We just looked at a house in Dordogne which we liked. However, we were told that the house has been vacant for two years. There are no visible damages, no visible mold, no smells, has gas heating, cellar is dry. Has anybody some experience with buying vacant houses and what kind of hidden damages there could be?

Houses in France often take years to sell, especially in rural areas, so it is quite possible that there is nothing wrong with it, other than the French population, generally, finding it unattractive.

Being empty should not rule out the property but it has not been bought by locals or their families for a reason. As Pulaski says, properties in France can take years to sell. This tends to happen when jobs and facilities in the region are sparse.

What is the energy rating for the property? This will tell you about the construction and quality of any renovation: https://www.economie.gouv.fr/particu...ts-energivores

How many supermarkets are nearby, and what if one were to close in the coming years?

Nearest doctor, dentist, and hospital?

What is the mobile signal like from the property? Is the area connected to fibre yet? Strong 4G or 5G mobile signal?

As Graham says, there are many things to consider.
The housing market in France has little in common with that in other countries. Houses do take longer to sell, often much longer. Literally thousands remain empty until they become uninhabitable. Often the reason can be traced to the inheritance laws.

I agree with all the above replies. As said, disagreement between heirs is often a reason why a house remains empty. The Notaire can tell you the origin of the sale....
Graham has brought up many reasons why a property hasn't interested the French buyers' market. It depends on its location and how practical it is for the nitty-gritty of daily life, esp. medical services if you're retired. The remoteness (even lack) of the latter was one reason for my recent move from my isolated village to "civilisation".
If my daughters want to sell the house, I wouldn't be surprized if it takes 2 years to find a buyer....

The big problem with empty houses are the various insects that like to lay their eggs on beams etc and then the larvae munch their way through the wood for several years especially if the roof has a bit of a leak.However this is easy to spot as when they emerge they leave holes.Is the Dordogne a termite area? However you will get a diagnostic report which covers things such as insects etc and if the house is not on main drains you will also get a report on the septic tank as to whether it complies.It is normally this that tends to be the problem.
However you have used your eyes and ears and appear confident so I would certainly now start looking at the practicalities of living there...the litre of milk test

Long term empty homes are health hazard and money pit. Unless they are in prime location and cost peanuts, which most are not.
Same story is in PT.

We bought a house as you described and went into it eyes open.Yes we did have to spend out on it but we now have the house that we have always dreamed of in a friendly hamlet with a big garden for self sufficiency,and the cat loves it as well.If you buy a house in France you should do so to make a home not a quick buck

Thanks for your answers. We have of course ask ourselves why the house takes so long to sell. We think it was the relatively high price and the house itself.

We actually like the location. On the edge of a village with a few restaurants and a weekly market. Doctors, supermarkets, fitness centers about 15 minutes by car. Hospital is a little farther, about 30 minutes. That's a bit far but I think still acceptable. Village is near the river and has a train station with direct connection to Bordeaux. I think the location is good. Not so much for families because there are no schools nearby but for us it's good.

The house is fairly modern. So not those charming old French cottages everybody dreams off. Such a house in the same location is not affordable for us. So we decided in favour of the location and the less charming house. But it is still nice.

We decided to make a cheeky offer because of the renovations costs. We will see if it gets accepted.

I have one more question if I may. According to the report the energy rating is E. In the report there is an estimate on how much it would cost to bring it to B. However, to our German eyes the estimate is too low. Do you have any experience on how reliable those estimates are?

Sounds good. I hope the offer is accepted!

For any estimate of work, double it.

I'm playing the devil's advocate - the mention of "Near the river" urges me to advise you to find out about potential flooding, before you sign any contract. Also the vicinity of animal farms or other sources of undesirable smells or noises!
Fore-warned is fore-armed!

In relation to insulation etc if you are a permanent resident there are various schemes with discounts both for insulating and modern heating systems We had our loft done for €1 although I do not know if this scheme is still running

Thanks dmu and all. I appreciate your comments and cautions. Buying a house is a big decision. So we better not overlook anything important.

I have actually been through a flash flood that killed almost 200 people. I am warned and respect the power of rivers (even small ones). The house is neither in a flood zone nor part of a government risk prevention plan. It is a little higher than the river (only 50 m, but still) and about 1 km from the river. The river has a lot of room in the valley. So we think it is unlikely that it will crawl up our little hill. But of course you can never be sure when you live near a river.

We also checked for animal farms during our visit and used Google Maps to scout the area. There is no farm or industrial building nearby. There are a few fields, so some pesticide spraying is probably inevitable. Of course, noise from farm machinery is to be expected in the countryside.

We also checked "our" road as it connects two villages and is classified as a D road. So we stayed in the yard of the house during "rush hour" and counted only a handful of cars. It is quiet as far as we can tell. This might change in the summer during tourism season. But if you live a quiet life most of the year, a little noise and action for a few weeks in the summer might be a welcome change.

They still have schemes but only for residents. That is why we were thinking about postponing the insulation work until we are residents.