Click on any of the topics to the left to learn more about French property, how to find and buy property in France, and what to beware of when buying property.

If you require a mortgage for your property, this is covered in Guide to French Mortgages.

The guides (at time of writing) that you will receive are:

• Your Guide to Buying an Overseas Home. Covers a range of topics such as:

  • Property prices and trends in various parts of France.

  • Property purchase process and explanation of associated steps (e.g. Contract de Vente, Conditions Suspensives, Cooling Off Period, Acte de Vente, Contrat de Reservation, Garantie Extrinsique)

  • Property purchase costs (e.g. notaire fees, stamp duty, VAT, etc.).

  • Minimising UK and French taxes.

  • Inheritance implications (both UK and France) and recent changes to inheritance laws

  • Potential issues to avoid (e.g. debt attached to the property, rights of pre-emption, planning permissions)

  • If you rent your property, typical rental incomes and tax implications. Factors to consider when buying-to-rent, including essential facilities.

  • Special property considerations (e.g. new regulations for swimming pools).

  • Minimising currency exchange costs and avoiding adverse exchange rate movements.

  • UK and French tax considerations (income tax, capital gains tax, property tax, habitation tax, tax on rental income)

• Your First Step Towards Buying a Home in France. This guide covers a number of the above topics in additional detail, and considers also:

  • 10 steps to buying a property in France, with detailed explanations of each step

  • Advice on what you should do during the property purchase process to protect your interests

  • Key property terms (French, with English translations and explanations)

  • Explanation of the various costs of property purchase in France

• Mortgage Information. Two brochures, which include topics such as

  • Importance of getting mortgage "agreement in principle" to improve your negotiating position when buying.

  • How French mortgages differ from UK mortgages. Potential issues with French mortgages.

  • How to save money with a 'euro-mortgage'.

  • Factors to take into consideration when getting a mortgage, such as minimising possible Inheritance tax and Wealth tax.

  • Loan application, mortgage types and typical requirements

  • Service packages (e.g. translation helpline, legal advice, getting connected to utilities, discounted insurance, general advice, etc).

The above guides and brochures are provided by Barclays, which has been active in France for over 80 years and is the main UK bank active in France.  As such, they are well positioned not only to explain the French property system but also to explain the differences between the UK system and the French system, with special attention to potential issues when buying in France (such as tax, inheritance, and different regulations). You can have your free set of the above documents mailed to you, just by filling out their form:  Click Here.