Guides

Short-Term or Long-Term? The First Question Every Owner of a French Flat Has to Answer

Before the SCI, the tax regime or the case law, one decision shapes everything: who lives in your French flat and for how long. The rules of a meublé de tourisme, a furnished lease and an unfurnished lease, the 2026 figures, and the five questions that decide between them.

Buying Off-Plan in France: the VEFA, and Why the Mud Is Already Yours

How a French off-plan purchase (VEFA) actually works for a foreign buyer: the 5% deposit, the 35/70/95 payment grid, the completion guarantee, delivery day and the thirteen-month clock, with the case law and the tax layer.

Guarantor for a Student in France: What a Parent Abroad Signs

Your child has a place in Paris or Lyon and the agent wants your signature on an acte de cautionnement by Friday. What you are guaranteeing, what an agency may and may not ask a parent abroad for, the free State guarantee that can replace you, and the legal ceilings on deposit and fees, from the finance ministry's student guide and the texts behind it.

Who Pays the Copropriété Charges in the Year You Sell?

French law does not split copropriété charges by days when a flat changes hands. The owner on the due date pays the whole call, the owner on the accounts-approval date takes the whole adjustment, and the works fund is never refunded. What each rule means for a foreign seller or buyer.

Ma Prime Logement Décent: the French Grant That Pays up to 90% of a Wreck’s Repairs, and Who Actually Gets It

France’s Anah pays 60 to 90 percent of heavy works on a degraded home, up to €70,000, for modest households who live in it. Who qualifies (residents, not holiday-home owners), the five ways a house qualifies, the strings, the sister aid for landlords with no income test, and how to apply in the right order.

French Mortgage Guide for Non-Residents: How British Investors Can Finance Property in France

Everything British investors need to know about getting a French mortgage as a non-resident — from bank selection and HCSF rules to the offre de prêt process, costs, insurance, and tax deductibility.

Regional Property Guide: Paris vs. the French Riviera — Where Should Investors Buy?

Our first regional property guide compares Paris and the French Riviera for British investors — covering prices per square metre, rental yields, local tax differences, and which region suits your investment strategy.

Inheritance in France: The Complete Guide for British Property Owners

Everything British property investors need to know about French inheritance law — from the réserve héréditaire and Brussels IV election to SCI succession planning, démembrement, and the UK-France double tax treaty.

How to Buy Property in France: The Complete Step-by-Step Guide for British Investors

A comprehensive guide to buying property in France as a British investor. From making an offer to signing the acte authentique  every step explained, including costs, timelines, notaire fees, mortgage options, and recent 20242025 legal changes.

Capital Gains Tax on French Property: How Non-Residents Are Taxed (and How to Reduce It)

Complete guide to French capital gains tax (plus-value immobilière) for non-residents in 2026. Rates, the new 17-year taper relief schedule, exemptions, SCI implications, and strategies to legally reduce your tax bill when selling property in France.

The Unofficial Bank: The Ultimate Guide to Managing Partner Current Accounts (CCA) in Your French SCI

You have formed your Société Civile Immobilière (SCI). You followed the common advice to keep the share capital low—perhaps €1,000—to minimize setup costs and keep the...