In brief. Preparing a villa for sale comes down to four things: a complete file of title, planning and maintenance documents; the compulsory diagnostics in a valid dossier de diagnostic technique; a house and garden presented at their best and photographed well; and an asking price grounded in recorded sales. Many delays between an accepted offer and the notaire's deed come from missing permits, an undeclared pool or extension and diagnostics that have expired. Starting the file two or three months before marketing avoids them.
The legal points on this page are general information, not advice; your notaire confirms what your particular sale requires.
Step one: assemble the documents
| Document | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Title deed (your acte d'acquisition) | Proves ownership and describes the plots; the notaire starts from it |
| Building permits, déclarations préalables and declarations of completion | Show that the house, extensions, pool and outbuildings were authorised and completed as built |
| Plans and areas | Let buyers and the diagnostician check the accommodation |
| Latest taxe foncière notice | Buyers ask for running costs; the tax for the year is usually shared pro rata in the deed |
| Rules and accounts of a domaine or lotissement | Many villas sit in private estates run by an association syndicale; buyers need the charges and rules |
| Septic system inspection report | Required where the house is not on mains drainage |
| Invoices for works and builders' ten-year insurance certificates | Support the guarantees passed to the buyer and reduce your taxable gain |
| Pool safety device documentation | An in-ground private pool that is not enclosed must have a safety device |
| Utility, maintenance and service contracts | Heating, air conditioning, pool and garden contracts the buyer may take over |
Invoices matter for tax as well: a non-resident seller can deduct the actual cost of works, as explained in capital gains for non-residents.
Step two: order the diagnostics
The diagnostics are collected in a dossier de diagnostic technique, which is attached to the compromis or promesse and to the final deed. Which ones you need depends on the age, location and equipment of the house.
| Diagnostic | When it is required | How long it remains valid |
|---|---|---|
| Energy performance (DPE) | All flats and houses with a floor area of 50 m² or more | 10 years; older certificates from 2013 to mid-2021 have shorter limits |
| Energy audit | Houses rated E, F or G | Ask your diagnostician |
| Lead (CREP) | Built before 1 January 1949 | Less than one year at signing, unless no lead was found |
| Asbestos | Building permit issued before 1 July 1997 | Ask your diagnostician |
| Electrical installation | Installation more than 15 years old | Less than three years |
| Gas installation | Installation more than 15 years old | Less than three years |
| Termites | In a zone covered by a prefectoral order | Less than six months |
| Natural and technological risks | In a listed risk zone | Must be current; ask your diagnostician |
| Sanitation | Individual septic systems and where a local rule requires it | As set by the local inspection service |
| Noise | Within an airport noise exposure zone | Ask your diagnostician |
| Housing information record | Permits or works from 1 January 2023 | Handed to the buyer with the sale |
Each diagnostic is explained for buyers in property diagnostics. A poor DPE rating does not prevent a sale, but it must appear in the advertisement and it shapes what buyers offer.
Step three: check the planning position
Pools, pool houses, terraces, extensions and garages added over the years are the most common cause of delay. Before marketing, compare what exists on the ground with what the permits and declarations of completion describe. Where something was built without authorisation, ask your notaire and an architect how to regularise it before a buyer's notaire raises the question. The rules are summarised in pools, extensions and planning.
Step four: present the house
- Repair what a buyer will notice in the first minutes: stained render, broken shutters, damp marks, tired paint on the façade and the gate.
- Have the pool clean and working and the garden cut, watered and lit for evening viewings.
- Clear surfaces, cupboards and terraces so that the rooms and the views read clearly.
- Service the heating, air conditioning and pool equipment and keep the reports for buyers.
- Make access easy: a working gate, clear directions and parking for visitors.
Step five: photography and plans
Buyers on this coast usually discover a villa online, often from abroad, so the photographs carry the first viewing. Use a professional photographer, shoot in good light with the shutters open and include the view, the garden and the plot as well as the rooms. Add a floor plan with areas that match the diagnostics; inconsistent areas undermine trust. A short video of the approach, the house and the setting helps buyers who cannot travel for a first visit.
Step six: set the asking price
The asking price should follow from recorded sales of comparable homes, adjusted for land, view, condition and permits, not from the hope of the highest price in the area. Our method and the limits of price per square metre are set out in how a valuation is reached; town figures from DVF for 2024 and 2025 are on prices per m² by town. A villa priced in line with the evidence receives viewings in its first weeks on the market, when interest is highest.
Step seven: choose how to sell
Decide between a simple and an exclusive mandate and whether to market openly or discreetly to registered buyers; see selling with Amber Connections, the off-market register and our fee schedule. If you live outside France, appoint a fiscal representative early if one is needed.
Frequently asked questions
Which diagnostics does a villa usually need?
At least the DPE and, depending on the house, the energy audit (for ratings E to G), asbestos (permits before 1 July 1997), lead (built before 1949), electricity and gas (installations over 15 years old), termites, the risks statement, sanitation and noise where applicable.
How long are the diagnostics valid?
The DPE lasts ten years. The electricity and gas reports must be less than three years old at signing, the termite report less than six months and the lead report less than one year unless no lead was found.
What if my pool or extension was never declared?
Raise it with your notaire and an architect before you market the house. Regularising before an offer is simpler than negotiating it during the sale.
Do I need to renovate before selling?
Usually not. Repairs that remove obvious doubts and good presentation pay back; a full renovation rarely does, because buyers at this level often want to choose their own finishes.
How long does it take to get ready?
Allow two to three months to gather permits and old invoices, order the diagnostics and prepare the photographs.
Last updated: 11 October 2026