Points à considérer avant d’acheter une villa

It’s surprisingly easy to get swept up in the excitement of buying a villa. But before your get your heart too invested in the idea, make sure to be realistic about what you want and the less-pleasant realities that come with owning property.

Questions to Ask Yourself

Here are some questions to consider to help you determine whether a property you’re considering is your best option:

Are you forcing the numbers to work?
Being able to “afford a house” goes far beyond whether you can hypothetically secure the funds for a down payment and get a mortgage. It also includes mortgage fees, notaire fees, and all the repairs, taxes, maintenance fees, utilities, and who knows what else that pops up over time. Make sure you take all of that into consideration and be realistic about what you can afford without adding financial stress to your life.

Does the home excite you?
Not everyone is in a place where they’re able to hold out for a home that “excites” them, but if you are, why spend that much money on something you’re not that into? It’s better to wait for a villa that you can picture yourself loving for decades, than end up moving again, and likely losing a lot of money. After all, it can take years to sell a home on the famously constipated French Riviera real estate market.

Does the home meet everyone’s needs?
If you live on your own, this isn’t an issue, but if you live with a partner and/or family, or plan to have guests, make sure the house is a good fit for everyone—not just you. Does it have enough parking for guests? Is it walking distance to your kids schools?

Are you ignoring the findings of the inspection reports?
If so, this may not be the place for you. If the inspection and diagnostics reports come back with red flags trying to tell you this isn’t the house for you, listen to them.

Are you up to the task of making all the repairs the home requires?
Please be aware that home improvement shows only show a tiny part of the entire renovation process. It is so much work. And also expensive. If you don’t have the skills to do it yourself, or the money to hire people to make the repairs, it’s time to pass.

Are you emotionally attached?

Don’t get too attached to a property. Once we begin picturing ourselves in a home or visualizing ourselves raising kids in a home, it’s really hard to avoid overpaying and walk away.

Your Actual Costs

Before buying a villa, you need to realize that the sale price is not the only money you’ll be on the hook for. There are a lot of sunk-costs. In addition to maintenance, fixing things you didn’t expect to need to fix, etc. you’ll also need to factor in these sunk costs:

Costs of Studies

Before you purchase a villa, you should get your own studies done. This costs about €1,000 for an average-sized home, rising to €2,500 for larger properties. 

There’s no guarantee that the studies done by the seller’s contractors are correct. In fact, many inspectors are incompetent, and in a government audit, they found huge inconsistencies. For example, one inspector rated a property as being B on the scale, meaning it was energy efficient, while another rated it E, which is poor. 

Notary Cost & Tax

To close the deal, the notary collects 7% to 8% (for their fee plus government taxes).

Mortgage Costs

There’s also a one-time sunk cost to set up a mortgage, which is usually 1.5% (1% mortgage registration, plus 0.5% underwriting fee) of the villa’s sale price, plus around €2000 to €3000 to do a ‘valuation’. And if you hired a mortgage broker, they charge a one-time % fee on top of that too. Add to that the yearly costs of mandatory mortgage insurance (which costs about 0.5% of the villa’s value each year), and the mortgage’s interest. Here’s a mortgage calculator so you can calculate your interest and monthly payments.

Yearly Sunk Costs

Don’t forget to factor in your new insurance costs (contents insurance and, if needed, red-zone insurance for natural disasters). Plus, some villas have a mandatory fee for community things like a guard, gardeners, etc. You’ll also need to budget for things like repairs and maintenance.

Taxes, Taxes, & More Taxes!

Every villa owner is also subject to several additional taxes, paid every year. For a €1 million villa, expect to pay around €4000 per year (but this varies). The easiest way to know what yours will be, aside from the wealth tax, is to ask for the tax statements from the current villa owner. Here are the taxes you should account for in your budget:

IFI / Wealth Tax

Le IFI / wealth tax is between 0.5% and 1.5% annually, and is payable by both residents and non-residents in France with real estate assets worth over €1.3 million (at the current valuation). For example, if you own a villa worth €2.4 million, you’d pay more than €10,000 per year in IFI tax.

You can get out of this by having a mortgage (so make sure you get approved before signing the final contract), which lowers your actual equity in the property, but you’ll need to keep re-financing to keep your equity below €1.3 million.

Want to learn more? Here’s a handy FAQ about the wealth tax, a detailed guide to this tax, and some useful government-provided information.

Property Tax

The property tax (taxe foncière) rate for a primary home is around 1%, and 3% for secondary homes, and increasing. The bill for the taxe foncière arrives in the last quarter of the year and the amount is based on the estimated annual rental value of the property multiplied by a percentage set by the commune (ask for more information at your local mairie).

Residence Tax

The amount of the residence tax (taxe d’habitation) will vary depending on the decisions of each commune and the size and condition of each property. Holiday homes in areas of housing shortage (like the French Riviera) are liable to face a surcharge on their taxe d’habitation. Local councils have discretion to apply a surcharge of between 5% to 60%. Most councils apply a 20% rate, but some have adopted the maximum rate of 60%, so it’s good to find this out before you buy.

Even More Taxes!

There are a bunch of other taxes you’ll also need to pay, like a waste removal tax, television tax, etc.

If you reside outside France (and outside the European Economic Area) and own property in France, the tax authorities may also ask you to appoint a representative in France to receive correspondence concerning wealth tax assessment, collection, and disputed claims.

