How to use these guides
Buying a home in France follows a fixed legal path. Most of the surprises come from rules that differ from those at home: the ten-day withdrawal period, the role of the notaire, the transfer duties, the local taxes and the planning code. These guides explain each of them in plain language. Every rule, rate and deadline is checked against official French sources such as Légifrance, service-public.fr, impots.gouv.fr and notaires.fr. Each guide opens with a short answer before the detail.
The guides are general information, not legal or tax advice. For your own purchase or sale, your notaire, an avocat or a tax adviser will advise you; Agnieszka will help you put the right questions to them.
Buying
| Guide | What it answers |
|---|---|
| How to buy property in France, step by step | The offer, compromis or promesse, the ten-day withdrawal period, conditions and the final deed |
| Buying costs in France | Transfer duties, the notaire's fee and agency fees, with worked totals |
| From offer to keys | How long each stage takes and what can delay it |
| Mortgages for non-residents | The 35% and 25-year limits, deposits, insurance and brokers |
| Own name or SCI | Whether to buy through a société civile immobilière |
| Property diagnostics | The reports a seller must provide and what they tell a buyer |
| Glossary of French property terms | Plain explanations of the words you will meet |
Owning
| Guide | What it answers |
|---|---|
| French property taxes | Taxe foncière, taxe d'habitation on second homes, IFI, rent and gains |
| Holiday letting rules | Registration, local rules and tax on furnished holiday lets |
| Pools, extensions and planning | What needs a declaration or a permit; local constraints |
| Inheritance and French property | Reserved heirship, choice of law and gifts |
Selling
| Guide | What it answers |
|---|---|
| How a valuation is reached | Sales data, the limits of price per m² and what makes a price |
| Preparing a villa for sale | Documents, diagnostics, presentation and pricing |
| Capital gains for non-residents | Rates, taper relief and the tax representative rule |
Living here
| Guide | What it answers |
|---|---|
| Buying in Monaco | Residency basics, buying and costs in the Principality |
| International schools | The international schools of the western Riviera |
| Moving to Sophia Antipolis | The technology park, where people live and commuting |
| Getting here | Nice airport, flights, trains and drive times |
To see the towns themselves, go to areas; to ask a question that the guides do not answer, see the frequently asked questions or contact Agnieszka.
Last updated: 11 October 2026