Key French terms for buying property in France
Elevate Your Skills: Real Estate and Housing Vocabulary in French: Key French terms for buying property in France
Here are key French terms commonly used when buying property in France:
- Achat: Purchase or buying
- Bien immobilier: Real estate property
- Compromis de vente: Sales agreement or contract
- Dossier de Diagnostic Technique (DDT): Mandatory diagnostic surveys on property condition
- Droit de passage: Right of way
- Droit de Pré-emption: Priority purchase right of authorities
- Etat Civil: Personal information included in the sales agreement
- Facture: Bill or invoice
- FAI (Frais d’agence inclus): Including agency fees
- Fosse Septique: Septic tank
- Frais de Notaire: Notary fees and associated legal purchase fees
- Loi Carrez: Law governing measurable living area disclosure
- Mairie: Town hall
- Notaire: Notary responsible for legal aspects and registration
- Plan cadastral: Property and land boundary maps
- Acte de Vente or Acte Authentique: Final purchase-sale contract
- Indivision: Joint ownership (tenancy in common)
- SCI (Société Civile Immobilière): Property ownership partnership entity
- Hypothèque: Mortgage where the property is security for the loan
- Dépôt de garantie: Security deposit paid after signing sales agreement
- Résidence principale: Primary residence
- Résidence secondaire: Secondary or holiday home
- Prix: Price
- Vendeur: Seller
- Acheteur: Buyer
- Agent immobilier: Real estate agent
- Frais d’agence: Agency fees
- Surface habitable: Habitable surface area (floor area)
- Lu et Approuvé: Read and approved (contract signing phrase)
These terms cover the legal documents, actors, ownership types, fees, and key concepts that are essential in a French property purchase transaction.