Surveyors in France: Frequently asked questions

I’m not too sure whether I need a survey. Is it really necessary ?

A pre-purchase survey is not exactly necessary but is probably advisable. Carried out by a properly qualified and experienced surveyor it will identify any problem areas, or potential problems, which might involve you in expense now or in the foreseeable future. It will also put any such problems into context, telling you which are serious and which are not. If nothing else it will give you confidence and peace of mind about your intended purchase. Building construction (including water supply, electricity services and, above all, drainage) in France differs from that in the UK and you should therefore choose a surveyor with proven experience and a good track record of surveying French property

Surveyors in France: Frequently asked questions

Don't just take my word for it ...

I've lost count of the number of times I have heard it said: "Oh, people don't have surveys in France."

Well they certainly do, and anyone telling you otherwise should probably know better. It is true the French themselves hardly ever commission a pre-purchase survey, partly for historic reasons and partly because there are still very few French building surveyors. But many English-speaking buyers wouldn't dream of buying a house in France without first obtaining a proper survey.

For more information I think you'll find this independent WikiHow article of interest:

Find a Surveyor in France - wikiHow

Two new houses with problems.

Its not just old houses that have problems. Next week I have appointments to inspect two newly built houses, one on the deparment of Aude and one in Gard, where problems in the construction are known to exist. In each case I have been asked by the English buyers to assist at the "handover" procedure: At the very least I anticipate I will be asked to produce "snagging lists", in French, and I will probably have to go back again later to make sure the remedial works have been carried out properly. This is a service I am asked to provide on a fairly regular basis in France.

Najac - one of the most beautiful villages in France.

This pretty village in the department of Aveyron is one of the stops on the pilgrim route of Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle. The house I have been asked to survey here nestles within the shadow of the castle - built as a royal fortress in 1253 - and is itself said to date from the 13th century.

The portcullis was up in Nebian, Herault.

My latest survey, last week, was of a quaint house directly overlooking the portcullis tower of this ancient fortified village - originally a stronghold of the Knights Templar. I learned that the present portculls, a full-size reproduction of the original, constructed of oak from the department of Tarn, was hand-made by Jim Buck, a retired Englishman who has been a Nebian conseiller municipal for the past eight years.

Surveyor in France - just launching my new blog !

For posts about pre-purchase French property surveys, articles & more .... visit http://SurveyorinFrance.blogspot.com !