Buying a home in France, step by step
From first search to the keys in your hand — what happens, in what order, and how long each stage really takes.
Talk to us about your search9–12wks
Typical time from accepted offer to keys
10days
Cooling-off period after signing the compromis
5–10%
Deposit, held in a protected escrow account
≈ 8%
Notary & legal fees
The eight stages of a French purchase
The order matters: two of these stages are legal gates with a deadline attached, and missing one can cost you the property or your deposit.
Before you travel
Choose your region first — our area guides exist for exactly this. Arrange your finance in principle at the same time, through your bank or a French mortgage specialist, so you can act the moment you find the right house. Tell us what you are looking for and we will shortlist against it.
Finding the properties
Three ways, and you can mix them: browse the site and flag what interests you, send us your brief and let us come back with a shortlist, or simply talk to us about what you have in mind.
Arranging the viewings
Send us the reference numbers and the dates you can travel. We need about a week’s notice to set up viewings with our local property consultants, so plan your trip around that.
Making an offer
Offers are made in writing, and the French market moves quickly — a property you sleep on is often a property someone else buys. We will tell you honestly where an offer is likely to land.
Signing the compromis de vente
The preliminary contract, and the first legal gate. It binds both parties and sets out the property, the price and the terms. You then have ten days to withdraw without penalty and without giving a reason.
Legal gate — a deadline attaches to this stage
Conditions, mortgage and currency
If you need a mortgage, the compromis must carry a clauses suspensives condition — it lets you walk away without penalty if the loan is refused. Banks typically issue an offer within six to eight weeks. This is also the moment to fix your exchange rate rather than leave it to chance.
The notaire’s checks
The notaire verifies title, boundaries and rights of way, confirms the property is free of charges, and commissions the diagnostics — termites, lead, asbestos, septic system. This takes two to three months, and it is why the timeline is measured in months rather than weeks.
Signing the acte de vente
Inspect the property once more to confirm it is in the agreed condition, then sign the final deed at the notaire’s office and take the keys. If you would rather not sign in a language you do not read, we arrange translation.
Legal gate — a deadline attaches to this stage
Moving your money without losing 4% of it
A currency swing between offer and completion can move the cost of a house by thousands, and a high-street bank will quietly take three to four percent more than a specialist on the day you transfer.
We work with Moneycorp for exactly this reason. You can also fix a rate in advance, which keeps your budget in your own currency and removes the risk of the rate moving against you before completion.
More on transferring money to France →Read on
The detail behind the stages above.
The legal process
What a notaire is, what they are and are not responsible for, and what protects your deposit.
Finance
Raising the money: French mortgages, re-mortgaging, and opening a French bank account.
French mortgages
How French lending works, what lenders look at, and how to get a decision in principle.
Money transfer
Getting your euros for less than the bank will charge, and fixing a rate in advance.
Income tax in France
The 2026 bands, the décote, and the minimum rate that catches out non-resident landlords.
Ready to start looking?
Tell us the region, the budget and roughly when you can travel. We will come back within 48 hours with properties worth the trip.