Guides for international buyers
Buying in Burgundy, from anywhere in the world.
Practical guides for buyers and sellers who live abroad or have just arrived: how buying works in France, the tax, the villages and daily life. Written by Shawez Ali, real estate agent in Dijon, with the sources of every figure.
Before the guides, a home I filmed in Beaune and presented in English. Also on Instagram and YouTube.
The market and the figures
Foreign buyers in France: the key figures
How many, from where, with which budgets, and what it changes when you buy in Burgundy.
Who buys property in France?
The ranking by nationality, and what each group of buyers tends to look for.
Where foreigners buy in France
The classic regions, the new trends, and the honest case for Burgundy.
The international property portals
Where buyers abroad search, how to read the listings, and what the portals do not show.
Checking real sale prices (DVF)
France publishes the prices actually paid. How to use them before you make an offer.
Buying, step by step
French property buying costs, explained simply
What you pay on top of the price when you buy a home in France: the notaire's costs and taxes, the agency fee, mortgage costs, then the yearly property tax.
Buying in France from abroad
Video tours, electronic signature, power of attorney, payments through the notaire: how to buy a home in Burgundy without flying in for every step.
How to make an offer in France
The written offer, the conditions to include, and how to negotiate with real prices.
The compromis de vente explained
The preliminary contract: what it contains, the conditions that protect you, the deposit.
The 10-day cooling-off period
When it starts, how to withdraw, and what happens to your deposit.
Signing without travelling
Power of attorney, apostille, remote signing by video: how to sign from abroad.
The French notaire explained
Role, costs, and why you can choose your own notaire at no extra cost.
Paying for a property from abroad
The notaire's account, the origin of funds checks, currency, and the fraud to avoid.
A French mortgage as a non-resident
What banks look at, the insurance, the loan offer, and the timing to plan.
The French property surveys
Which surveys the seller must provide, when, and what to look at in each one.
The French energy rating (DPE)
From A to G: what it measures, what changed in 2026, and the letting bans.
Buying a flat in a copropriété
Charges, minutes, works voted and rules: the documents to read before you sign.
Planning and legal checks
Local plan, easements, boundaries, pre-emption, works without permission.
Buying a new build off-plan
Reservation, staged payments set by law, handover and the builders' liability.
How agency fees work in France
Who pays, how it is shown, when it is due, and its effect on the notaire's costs.
How long it takes to buy in France
From the offer to the keys: the usual delays, and how to plan them from abroad.
Money, tax and the law
Yearly property taxes in France
Taxe foncière, the tax on second homes, and the declaration every owner must make.
Rental income tax for non-residents
The declaration, the minimum rates, social charges, furnished or unfurnished.
Capital gains tax for non-residents
The rate, the allowances for holding time, the fiscal representative, and who pays.
The French property wealth tax (IFI)
The threshold, the rates, and what counts when you live abroad.
Inheritance and your French property
Which law applies, children's shares, French inheritance tax, and how to plan.
Buying through an SCI
What a French property company is, why it is used, its costs and its limits.
Buying as a couple in France
Shares in the deed, marriage regimes, the tontine clause: what the notaire asks.
Living in Dijon and Burgundy
Living in Dijon: a guide for newcomers
Neighbourhoods, transport and real prices: what newcomers should know before buying or renting a home in Dijon, from a local English-speaking agent.
Where to live in Dijon
Area by area: the type of homes, the daily life, and how to choose.
Schools and universities in Dijon
The French school system, enrolment, the international section, the universities.
Getting to Dijon
TGV, airports and motorways: how Dijon connects to Paris, Lyon and Switzerland.
Living in Dijon, working in Paris
The TGV commute, hybrid work, and where to live near the station.
Healthcare in Dijon for newcomers
Joining the French system, insurance, finding a doctor, the hospitals.
Retiring to Burgundy
Visas, healthcare, and choosing a home you can live in for twenty years.
Moving to Burgundy: the checklist
Everything to set up after the keys: bank, insurance, energy, schools, car.
Owning a second home in Burgundy
Taxes, insurance, winter, a caretaker, and letting it when you are away.
Homes, estates and businesses
Buying a house in Beaune and the wine villages
How to buy a house in Beaune, Nuits-Saint-Georges or Gevrey-Chambertin: what is for sale, real prices, the checks to make, with an English-speaking agent.
Buying a château in Burgundy: what to check first
Roof, heating, listed status, land and running costs: what to check before buying a château or a manor house in Burgundy, from a local agent.
