Buying Process

When buying a property in France, it is well worth reading up about legalities before you start your search.


§ Take a look at the Purchasing Legalities to find out how the process works


§ We have a section on French Law to help you dig further into getting your questions answered


§ You may need to use a Bank for your purchase or to arrange a Mortgage


The French Government is trying to increase transparency in house sales by requiring the inclusion in the title deeds of a dossier de diagnostic technique. The dossier will contain surveys on the presence of lead,asbestos and termites in the building, on possible natural or technological hazards and the state of its electrical and gas installation.

House Types in Languedoc

Some types of property that you will find in Languedoc:

• Château
Not so many medieval castles available now, but you might find anything from a late medieval - early Renaissance chateau fort to a Victorian country house.

• Manoir
Manor: grand two- or three-story country house.

• Maison de Maître
Large houses, generally in towns.  Built by the grand bourgoisie.  Three or four stories high.  Typically double fronted and symetrical.

• Ferme
Farm, or small farm "Fermet", often with extra goodies like outbuildings and (redundant) wine making equipment.

• Mas
Stone walls, canal tile roof, asymetric arragement of doors and windows.  Often rendered in ochre or beige.  Often built next to farm buildings of different heights.

• Grange
Barn conversion

• Maison du Village
Easy to find as long as you do not want an attached garden.

• Chalet
Found in mountain areas.  Made of Wood, with decorative balconies. Roofs designed to withstand snow.  Suitable for nearby winter sports.

• Presbyteres
Presbyteries (rectories / vicarages).  Superior houses.  The priest (curé) was generally the most affluent figure in a small community.

• Moulins
Water Mills.  Lovely in Summer.  Often grim in winter.

• Modern Villas
Perfect for people who like pink, and do not mind two-year guarantees of structural soundness.

• Coastal Apartments
Perfect for people who like white, do not mind two-year guarantees about structural soundness, and are prepared to pay twice the price of a similar property inland.  If apartment blocks appeal, you will find like-minded souls in Argeles-sur-Mer, Gruissan, Saint Cyprien, Port Bacares, Port Leucate and Cap d'Agde.

• Hameaux
Hamlets.  It was possible to buy whole hamlets a few years ago. 

Property Buying Process in the Aude

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