Buying, step by step
Making an offer on a French property, the right way.
In France, an offer is a short written document, but it already commits the seller who accepts it. Here is how to write it, and how to back up your price.
Contents
You have visited, in person or by video, and you want the property. The next step is the offer, the offre d'achat. It is quick to write, but a few rules protect you, and a well-argued price makes the difference with other buyers.
Always in writing
An offer is made in writing, signed and dated, and sent to the agent or the seller; an email or an electronic signature is enough. It states the property, the price you offer, how you will pay, with or without a mortgage, and how long the offer stays valid, often a few days.
In principle, a seller who accepts your offer in writing at that price is committed to you. The details are then set out in the preliminary contract, the compromis de vente.
Never pay anything with an offer
French law voids any commitment to buy a property for which money is demanded from the buyer at this stage (article 1589-1 of the Civil Code). The deposit comes later, with the compromis, and it is held by the notaire or by a professional allowed to hold funds. If someone asks you for a transfer to reserve a house, stop there.
The conditions to write down
- Your mortgage, if you borrow: the purchase will depend on obtaining it.
- What is included: a fitted kitchen, furniture, a parking space, a cellar.
- Your timing: a signing date that suits you, especially if you sell elsewhere first.
How much to offer
Do not start from the asking price, start from the real sales. In France, the prices actually paid at the notaire's are public: here is how to read them. Then adjust for what makes this property different: the condition, the works to plan, the energy rating, the floor, the garden, the view.
A low offer without arguments often closes the door. An offer explained in three lines, with the comparable sales and the quotes for the works, is read differently by a seller.
How I help
When one of my buyers wants to make an offer, I prepare the comparison with the real sales, I tell the buyer honestly where the price stands, and I present the offer to the seller myself, with its arguments. If several buyers are interested, I tell you so. 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.
Frequently asked questions
Is an offer binding in France?
Once the seller accepts it in writing, the seller is in principle committed to you at that price. As a private buyer of a home, you keep a 10-day cooling-off period after signing the compromis.
Do I need to pay a deposit with my offer?
No. Any commitment to buy for which money is demanded at this stage is void under French law. The deposit comes with the compromis.
How long should my offer stay valid?
Usually a few days, enough for the seller to answer, not so long that you stay tied while you look elsewhere.
Can I make an offer without visiting?
Yes, after a detailed video visit, but most buyers prefer to see the property once before the final deed.