Investing in rental property in Dijon
Student flats, family apartments, furnished lets and energy rules: what an investor should know before buying a rental property in Dijon.
Homes on the Route des Grands Crus
The Côte de Nuits villages, from Marsannay to Nuits-Saint-Georges, and their houses.
The Côte de Beaune villages
Around Beaune: the wine villages, their houses, and the plain for more space.
The Hautes-Côtes
Green valleys and stone villages behind the slopes, with more land for the budget.
Letting a holiday home: the rules
Registration, energy rating, tax and local rules after the Le Meur law.
Running a B&B in Burgundy
The legal limits, the declaration, the tax, and the house to look for.
Buying a restaurant or hotel in France
The business and the premises, the lease, the licence, the staff, the permit.
Investing in student flats in Dijon
Who rents, where to buy, the right lease, and what to check.
Buying vines or a wine estate
A rare market: the SAFER, rural leases, vineyard shares, and the house that goes with it.
Renovating an old stone house
Permits, materials, craftsmen and grants: what to know before the works.
Selling from abroad
Selling your property from abroad
From the valuation to the money on your account: how a sale works when you live abroad.
Inherited a property in France?
The notaire, the deadlines, the heirs, and keeping or selling.
Wherever you come from
Buying in Burgundy from the UK
The 90-day rule, visas, EES and ETIAS, money, tax when you sell.
Buying in France as an American
Visas, banks and US reporting rules, tax treaties, selling.
From Belgium, the Netherlands or Germany
The figures, the distances, a familiar notaire system, the tax points to check.
An agent who speaks Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi
Buying in France explained in your language: the steps, the documents, the visas.
An agent who speaks Arabic and Persian
Buying in Burgundy with an agent who speaks your language: steps, documents, funds.
Presenting a property on film
Filming a character home: which shots help buyers understand the space?
Plan a film of a character property in Burgundy: show circulation, levels and architectural details without distorting the space.
Preparing the light for a property film without changing the house
Orientation, windows, furniture, patina and visual continuity: prepare a character home for a film that stays faithful to its real qualities.
Preparing an English-language video dossier before an overseas buyer’s visit
Organise captions, plans and documents for a Burgundy property so an English-speaking buyer can prepare a viewing without avoidable ambiguity.
A film cannot answer everything: preparing a character home’s documents
Connect film, plans and verified information when presenting a character home, separating what pictures show from what still needs to be established.
Filming grounds and outbuildings without promising an unverified future use
Present the grounds and outbuildings of a Burgundy property with practical reference points, separating existing features from projects to investigate.
Filming a property without revealing its occupants’ private lives
A privacy sheet for your property shoot: people, personal objects, reflections and versions to check before a film is released.
The sound of a place: presenting the surroundings of a beautiful property
Add a dated listening log to a property film: locations, windows, times and public sources, without confusing video with an acoustic assessment.
The stairs in an older house deserve a proper sequence
Starting point, steps, landing and rooms served: plan a sequence that explains changes of level before viewing an older house.
Presenting a garden in winter without promising a July garden
Arrange current images and dated archives to explain a garden’s seasons, changes and points to revisit, without making an old photograph a promise.
Measuring interest in a property film without confusing views and buyers
Track audience, enquiries, viewings and offers separately, using comparable periods and documented facts to guide marketing decisions.
Preparing a purchase from the United States
American buyers: read a French floor plan before booking a viewing
Match rooms, bedrooms, floor levels and measurements to the photos of a Burgundy property before traveling from the United States.
Traveling from the United States: plan two days of property viewings in Beaune
Plan a short property trip to Beaune with a documented shortlist, confirmed appointments, realistic travel and room for a second viewing.
Selling in the United States before buying in Burgundy: connect the two timelines
Connect a US sale and a Burgundy purchase through available funds, confirmed milestones and questions for the professionals handling both transactions.
Dollar funds and euro prices: build a dated budget for one specific property
Build a Burgundy purchase budget around a specific home, separating its price, documented costs, currency conversion and available reserves.
US-employed buyers: prepare the documents a French bank actually requests
Prepare a property finance file using US employment income: the bank’s document list, reporting periods, variable compensation and translations.
Self-employed in the United States: make your French purchase file understandable
Explain variable US business income without confusing revenue, profit, cash balances and funds available for a property purchase in Burgundy.
From American escrow to a French notary: identify the right person for each task
Identify the roles in a Burgundy purchase when you know American escrow, without assuming equivalent duties or protections.
