France offers buyers from the UK and Northern Europe a temperate climate with long warm summers, a wide variety of regions, local food and markets, and a functioning public infrastructure.
Quick answer: Buying a holiday home in France follows a well-regulated process that typically runs from offer to keys in three to four months. Costs beyond the price include notaire fees of approximately 7–8% on older properties and annual running costs. UK buyers should also check the post-Brexit rules.
Buying a holiday home in France follows a well-regulated process, with a notaire who acts for both parties and holds funds securely. The process typically runs from offer to keys in three to four months. But there are costs, rules and practicalities that are worth understanding before you start searching.
Costs Beyond the Asking Price
A common surprise for first-time buyers in France is the total cost at completion. On an older property (built more than five years ago, which covers the vast majority of rural stock), you should budget for frais de notaire of approximately 7–8% of the purchase price on top of the headline price. These are not negotiable fees paid to the notaire personally — the majority goes to the state as transfer taxes. The notaire's own fee is a small fraction of the total.
Agency commission in France is typically already included in the advertised price (called prix FAI — frais d'agence inclus). Always confirm this when you receive a price.
Annual running costs for a French holiday home include: taxe foncière (land tax, paid by the owner, typically €400–€1,500 per year for a rural character house); taxe d'habitation on résidences secondaires (still payable on second homes, variable by commune); building insurance; utility standing charges; and, if you are not there frequently, potentially a local gardien or caretaker.
The Buying Process in Brief
Once you have agreed a price with the seller (usually via the estate agent), the process moves quickly. A compromis de vente (preliminary contract) is signed within a few weeks, at which point you pay a deposit — typically 10% of the purchase price — into the notaire's client account. You then have a statutory 10-day cooling-off period during which you can withdraw without penalty. After that, the notaire carries out searches, verifies title, and prepares the final deed. Completion — the acte authentique — takes place at the notaire's office, typically 10–12 weeks after the compromis.
There is no obligation to instruct a solicitor in France — the notaire is a neutral public officer who manages the transaction for both buyer and seller. Many buyers choose to appoint their own independent notaire to act in parallel, which adds no cost (notaire fees are fixed and shared between the two offices).
Post-Brexit Rules for UK Buyers
Since 1 January 2021, UK nationals are third-country nationals in France. There is no restriction on UK buyers purchasing property in France — ownership rights are unchanged. However, for time spent in France, the 90-day rule applies: UK passport holders can spend up to 90 days in any 180-day period in the Schengen Area without a visa. For buyers intending to spend longer periods at their French holiday home, a visa de long séjour or a titre de séjour will be required. The rules have changed and individual circumstances vary — take advice from a French immigration specialist if extended stays are part of your plan.
Letting Your Holiday Home
Some buyers let a holiday home for part of the year. French letting rules, tax treatment and registration requirements vary by commune and change over time, so take advice from a French accountant or fiscal specialist before deciding.
Which Department?
For holiday home buyers from the UK, popular departments include those with direct flight connections: the Dordogne (Bergerac airport), the Charente (Limoges and Poitiers airports), the Ariège (Toulouse airport, 45 minutes from most of the department), and the Aude (Carcassonne airport). Each offers very different character, price levels and property types.
Browse country houses and properties with a gîte, or search under €250,000.
If you would like to discuss your holiday home search in more detail, or arrange a verbal valuation on a specific property, please contact us. We have been helping UK buyers find and purchase French holiday homes since 2008.