Do I need a building survey before I buy my French property?

Before signing the sales agreement for a house, an apartment, a business, or a building, it is better to know its condition to avoid unpleasant surprises.

If you’ve ever tried to buy and old property in France you will probably have been told – by an owner or an agent – something along the lines of, “the roof has just been redone” or “the building dates from the 17th century, it is not going to collapse now!”. Whilst some may be happy to take this as the received wisdom, the more prudent buyer will evidence of these claims, which is why building surveys are becoming increasingly more common.

Knowing the defects of a property before purchasing it is the possibility of knowingly negotiating, because once purchased the costs of restoring the property will be at your expense, implying a capital gain which may be substantial and not provisioned on your credit or savings.

The seller owner or the real estate agent will often fail to warn you if work is to be carried out. At best, the work may relate to maintenance or renovation operations (for the roof covering the costs run into tens of thousands of Euros) or, at worst, defects that threaten the stability of the building structure.

Since 1997 real estate diagnostics have gradually appeared (lead diagnostics (CREP), termite diagnostics, etc.) but the information of the buyer remains partial. What is the condition of the frame, roofing, walls (cracks, humidity, etc.)? Many aspects that British buyers typically expect from a structural survey are not in fact a standard part of a French survey!

By working for our mainly Anglophone clients who are used to and often required to carry out a technical inspection (building survey) before any real estate purchase, I have observed many times the usefulness of these detailed reports.

The number of repairs estimated in the report often allows my clients to negotiate the purchase price. It is also the surest way to know the all-inclusive cost of the acquisition to include it in the mortgage.

If the approach is new in France, it is well accepted by the agents and the owners because the expert report releases them from possible lawsuits after the sale. If an agent or an owner refuses the visit of an expert, flee!