Buying a property in France as an international buyer is relatively straightforward, but it can sometimes be confusing for those who don’t speak French.
Whether you choose to be represented by an English or English-speaking advocate for your French property purchase or not, it is important and confidence building to understand at least some of what various terms mean. It can be easy to get confused with certain words which may look similar but have completely different meanings.
For example, a friend of mine who was in the process of buying a house in France told me that her estate agent said seeing the property she was about to view would bring her a mouse! Somewhat perplexed, I asked her what she meant. In fact, the agent had said the property would cause her to have a smile on her face (a “sourire“). She had understood “souris” which is a mouse!
In order to help you along your property buying journey, we’ve created an easy-to-follow glossary of French to English terms you may come across. If nothing else, this should provide you with a good background of key French phrases involved in buying a property.
For confirmation on legal terms, please speak to a solicitor or property lawyer. To be put in touch with a trusted lawyer in France, click here.
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A
Abonnement – standing charge
Acompte – deposit, amount paid in advance
Acte authentique – legal papers drawn up by legal professionals
Acte de vente – the final act equivalent to completion in the UK
Acquèreur – the buyer/ purchaser
Agent immobilier – estate agent
Arrondissement – administrative district of Paris
Ascenseur – lift
Atelier – workshop
Attestation d’acquisition – certificate that the property purchase was complete
Attestation de propriété – proof of ownership of a property
Attribution de juridiction – formal signing of a purchase contract
Autorisation de prélèvement automatique – direct debit
B
Bien – a property
Bon de visite – a document an estate agent may ask you to sign to confirm they have shown you the property
C
Compromis de vente – the first contract, like exchange of contracts in the UK
Cave – cellar
Conditions suspensives – conditions noted in the contract such as a sale being dependent on a mortgage
Copropriété – shared ownership of a building such as a block of flats, usually managed by a syndication or all the owners
D
Dépôt de garantie – deposit to be paid on signature of the first contract
Détecteur de fumée – smoke alarm
Diagnostiques – survey of information regarding electricity, gas natural risks, termites, lead paint
DPE – energy efficiency rating
Douche – shower
Douche Italienne – walk in shower
E
Exposition – direction in which a room faces
Entreprise – factory or company
F
Facade – front of property
Frais de notaire – fees of the notary to be paid by the buyer
G
Garde-robe – wardrobe
H
Hypotheque – mortgage
Honoraires – agency fees
I
Immobilier – real estate
J
Jardin – garden
K
Kilometrage – mileage
L
Liste des meubles – an itemized list of furniture
Loi ALUR – A law introduced in France in 2015 to protect owners and buyers of property within an apartment block
Loi CARREZ – legal surface area in an apartment
M
Mandat de vente – a contract between the estate agency and the seller confirming the agreement that the agency should sell the property on the seller’s behalf.
Mesure – measurements
N
Notaire – notary
O
Ouverture – aperture or opening
P
Proprietaire – proprietor
Piece – a room
Pret – a loan
Q
Quotidien – daily (something that occurs daily)
R
Ramonage – chimney sweeping
Ravalement – restoration of a facade
S
Salon – lounge or living room
Société Civile Immobilière (SCI) – a company which owns a property
Syndic – a body of people who own an apartment building
T
Taxe – tax Learn about French property taxes
U
Usine – factory
V
Vente – sale
W
Wifi – Wifi. Pronounced as “vifi” since the French consider W to be “double v” not “double u”.
Y
Y compris – including
Z
Zone – area. In your diagnostic reports there may be reference to a nearby “zone industrielle” for example”.
