selling property in France?

My Mum, for some bizarre, unexplainable reason, has put her holiday apartment in the south of France up for sale

I was talking to her this morning and she says she can’t rent it out now, but even the agents in France have said it could take a while to sell

I said surely you can still rent it out while it’s up for sale, but she was saying that as soon as it sells they have to leave

Is there no chain system in France?

French system is a lot more like the Scottish system in that respect – sales agreements are binding, you can’t back-out and you can’t drag it out for ever and a day like in England.

However, there is nothing to stop you specifying a specific date in the sales agreement (“Compromis de Vente”). Someone makes you an offer, you accept it, but you state that sale goes through on X date. That’s perfectly OK (buyer may well tell you to b*gger-off, of course…)

Also renting in France is a lot different. The tenant has a lot more responsibility usually such as maintaining the property, getting boilers serviced etc. BUT they have a freer reign reagridng decorating… AND they are well protected in terms of their rights and are eligible for normally about 2 years notice, and I think, legally are given first dibs on buying the property if it gets put up for sale.

In short: nothing like the UK.

I think it’s more like Muggsy, says, you’d probably find that it would be near impossible to sell with sitting tenants, hence why they don’t want any complications during the sale.

Chain system? Pyramid selling?

Nope, you put a house on the market either through an agency or “entre particuliers” and when you agree a price with somebody both parties sign a “sous seing privé” at the notaire of their choice. Sold. If the buyer pulls out before signing the final contract they have to pay the proportion of the price agreed in the sous seign to pull out, usually five or ten percent.

If the price is right then things sell. houses along our road have recently sold before the board has gone up so I don’t know why the agent is pessimistic unless mum has priced over the market price.

You can sell with sitting tenants, in the rental market it’s a plus to sell with a reliable payer paying at a good price.

Edit: whist there are no rules, buildings tend to fall into either buy-to-let or owner occupier. Selling in a building that is of the standing that is normally owner occupied would be difficult with a sitting tenant.

Notice depends ont the “bail” but getting people out unless one of your family is going to occupy is near impossible. In the Winter it is simply impossible “trève hivernale”.

In you mum’s case she would be unwise to rent out.