WHY DO YOU NEED AN INDEPENDANT LEGAL ADVICE WHEN BUYING YOUR DREAM HOME?

1.A totally different purchasing process : the purchasing process is very different from that in the United Kingdom or the United States, Canada, etc… It is more protective in some ways, slower too, but it involves commitments by the purchaser much earlier on in the process. It is important that these different stages are explained to you at the latest as soon as you have found your dream house. Because too often purchasers do not understand for example what an offer is in French law, what consequences it may have and how carefully it must be drawn up, as it may already be a source of commitments.

2. Only a lawyer can help you to obtain the relevant information : only a lawyer who has in-depth knowledge of the property market may guide you to obtain all the information available on the property that you wish to buy and so help you to make an offer at the market price.

3. Your lawyer is the only person devoted to your interests none of those involved in the purchase (seller, estate agent, notary) is devoted only to defending the interests of the purchaser. Your Advisor is remunerated only by you and his only task is to protect your interests, nothing but your interests and all your interests.

4. You lawyer will help you to understand all your legal obligations if you do not speak French fluently and if you do not know the legal terminology you will not understand what you are actually committing yourself to. If you use the translation software available on the internet you risk having a text full of misinterpretations and false friends. If a translator helps you, they will not be able to give you legal explanations of what they have translated or make comparisons with your legal system for you.

They will also not be able to advise you on different wording for the clauses of the deeds you sign or offer you different solutions from those you thought of.

Do not forget that the French legal system is very different from yours. France is a country that has written law, whereas the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States are countries that have Common law.

This has many consequences when it comes to buying property. One of these is that a notarised deed of purchase has great legal value and that it is almost impossible to change it; you will not be able to have your deed of purchase changed after signature for example, if a fact that you were told verbally is not included in it for example.

Not understanding what you are committing yourself to may have serious consequences, such as for example losing your deposit, not qualifying for a loan, having to spend heavily after your purchase (such as for example having your land marked out, not being able to dispose of land because of a rural lease, etc…)

5. You lawyer can explain the technical information such as surveys and ask appropriate questions : the surveys that are attached to the sales agreement or undertaking are always drawn up exclusively in French and in technical terms. Careful reading of them by a legal professional may give you extremely valuable information and raise questions that you have not seen (such as for example: a roof completely or partly containing asbestos costs much more to repair than one without asbestos; on the other hand some anomalies in the surveys may be minor but seem very worrying)

If you buy in a condominium it is very important to know before the sale the information relating to the work voted or in progress, the situation of the property management accounts, the planned work of the condominium, etc…

Having full knowledge of your plans and your wishes and constraints, your Advisor may advise you in your present and future best interests.

A property purchase is a commitment for many years, put the odds in your favour so as not to regret this purchase.