Documentation for the house sale process in France
Paperwork is an important part of the sales process, but it doesn’t need to be complicated.
When it comes to selling your house, your Leggett Immobillier agent will be happy to go through the documents in detail with you.
Mandat de Vente
When you sign up to sell your house with us, you will be sent a sales document called a “mandat de vente” which needs to be signed and returned. The document is in French but we can provide you with an English translation on request. As soon as the signed mandat de Vente is returned, we’ll list your property for sale on our website.
There are different types of mandat de vente.
The two most common are: Mandat exclusive, which means you will market your property solely with Leggett Immobilier and Mandat de Vente sans exclusivité which means you may market additionally with other agents.
The Mandat de Vente lists details about the property and the seller/s. There is often more than one owner, and all parties with ownership ties must all sign two copies as proof of agreement to the sale of the property. The document also contains the cadastral references of the parcels of land included in the sale of the property.
One copy of the signed Mandat de Vente is sent to the seller/s and one copy is retained by Leggett Immobillier.
Should you wish to cancel the Mandat de Vente, French rules require that you send a recorded delivery letter confirming it in writing.
Compromis de Vente
This is a contract of sale agreement which binds the seller and the buyer. It may be drawn up by Leggett Immobilier, or a notaire (public official authorised to handle matters relating to purchases, sales, exchanges, mortgages etc), or a combination of the two.
Information contained within the Compromis de Vente includes:
Full details of the ‘civil status’ of both purchaser and seller (including full names, date of birth, place of birth, marital status etc.)- Description of the property and details of the plot including buildings.
- Confirmation of ownership of the title deeds
- The agreed price, full estate agency fees and estimated notaire’s fees
- Deposit - this is usually 10% and it is paid to, and held by, the notaire.
- Circumstances in which the deposit may be forfeited, obligations of the purchaser and declarations from the vendor.
- Results of the DDT (Dossier de Diagnostic Technique)
- A target completion date – this is not definitive and can be amended if buyer and seller agree.
- A list of any furniture, fixtures or fittings included in the purchase.
- Details of penalties should either side fail to complete the contract.
If the document has been drawn up by Leggett Immobilier’s in-house contract department, you will receive an English translation.
Acte de Vente
The Acte de Vente is issued usually around three to four months after the signing of the Compromis de Vente, by which time the notaire will have undertaken all the necessary checks and paper work and agreed a date for the signing of this final document.
The signing takes place in France at the notaire’s office. Prior to the meeting the notaire will request the balance of funds from the buyer, including mortgage funds. You will be required to provide the notaire with an IBAN (Bank account details) to enable the transfer of funds (less taxes, mortgage repayments or Capital Gains Tax) to your account.
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