Used to title insurance? Questions to ask before buying in France
Turn expectations from an American purchase into precise questions for the French notary, without assuming equivalent insurance coverage.
American buyers: have a translation reviewed before signing in French
Plan translations for a Burgundy purchase: decisive documents, version control, questions for the notary and the limits of a commercial summary.
Buying in Dijon: family decisions across time zones
Keep observations, personal preferences and actual decisions separate when your family is reviewing a Dijon property from the United States.
French property: prepare your US tax consultation
Separate the house, income, financial accounts and entity interests before asking advisers about your French property purchase.
Buying through a US entity: who can sign what?
Identify the entity, decision-making authority and necessary documents before an offer on a Burgundy home. An LLC is not automatically a French SCI.
US person: prepare a French bank account application
Clarify the service requested, tax-status information, document list and secure submission route before applying to a French bank.
A Burgundy home: prepare a cross-border family handover
Organize ownership information, document locations, professional contacts and review triggers for a Burgundy property and a US-based family.
Burgundy second home: price the work during your absence
Compare caretaking proposals by what each visit includes, callout terms, exclusions and evidence of work, rather than by the headline fee.
Working from Burgundy for a US employer: what to clarify
Separate employer approval, immigration, social coverage and property requirements before basing a Burgundy purchase on remote work.
French copropriété minutes: trace a project over time
Follow a building project from discussion to vote, funding and completion, then connect the record to the apartment you plan to buy.
French home or condo: which spaces are really yours?
Match gardens, terraces, courtyards and access to the actual ownership documents instead of importing assumptions from a familiar US condominium.
Before an offer: scope a French property inspection
Turn concerns about a Burgundy house into a defined technical brief covering competence, access, deliverables, exclusions and follow-up.
Near Beaune without a car: test an ordinary week
Compare homes around Beaune using everyday journeys, return trips, operating days and genuinely available alternatives.
Insuring a French home: read beyond the premium
Compare insurance for the same property through declared buildings, contents, exclusions, limits, deductibles and the cover start date.
A student home in Dijon: buy for the actual study plan
Before buying for a student coming from the United States, connect teaching locations, academic dates, occupation arrangements and daily independence.
Historic French home: what does “listed” really mean?
Distinguish heritage documentation, monument protection and protected surroundings before drawing conclusions about alterations.
First arrival in Burgundy: from keys to a usable home
Coordinate keys, access, meter records and initial services when completion and your arrival from the United States fall on different dates.
Remote repairs: connect the quote, result and invoice
Follow work on a Burgundy home from the United States without confusing the order, photographs, completion report and invoice.
Internet: check the home, not just the town
Separate network coverage, a commercial offer, installation and room-by-room use before buying a Burgundy home from abroad.
Shipping US furniture to Burgundy: plan the whole move
Compare shipping scope, customs documents, insurance, storage and delivery dates before sending your US furniture to a Burgundy home.
Purchase power of attorney: understand the authority
Before signing from the United States, connect the power of attorney to the exact purchase, people, authority limits and final document version.
What stays with the house: a clear bilingual inventory
Answer an American buyer’s questions about included items by separating presentation, agreement, identification and furniture valuation.
US home sale proceeds: explain the funds to a French notaire
Use the final settlement statement, bank credit and any Form 1099-S to explain US home sale proceeds for a Burgundy purchase.
Preparing a purchase from the United Kingdom
Selling in England, buying in France: when are you bound?
Distinguish an accepted offer, exchange of contracts and the French preliminary contract before linking your sale to a Burgundy purchase.
Pounds to euros: who protects your property funds?
Identify a UK payment provider, its permissions and the protection of your funds before comparing currency services for a Burgundy purchase.
Freehold and copropriété: translating the rights
Separate duration, ownership and building management when comparing English property terms with a French copropriété.
A Burgundy home with your dog: plan both border crossings
Plan documents, the return vet appointment and practical arrangements at your Burgundy home when visiting with a dog from Great Britain.
Solicitor and notaire: agree the scope before you pay
Read the scope of additional UK legal advice for a Burgundy purchase: the law covered, work delivered, person responsible and costs.
UK documents in France: apostille or translation?
Distinguish a UK apostille, certified copy and translation before ordering documents for your notaire and a Burgundy property purchase.
UK State Pension in France: four weeks is not a month
Match the actual UK State Pension payment cycle with monthly bills and annual property expenses before retiring to a Burgundy home.
Moving from the UK to Burgundy: S1 or GHIC?
