What You Should Know Before Buying a Home in France

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Many people dream of buying a home in France, and for good reason! The country offers stunning architecture, gorgeous views, and rich culture, to name just a few things.

But before you start packing your bags, there are some important details about home buying in France that you should know first.

Here’s everything you need to know:

  1. Property Taxes

When buying a home in France, you’ll be required to pay taxes each year on your property. The tax rate varies from region to region and by property type. Single-family homes generally have higher tax rates than multi-family properties or commercial real estate.

Don’t worry, though: The French government offers substantial deductions on property taxes for any improvement made to your home (such as insulation or updating certain aspects of your heating system). You can also deduct some portion of your mortgage interest payments.

If you’re making all those payments via check, expect hefty lines on both sides of that document. You will need to attach all documents pertaining to real estate transactions (the purchase contract, tax declarations) when sending checks for payment on fiscal matters.

  1. Leisure Activities

The French like to take their time and enjoy life. They like to spend their spare time with friends and family, whether that be going out for drinks or having dinner together.

They also love practicing sports. France is home to many major sports leagues such as soccer, rugby, and handball. Another way of keeping fit is cycling; more than 80,000 km of cycle paths across Franc, making commuting easier.

Cycling is also an excellent way to get exercise without joining a gym! Bikes can be hired from local councils for very little money so you can go on an adventure around your area or further afield if you have time off work, school, or university.

  1. French Culture

The biggest cultural differences between living in America and living in France center around lifestyles. We live on top of each other—our houses are small, so we need to get out of our cars, get out of ourselves!

The smaller spaces mean that everyone needs to eat together at home, instead of getting lunch by yourself at work or eating alone on your couch at home (like you might be doing now!).

With less space for appliances like televisions and washers/dryers (which don’t always fit into French-sized homes anyway), it’s easier to spend time with friends and family doing everything from gardening to playing games.

Conclusion

When buying real estate, few things are more intimidating than purchasing your first home.

As explained here by 1st UK, most first-time homebuyers often make mistakes that they could have easily avoided had they first talked to a reputable real estate agent. Luckily, you can take some stress out of home-buying by keeping a few key considerations top of mind.

If you have enough information and take these steps seriously, the chances are high that you’ll have no trouble securing your dream property.

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