Useful Information

	Step 1: Prepare your house hunting trip A few words of advice before taking off to France:
	Plan on visiting more than one or two houses. You might be disappointed by your first choices and charmed by another one.
	Take at least a couple of complete days dedicated to visiting only. It is better not to travel and visit the same day.
	Wear comfortable clothes and shoes.
	Be on time and if running late give a call.
	Avoid bringing the whole family ! It can be quite exhausting.
	Express your needs ! Buying a house is a difficult choice : don't be ashamed if you are not sure of what you want. Expressing your needs and desires openly to the agent is the best way to help him/her find the property you really want. It will save your time and the Agent's.

	Step 2: Ready to buy? It is time for the "Compromis de vente" You have seen the house, you like it and you have decided to buy : Once the offer is made and accepted, you now need to sign a "Compromis de Vente". In France you are legally bound by that step so the Compromis de Vente should not be taken lightly: You pay a deposit of 10% of the purchase price at that moment and the property is then taken off the market. When the Compromis is signed:
	It sets out the detail of the property you are buying and the price, including fees
	The buyer pays a deposit of 10% of the purchase price
	The property is taken off the market
	Conditions that will allow you to withdraw from the sale are specified (example: failure to obtain mortgage, termite test failure, etc)
	Step 3: Double-Check your future house Once the Compromis is signed, a period of 6 - 8 weeks follows were all necessary research is carried out by the Notaire. Building surveys are not common in France. If required, the Agent can arrange a full structural survey. This time is usually also used by the buyer to finalize any loans that may be needed to purchase the property. You might also need to take advice on your inheritance provisions. Your Agent can answer your questions on this point.
	Step 4: Final Contract, the "Acte de vente" Once everything has been validated and the buyer's payment has been send to the notaire's office, the final contract, called the "Acte de Vente" is signed at the Notaire's office. The buyer pays the balance of the purchase price to the Notaire who in return pays the vender. You will need to provide at this step a copy of your birth certificate and a copy of a marriage certificate (if applicable), both translated into French. You will then go to the property on the signing day, as the final contract has a clause saying 'sold as seen on signing date'. You can also discuss what the vendor is taking and leaving as part of the sale.

French Inheritance Laws and Taxes

There are two issues that one should consider in regard to French inheritance:

	Restrictions. The French law on inheritance limits who you can leave your assets to and how you can bequeath them. You may not even be able to leave your assets to your wife!
	Taxes. Inheritance tax in France can be very high (up to 60%).

Unlike the UK, you do not have complete freedom in terms of whom you leave your French property and other assets to. French inheritance law specifies that your relatives have rights to a certain proportion of your estate. The proportion that is due to your legal relatives is known as the Reserve Legale, while the proportion that you can freely give away is known as the Quotit Disponible.

To illustrate this, consider the case where you are survived by one child. This child would be entitled to half your estate. If you had two children they would be entitled to one-third each; with three children they would be entitled to one-quarter each. If you have no children that survive you, other members of your family (e.g. surviving parents) may qualify as legal heirs and therefore are entitle to a share of your estate. This is based on the French legal principle that property should be preserved within the bloodline.

A husband or wife is not a legal heir and therefore has no legal entitlement to a share of your estate.

French inheritance law applies not only to assets distributed upon your death, but also to assets which you give away during your life. Therefore, you cannot avoid the Reserve Legale simply by giving things away before you die. Your legal heirs can challenge any gifts during your lifetime, legally demanding the share to which they are entitled.

Likewise, you cannot necessarily avoid inheritance taxes by giving items away prior to your death. From a tax perspective, gifts are treated in the same way as inheritance and taxed at the same rate.

Fortunately, there are steps which can be taken to avoid (or at least minimise) the problems. Furthermore, depending on your individual circumstances and wishes, they can be simple and inexpensive. Professional advice is available and highly recommended.

Travelling to Brittany

If travelling by sea and car, Brittany Ferries offer a very reliable and comfortable service from the UK:

Portsmouth to Caen

Portsmouth to St. Malo

Portsmouth to Cherbourg

Poole to Cherbourg

Plymouth to Roskoff

Crossing times vary according to destination, and subject to weather conditions, Brittany Ferries also offer a high speed service to Caen and Cherbourg.

Bookings can be made online at www.brittany-ferries.com

Irish Ferries offer a service from Rosslare to Cherbourg. Details at www.irishferries.com

P & O Ferries offer a service from Dover to Calais every day except Christmas Day. Details at www.poferries.com

Condor Ferries operate Seacats from February to December from Poole or Weymouth to St. Malo via the Channel Islands. Details at www.condorferries.com

If you are travelling by air, the following offer offer discounted return regular services to Brittany:

Flybe at www.flybe.com

Ryan Air at www.ryanair.com

Aer Arann at www.aerarann.com

Accommodation

Brittany offers a range of accommodation to suit all circumstances and budgets.

Self catering - there are numerous 'gites' (a self-catering holiday cottage) in Brittany and many can be found advertising on the Internet. Some 'gites' are available on a long term let basis for those who are house hunting and have already sold up at home.

Bed and Breakfast - or 'Chambre d'Hote' are found in abundance, many being run by Ex Pats who offer a very comfortable and welcoming service. All Tourist Offices have details of Bed and Breakfast facilities. The following websites list gite and B & B accommodation:

Regional Tourist Offices - www.tourismebretagne.com

Formules Bretagne - www.formulesbretagne.com

Gites de France - www.gites-de-france.com

Clevacances - www.clevacances.fr

Hotels - as in most countries around the world, there are hotels to suit all budgets. Most hotels charge by the room.

Formule 1 - www.hotelformule1.com

Hotel de France - www.hotel-france.com

Hotels Premier - www.envergure.fr

Ibis Hotels - www.ibishote.com

Novotel - www.novotel.com

Mobile Homes - for rent tend to be located around the coast and are generally only open during the holiday season

Caravan & Campsites- many towns have municipal campsites while seaside locations have many that are privately run. A useful website which offers a search by area facility is www.brittanytourism.com.

Also worth a look - www.campingplus.com , www.eurocamp.co.uk and www.suncamp.co.uk

Car Hire

There are a number of Internet companies offering discounted car hire such as:

www.carhire3000.com

www.avis.co.uk

www.easycar.com,

All have options to collect a car from either airport, seaport, town centre or railway station locations. All car hire companies in France insist on a Credit Card payment as a form protection against car thefts.. Cash or Debit Cards are not accepted as a form of payment.

Contents:

Step 1: Prepare your house hunting trip

Step 2: Ready to buy? It is time for the "Compromis de vente"

Step 3: Double-Check your future house

Step 4: Final Contract, the "Acte de vente"