Following are some of the more common terms associated with buying and
selling French property.
|
2F,
3F, 4F |
Literally translates as "2 faces (sides)", "3 faces (sides)", "4 faces
(sides)". They respectively refer to a terrace house, a semi-detached
house, and a detached house. For more explanation, see
French Property Sizes. |
|
Abri |
A
shelter. Could also be a small outbuilding (e.g. a shed) |
|
Acompte |
Deposit |
|
Agence
Immobilière |
Estate
Agency |
|
Ancien Propriétaire |
The
previous owner |
|
Appartement |
Apartment |
|
Ascenseur |
Lift
(or in North American English: elevator) |
|
Atelier |
Workshop |
|
Bâtiment |
Building |
|
Bon de
Visite |
A form
that estate agents ask you to sign before viewing a house. It is used to
prove that they were the first to show you the house, so that in the
event of you subsequently buying from another agent or from the owner
direct they can still claim their sales commission. |
|
Bon état |
In good condition. See also "Rafraîchir"
and "Rénover". In terms of condition, the terms from best to worst are "très bon état",
"bon état", "Rafraîchir" and
"Rénover". |
|
Bricolage |
DIY |
|
Carte de Séjour |
Residence permit. No longer required for members of the EU (e.g. not
required for UK citizens) |
|
Cave |
Cellar.
If you want to store wine, this could be important!! |
|
Chambre |
Bedroom |
|
Chauffage |
Heating |
|
Chauffage Central |
Central
Heating |
|
Chauffae Central Fuel |
Oil
Central Heating |
|
Chéminee |
Chimney. Also sometime used to mean fireplace. |
|
Clause Suspensive |
A conditional clause which is used
in the "Compromis de Vente". For example, you might add a condition that
the sale of the house is dependent of obtaining planning permission for
an extension. |
|
Compromis de Vente |
Normally the first document signed between the buyer and the seller. It
commits both to the sale of the house. Normally the buyer must pay a
substantial deposit at this stage; if he does not complete the sale then
the deposit is lost. On the other hand, if the failure to complete the
sale is due to the seller, the seller must repay the deposit, plus pay
the same amount again to the intended buyer as a penalty. |
|
Cuisine |
Kitchen |
|
Cuisine Américaine |
A USA-style kitchen (e.g. large, open-plan, with large modern
appliances). |
|
Démenager |
To move |
|
Devis |
Estimate for work. It is wise to always obtain a devis before requesting
work to be done. Note that this is only an estimate, so in the event of
unforeseeable circumstances it is not binding. This is similar to UK and
USA law. |
|
Double Vitrage |
Double glazing |
|
En Tontine |
Inheritance arrangement whereby the
surviving spouse takes full ownership of joint assets. See our pages on
inheritance and taxes for more information. |
|
Entièrement Rénové |
Entirely renovated |
|
F1,
F2, F3, F4, etc. |
A measure of the property size. For details see
French Property Sizes. |
|
Fosse
Septique |
Septic tank. Typically found in rural properties that don't have mains
sewage. |
|
Foyer |
Fireplace. Also sometimes used as slang to mean house (e.g. "Each
'foyer' is entitled to an allotment" would mean that there was one
allotment per house. Also see "Chéminee"
above. |
|
Frais de Notaire |
The fees charged by the notaire. These fees are normally in addition to
the sales prices and include the fee received by the notaire for his
work, plus his direct costs (e.g. the land registration fee that he
needs to pay), plus property sales tax. As these fees can be substantial
and are normally paid by the buyer, one should confirm the amount before
committing to purchasing a property. These fees are regulated by law, so
should be the same regardless of which notaire you use. If both the
buyer and the seller are represented by their own notaires, the buyer
pays the same fee but the two notaires split this fee between them. |
|
Frais
d'Agence Inclus (FAI) |
The estate agent's fees are included in the quoted price. |
|
Grange |
Barn |
|
Grenier |
Attic |
|
Immobilier |
Property (in American English: Real Estate) |
|
Impot |
Tax |
|
Lu et
Approuvé |
Translates as "read and approved". When signing a contract, one is
sometimes asked to hand-write this above the signature. It is intended
to ensure that the person signing cannot claim they did not know what
they were signing. |
|
Maçon |
Builder |
|
Maison |
House |
|
Maison
de Maitre |
Literally translates as (House of Master). The term Maitre is used to
describe certain positions of importance, so the house of a Maitre is a
more formal, somewhat grand style of house. |
|
Mairie |
Town Hall |
|
Mètres Carrés |
Square meter. Used to express the size of a property. Properties are
measured different in France than in the UK, for explanation click on
French Property Sizes. |
|
Meubles |
Furniture |
|
Notaire |
A "notary". Every property sale must involve a notaire, who is an
official responsible for ensuring that the official requirements
associated with property sales are met, that the taxes on the sale are
collected and that the legal aspects of the contract are followed. |
|
Permis
de Construire |
Planning Permission |
|
Pièce |
A room |
|
Piscine |
Swimming pool |
|
Plan Cadastral |
The town plan, which shows properties and parcels of land |
|
Premier étage |
The first floor (in other words, the floor above the ground floor). |
|
Propriétaire |
The
Owner |
|
Propriété |
Property |
|
Plomberie |
Plubming |
|
Promesse de Vente |
Similar to "Compromis de Vente"
(see above) |
|
Proximité |
Close to |
|
Rafraîchir |
To redecorate. Commonly in the form "à
rafraîchir ", which means it is in need of redecoration. See entry for "Rénover"
and for "Bon état". |
|
RDC |
See "Rez-de-Chaussée". |
|
Rénover |
To renovate. Commonly in the form "à rénover
", which means it is in need of renovation. See entry for "Rafraîchir"
and for "Bon état". |
|
Rez-de-Chaussée |
Ground floor |
|
Salle
de Bain |
Bathroom |
|
Salle
d'Eau |
Shower room (or shower with toilet) |
|
Salon |
Lounge (as in living room) |
|
Salle
a Manger |
Dining room |
|
Séjour |
Living room. Similar to "Salon" |
|
Société Civile Immobilière |
A company which is set up to purchase property. Even if one is
purchasing only a single property, this may be a useful approach in
order to avoid tax and inheritance issues. See the articles on tax and
inheritance on this site. |
|
Sous-sol |
The basement. The literal translation is "under-floor" (which, of
course, is where the basement is located). |
|
Surface Habitable |
The amount of living space in a house. Note that this is calculated
differently in France than in the UK (for details, click on
French Property Sizes). |
|
T1,
T2, T3, T4, etc. |
A measure of the property size. For details see
French Property Sizes. |
|
Taxe
d'Habitation |
A local tax, paid by anyone living in a property (either rented or
owned). |
|
Taxe Foncière |
A tax on property (paid by the owner). |
|
TBE |
Short for "très bon état". |
|
Terrain |
Land |
|
Toit |
Roof |
|
Très bon état |
Very good condition. See also entry for "bon état". |
|
TVA |
The abbreviation for "Taxe sur la Valeur
Ajoutée". In other words VAT or
Valued Added Tax (in North American English: sales tax). As in most
countries, this tax is found on a range of goods. If you are discussing
prices or asking for a "devis", ensure that you check if the price
includes the TVA or not. Note that most goods have TVA at 19.6%, but if
you are having work done on your home (provided it is not a new
property) and you have your builders buy the materials, the TVA is
normally reduced to 5.5%. |
