Property Purchase Assistance Services
It is important that clients know, before anything else, exactly what the service is that we offer, and our fees. Our service is unique, complete, and personal.
Advice/Information on every area of France, specialising in Brittany, Normandy, Gascony/Aquitaine. Initial consultation (up to half a day) to understand your requirements and your parameters. We come to you for these discussions, or we meet in Guildford, and/or talk over the telephone or by email. One of the most important aspects is the sort of property you should be looking at, depending on whether you wish to make a permanent move, use the property for investment, or as a holiday home a few weeks a year. If you like what you hear, we complete the registration and information forms together, and off we go! We research the area for you, and focus on those properties which will best suit what you have told us are your needs. If we find something exceptional in your price range, we will make sure that we include that as well, though it may not appear to fit your criteria. We will accompany you to visit the properties, and, having perhaps made a shortlist of two or three from the six or so we would initially show you, talk to the Estate Agent and the Notaire to gain further information and arrange a second visit. The Notaire will be able to tell us of any potential impediment to the purchase (a new runway at the bottom of the garden, and so on!), while the Estate Agent will be able to discuss the history and work needed on the house, how long it has been on the market, how keen the vendors are, etc. At this stage, we can arrange for a surveyor to go round the house with us, to clarify any potential problems (or give it the all clear!) Unlike many similar organisations in the UK, we use local legal and financial services, which we find gives better results, in terms of costs and timescale. Having said that, we have a team of financial advisors in the UK who are very familiar with administering mortgages for properties abroad, and you may feel more comfortable dealing with them. We translate the “compromis de vente”, and other documents, including the deeds, and give you a full report on that and other relevant searches and surveys you might require. Our checklist gives you an idea of the depth and thoroughness of the enquiries we undertake, and the awkward questions we ask. We assist you to set up a local bank account, which will be essential for the smooth running of the property. On completion, we accompany you once more, to sign any outstanding documents. At this point we try to arrange a meeting with the Maire of the Commune, because there can be no better ally in a French rural/semi-rural community than good relations with the Maire and the council.
We work on a flat fee for these services, of £4,500 (8,000€) plus VAT.
This includes:
three visits to France, each of four days duration, to:
Research a long-list of properties Help you bring this down to a final decision Sign all relevant documents, and make contact with the Maire
All translation work All summarising and report-writing All liaisons with Maître Notaire and the Maire of the Commune Assisting with mortgage and other financial requirements Assisting with bank accounts, cards etc You do not pay anything until you have found the right property, even if it takes a year! Then we ask you to pay 50%, with the outstanding amount, including any incidentals, payable at completion of the purchase.
Supplementary four day visits are charges at £500.00 (850€) plus VAT, plus up to £100 (140€) per day for expenses.
A supplementary service includes:
Full Project Management, for all renovation/restoration work, including:
Being a bespoke service, this is available by negotiation, depending on your particular requirements, and we tailor our fees accordingly.liaison with the authorities, surveyors, builders, carpenters, though, of course, not architects, surveyor or builder’s fees, nor building materials, nor fees for planning authorisation or any other administrative or service fees payable. Our being on site as and when required, or following your instructions. Daily or weekly consultation and/or progress updates by telephone or email.