This section of the website is designed to help you with information about important topical issues in France. For many of these issues, there is a good chance that you will have already received conflicting advice from different sources.

As with every part of the service at International Mortgage Brokers, the information given here is completely honest and unbiased. It is aimed to give you a general overview of the topics only. Although these pages do contain general guidance, professional assistance should always be sought before engaging on the purchase of an overseas property.

Click_here to get your FREE French mortgage quotation

Obtaining a survey
Although many lenders do not require a survey of the property for the mortgage, we always recommend that a full survey be carried out before you purchase your property.

The survey can be carried out by a range of different companies, all resulting in different levels of information in the report. The survey can be carried out by your estate agent although this is not usually the best source for an independent survey.

Another solution is to contact an Expert Immobilier. This profession is very different to the more familiar Agent Immobilier. The Expert Immobilier tends to specialise in different segments of the property field, for instance private housing, commercial property etc. Statements seen in the foreign press purporting to suggest that the French do not have professional valuers and surveyors are untrue.. The Expert Immobilier will have private clients, institutions and banks, loss adjustors and members of the legal profession, Notaires or Advocates.

He is often called upon to produce valuation and survey reports for submission to the Courts where perhaps there is a divorce settlement to resolve, or by the tax authorities in settlement of an Estate. He is bound by the Civil Code to use prudence and due attention and will have Professional Indemnity Insurance.

Another alternative is an architect or surveyor and these should be considered if you are thinking of purchasing an older property, or one that you want to renovate. An architect or surveyor will have experience with planning and obtaining permissions and will be able to give an estimation of the cost. They should also know of reputable builders.

Currency Services
When buying a property abroad it is important to take into consideration the effect that exchange rates between Euros and Pounds is going to have on your property purchase. This can prove costly if the exchange rate moves against you from the time you place a deposit to making the final payment for the house.

If you are paid in Sterling and your mortgage payment is in Euros, as the exchange rate fluctuates so will your monthly mortgage payment amount. Currency traders can help to lock in the monthly mortgage payment exchange rate if your mortgage is in a foreign currency.

Legal Representation
Using a specialist lawyer when purchasing overseas is completely essential to ensure that the property purchase transaction is exactly what you expected.

One point to remember is that you wouldn't purchase a house in the UK without the use of a solicitor. When buying overseas, the potential problems will not be so apparent and may not be covered at all by the property sales agent.

Not only will contracts be in French, but the Notary will speak French and obviously French Law is very different to UK law. Using a Lawyer enables you to fully understand any contract that you sign and of the full implications of local planning laws.

At International Mortgage Brokers we only use tried and tested lawyers for overseas property purchase, as the standard across France varies dramatically. We have been working with our current lawyers now for over five years.