Distinguish temporary-visit cover, a possible UK-issued S1 and French CPAM registration before relying on a card for your move to Burgundy.
UK school holidays: will your Burgundy home work then?
Match your school’s holiday dates with Dijon’s calendar and actual activity opening times before choosing a family home in Burgundy.
Keeping your UK car when moving to Burgundy
Before keeping a UK car in Burgundy, separate DVLA export rules, customs, vehicle conformity and French registration requirements.
A Scottish Home Report and a French sale file
Buying in Burgundy after buying in Scotland? Map the questions in a Home Report to French documents without assuming they are equivalent.
Ordering firewood in Burgundy from the UK
Plan your first Burgundy firewood order from the UK: log length, stated volume, moisture information, delivery and suitable storage.
Post between the UK and Burgundy: plan both directions
Keeping UK and French addresses? Plan the two postal routes, international redirection exclusions and letters with important deadlines.
British civil partnership: prepare a French home purchase
Buying in Burgundy as civil partners? Give the notaire the precise UK partnership information and separate relationship status from ownership.
Burgundy hedges: arrange maintenance from the UK
Plan hedge work at your Burgundy house from the UK: identify boundaries, timing, the exact scope and useful before-and-after evidence.
Bringing a British home office to your Burgundy house
Moving your UK desk equipment to Burgundy? Check appliances, power supplies, sockets and room layout before improvising with adaptors.
French flat purchase: who pays the next works demand?
Buying a Dijon flat from the UK? Separate the works vote, payment due dates, the sale agreement and the building’s fonds travaux.
Hiring in Burgundy: read the builder’s décennale evidence
Booking French building work from the UK? Match the quotation to the insured business, declared activity and proposed site-opening date.
Taking British garden plants to a Burgundy home
Moving plants from Great Britain to a Burgundy garden? Identify each plant and check certificates, entry conditions and transport arrangements.
A UK driving licence when settling in Burgundy
Planning a Burgundy move? Separate your UK licence, residence situation and vehicle registration before relying on the car for everyday life.
From an English title plan to a Burgundy plot
Buying a Burgundy house with land? Separate the title, cadastral plan, visible fences and boundary records before relying on the garden outline.
A Burgundy septic system is not an English file
Buying a rural Burgundy house from England? Read the French SPANC report and the actual system instead of importing assumptions from English rules.
Keeping an English home when moving to Burgundy
Keeping your English property after moving to Burgundy? Check its council tax treatment before relying on the old bill in your two-home budget.
Moving to Burgundy: update your UK electoral record
Keep the UK address linking your overseas registration separate from your new French correspondence address when settling in Burgundy.
UK rental income after your move to Burgundy
Keeping a UK rental when you move to Burgundy? Distinguish HMRC deductions, the payment you receive and your final tax position before budgeting.
Buying through a UK company: start with its public record
Match your UK company’s public record, director and PSC verification before a French property purchase, without circulating personal filing codes.
Borrowing against a UK home to buy in Burgundy
Understand further advances, remortgaging and net usable funds before treating equity in your UK home as a Burgundy purchase budget.
A French right of way: who can use the access?
A visible track does not explain the rights over it. Identify the beneficiary, route and permitted use before buying a Burgundy property.
Lost your French property deed? Find the source
Selling a Burgundy home from the UK with a missing deed? Identify the notaire or land publication service that can provide the right copy.
UK probate and an inherited home in France
A grant from England or Wales and French succession documents serve different purposes. Establish what each does before planning a property sale.
Smart home devices: plan the account handover
Buying a French home with connected devices? Separate the equipment from its accounts and subscriptions, then plan the handover with its provider.
An empty French home: clarify the insurance clause
Put your actual pattern of absence to the insurer: how days are counted, what visits mean and which conditions apply between Burgundy stays.
A home beside vines: questions beyond the view
A vineyard view also faces a working landscape. Separate what you see from what you know and ask precise questions about the neighbouring activity.
Buying in Beaune: plan an out-of-season viewing
Turn a second Beaune visit into a practical comparison: an ordinary day, a market day and the rooms you would use outside summer.
French DPE: check the document behind the rating
Match a Burgundy listing to the DPE report and its ADEME reference. Resolve conflicting versions before comparing homes from the United Kingdom.
A question about a property?
The simplest is to talk.
I work in English and French every day. I also speak Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi fluently, Persian (Farsi) very well, and good Greek and Arabic. Message me on WhatsApp, in your language.