You put in your search criteria. You click a button to get more information from a real estate agent. It feels recognisable. What you do not necessarily realise until you really get into it is that almost everything is actually different.
This guide is not written to persuade you to buy property in France. It is simply to give you an insider's view of the process and independent advice on the key steps you should be aware of if purchasing property in France is something you are considering.
And that is what makes this guide different. This is not a free download from a French real estate agency designed to entice you to buy. It is a thorough, independent analysis of how things actually work, written by professionals who have spent years inside the French property market working with buyers from the US, UK, Australia, Canada, South Africa, Belgium, the Netherlands, and beyond.
What this guide covers
- How the French property purchase process actually works, from first search through to completion and signing
- The structural differences between the French market and the US, UK and other international property markets
- Why there is no MLS in France, what that means for your search, and how to navigate it
- How French property listings work, why they look familiar but describe things very differently
- The private sale market (For Sale By Owner / FSBO) and why around 40% of French transactions have no estate agent involved
- The full cost picture including notaire fees, agency fees, diagnostics, and ownership costs
- How to approach offers, negotiations, and the Compromis de Vente or Promesse de Vente
- What the diagnostic reports cover, what they do not, and what that means for international buyers
- The real differences between buying in France and buying at home, explained plainly
"Nearly 5 years of professional experience in the French property market. Worked with hundreds of buyers from across the world. Sold chateaux for over €2 million and fixer-uppers for under €100,000 and everything in between."
From the book description
The ideal starting point for any international buyer considering a property purchase in France
Whether you are an American buyer dreaming of a holiday home in Provence, a UK buyer planning a permanent move, or an international buyer anywhere in the world considering French property for the first time, this guide gives you the independent foundation you need before you speak to anyone.
Independent, unsponsored, unbiased. Written by professionals, not an algorithm.
Most free property guides available online are produced by French real estate agencies, property portals, or relocation companies whose primary goal is to encourage you to buy through them. This guide has no such agenda. It is written by independent professionals who work exclusively for buyers and are not connected to any agency, any listing portal, or any property transaction.
At $9.99 it is priced to be accessible to any buyer at any stage. And if it saves you from a single costly misunderstanding, it more than pays for itself many times over.
Buy on Amazon for $9.99
When you are ready for truly independent, personalised expert advice on your French property purchase, we are here.
The book is the starting point. When you are approaching a specific decision, a specific property, or a specific moment in the purchase process, our advisory services give you independent, expert input tailored to your exact situation. Fixed fees. Agreed upfront. No commission tied to any outcome.
Ask Us Anything About Buying Property in France
One hour, live by video call. Fully driven by your questions and your situation as an international buyer in France. No two calls are the same.
Get in Touch to BookIn-Depth Review with Document Analysis and Follow-Up
Includes document review before the call and written recommendations after. Particularly valuable when you have a specific property or a specific decision point approaching.
Get in Touch to BookFull Independent Support Through Your Purchase
For buyers who want ongoing independent support from early search through to completion and signing. Scope and fixed fee agreed upfront before anything begins.
Book a Free Scoping CallGoing deeper on the French property market
The book is a strong foundation. These paid guides go deeper on the specific areas that catch international buyers out most often.
If Zillow had written a guide to buying property in France, this would be it. Zillow's 10-step US home buying process compared side by side with the French equivalent. Free download.
Start your French property journey the right way.
Buy the book for $9.99 and build the independent knowledge base you need before you speak to anyone. Then get in touch when you are ready for personalised expert advice.