EuroTrash

'Standard contract'? Not sure what you've received but usually the compromis de vente is very specific to your property - it describes the property itself, number and size of rooms, any outbuildings, any recent work that's been carried out that should be under 10 year guarantee, any rights of way across the property. It usually includes a plan cadastral, and I think the obligatory energy reports or do they come later? I.e. it describes exactly what you are going to buy, and once you've signed it you have to buy it - so unless you understand exactly what you're being offered, don't sign! It's not just a formality, it's an important and very specific contract.

TextualHealing

Tx ET!!

EuroTrash

I guess it depends on the property but things can come out of the woodwork - people buy a house and then discover hikers go tramping through the garden and it turns out there's a right of way they didn't know about, or they assume they own the access road but it turns out they don't, it belongs to the farmer and he can legitimately stop them using it if he wants, stuff like that. And if you've signed a document in which it's all explained, you have no comeback. If there's anything dodgy like that in it, you need to resolve it beforehand - for instance it might mean getting papers signed by the neighbours to agree that they won't block your access.

TextualHealing

Unlikely on a third floor flat!

TextualHealing

Unlikely on a third floor flat!

EuroTrash

Oh OK
but in that case if it's a shared building I'd have thought it would be maybe things like responsibility for structural repairs (eg how are the costs shared if the roof needs mending), access to and maintenance of communal areas etc, that you'd be looking out for.
Basically it's a case of making sure that you are getting everything you assume you will be getting, and that you are not agreeing to be responsible for something that you didn't expect to have to be responsible for.

Chatter Static

If it's a flat your buying I suggest you read this thread from beginning to end it gives an idea of how things can develop over time...

Shirtback

I'll stand by my suggestion, even if it's a 3rd floor flat.

It's quite likely that there'll be co-pro clauses & requirements in there, & if there aren't you'll need to read & review them in a separate document. A bilingual notaire may well be your best friend.

It may well be a 'standard' document, but what 'standard'? (Do you see where I'm going with this??)

EuroTrash

Failing that, if you have to spend money on this I would hire an interpreter to go with you to signing at the notaire - then you can ask questions and get answers if necessary. A translation is all well and good as long as there's nothing you want to query.
However it sounds like you are dealing with an estate agent rather than direct with the immo. I know a lot of people do this, in fact I know some people get the compromis emailed to them and sign it and email it back without understanding a word of it, but the very notion of doing that would scare me. I dealt direct with the notaire and he explained everything very thoroughly, in fact at the end of the process I felt I'd learned a lot. I would feel uneasy about doing it any other way - after all the notaire is there to advise if required, and how can he if you don't talk to him.

Shirtback

Absolutely.

petitefrancaise

I thought Textualhealing spoke french?

If so, then have an appointment with the notaire and ask them to go through the compromis de vente with you, explaining each point.

The notaire is not "your notaire" their job is to ensure that the sale is legal and that the taxes are collected. Our notaire was great at patiently explaining it all to us, not all are so good.

EuroTrash

No doubt some are more forthcoming than others but they are all have an obligation to explain the legalities to both parties and ensure that everybody understands what they're signing.

TextualHealing

Thanks chatter that was a sobering read from SuzieB about her neighbours from hell and the other guy with the (I guess) 'Pikeys' on the adjacent land. But bad neighbours aren't a specifically French problem, nor are they something you can defend yourself against in a contract.

petitefrancaise

quite.
We had neighbours that started out nice and then weren't. The issue? them using a trampoline at midnight, I complained (nicely) and asked them to stop. That was the end of the niceness on their part. I was really glad to leave them and their obnoxious brats behind.

TextualHealing

Shirtback - yes I am expecting that as a separate document in the coming days..