New build and investment property in France

Off-plan apartments and managed investments across France, bought at the same price the developer would quote you directly — because they pay our commission, not you.

Why buyers are looking to France

Demand for new-build and off-plan property in France has grown sharply over recent years, as investors look beyond the UK for stronger capital growth and better returns. France offers both: a stable, tightly regulated new-build market, and a choice of ways to hold the property once it is built.

Sextant speaks with French developers every day. As French natives, we understand the tax and legal detail of a purchase in a way a buyer working alone often does not — and it costs you nothing extra to have that on your side.

What it actually costs you

Nothing. Off-plan developers pay Sextant a commission for the introduction, so the price you are quoted is exactly the price the developer would quote you directly. There is no markup for going through us, and no discount for going around us.

What you get buying off-plan

Buying before completion — VEFA, vente en l’état futur d’achèvement — comes with real, statutory protections most overseas buyers have never heard of.

  • A ten-year builder’s guarantee

    The garantie décennale covers structural defects for ten years after completion — far longer than most resale purchases carry, and it transfers with the property if you sell within the period.

  • Your money is protected as it’s built

    French developers are legally required to hold a garantie financière d’achèvement — a bank or insurer’s guarantee that the building will be finished. You pay in stages as construction progresses, not all at once up front.

  • A tightly regulated contract

    VEFA contracts are governed by the Code de la Construction et de l’Habitation, which sets out exactly what must be disclosed and when. The rules exist to protect the buyer, not the developer.

  • A building built to current standards

    Modern insulation and building regulations mean lower running costs and less maintenance than an older property — and new stock in a sought-after area tends to hold its value well.

Two ways to hold the property

Both start from the same off-plan purchase. Which suits you depends on whether you want to use the property yourself, or hold it purely as an investment.

  • Option 1

    Buy off-plan, use it yourself

    A straightforward VEFA purchase: you buy before completion, pay in stages as the building progresses, and take possession as a normal owner — a holiday home, a future retirement property, or simply a new-build in a location you want to be in.

    • Staged payments tied to construction milestones
    • Ten-year structural guarantee from completion
    • No restriction on how you use the property
  • Option 2

    French leaseback — managed investment

    The same off-plan purchase, let to a management company under a commercial lease once built. The operator handles tenants, maintenance and bills; you receive rent without running the property yourself.

    • A managed, hands-off rental income
    • Maintenance and re-letting are the operator’s responsibility
    • A letting arrangement, not a tax regime of its own

Neither path is automatically better — it depends on whether you want to use the property or simply hold it. Talk to us about which fits before you commit.

Read on

The detail behind buying off-plan and investing in France.