And BTW — when you want to sell, there are even more sunk costs. The French capital gains tax has greatly increased over the last few years. Combined with the required “social charges”, depending on the seller’s residence, it can add up to 34.5% for EU residents or 48.83% for non EU residents, not including the required income tax. Yikes!

Buying as an Investment?

The unfortunate truth is that the French Riviera is not a good place to buy real estate for an investment. Prices have been flat-lined for more than a decade and all signs point to prices decreasing in the future.

Additionally, the French government is actively trying to make real estate less expensive by adding cumbersome yearly taxes for second homes and thinking up ways to disincentivize house-flipping, investment purchases, AirBnb rentals, and vacation homes. You can 100% expect more of this in the future.

Even the CGEDD had this to say (on January 10, 2022): “From an investor’s point of view, the net rental yield (rent net of charges divided by sale price [not including other costs]) is very low. Investment in housing is therefore competitive with investment in long-term public debt, at a level of expected return that is admittedly very low in both cases… the resale value of which is not certain at any time.”

And, when you sell, you need to pay an overwhelming amount of taxes which can add up to 49%. All that is in addition to the real estate agency fees and fiscal representative fees, leaving you with less than half of any total gain in the end — si you make a gain at all.

Buying a ‘Newly Renovated’ (or New) Villa

On the French Riviera, there are many, many (did I say MANY?!) developers. They have special relationships with agents where they buy villas at a low price (beware if you’re a seller, as you may get the losing end of this) and then do cheap renovations and try to flip it, using the same agent, at a ridiculously inflated price. You might be able to catch this by checking the map showing the villa sales (with exact location, size, pricing) from the past 5 years.

Naturally, these developers want to maximize profits and minimize expenses. It is, after all, a business. They do this by cutting all sorts of corners on the stuff you can’t see. They hire the absolute cheapest (and often unqualified) construction people, electricians, plumbers, etc. and tell those people to do the job as cheaply and quickly as possible.

They reassure buyers by giving them a warranty (under French civil law all building work is guaranteed for up to 10 years), but insurance pays the repair costs — not them — and you still have to deal with all the problems that pop up. Plus, the insurance won’t cover major problems, like needing the entire plumbing to be re-done because the pipes used were old and put together the wrong way. And you can expect repeated repairs of the same issue because cheap materials keep getting used — after all, the repair company gets paid each time.

This means the developer has zero incentives to do anything other than the cheapest job possible because, once you buy it, it’s your problem, not theirs. It also means BIG headaches for you, down the line, when you move in an realize that your air conditioning doesn’t work properly, the electrical and plumbing need to be re-done, underfloor or insulation was not added, etc.

Just because it looks nice on the outside doesn’t mean it’s well-done. You’re better off finding a villa that was renovated years ago by the owners — renovate for them, not for resale.

Crime

Imaginez l'horreur : en rentrant dans votre villa en France après être sorti dîner, vous vous retrouvez avec des occupants indésirables en train de regarder la télévision et de préparer eux-mêmes leur dîner dans votre cuisine. Ou pendant que vous vous détendez dans votre appartement ou votre villa, une fenêtre s'ouvre de force, permettant à un homme d'entrer et de s'accroupir dans l'une de vos chambres. Ou vous ouvrez simplement votre porte d'entrée et une famille avec de nombreux jeunes enfants entre sans votre permission puis refuse de partir. On pourrait penser que vous pouvez simplement appeler la police et qu'elle s'en chargera pour vous, n'est-ce pas ? Non. Pas en France.

Cambriolages

Les lois en France protègent les pauvres et les criminels, et la police procède rarement à des arrestations en cas d'effraction. Il n'est donc pas surprenant que les cambriolages soient un big problème (et croissant) sur la Côte d’Azur. Il y a un cambriolage toutes les deux minutes en France, et la Côte d'Azur compte le plus grand nombre d'effractions de toutes les régions, avec environ 8 000 effractions chaque année. Les propriétaires de villas (et les locataires) de cette zone sont régulièrement gazés et volés pendant leur sommeil, ou braqués sous la menace d'une arme lorsqu'ils entrent dans leur villa. C'est malheureusement une partie inévitable de la possession d'une villa sur la Côte d'Azur.

You’ll need to get familiar with the laws so you don’t end up in jail for defending yourself during a break-in. In short, you can’t defend yourself with more force (or even the threat of more force) than the criminals are using *at that exact moment* (so if they have a gun and they turn away from you, you can’t shoot them in the back), or you’ll go to jail.

Il y a beaucoup de choses à savoir, c'est pourquoi nous avons écrit un guide des effractions et gazages sur la Côte d'Azur.

Voici a website that will give you an idea of the crime in the area you’re considering and our overview of crime on the French Riviera (and why you don’t hear more about it).

Squatters et invasions de domicile

Les droits des squatteurs constituent un gros problème pour les propriétaires de la Côte d'Azur (qui est l'une des quatre régions de France qui représentent 79 % de tous les squats).

Des familles gitanes qui vivent le « mode de vie des squatteurs » (avec l'aide de nombreux sites Internet, instructions en ligne et autres squatteurs), aux étrangers demandeurs d'asile, en passant par réseaux criminels (principalement de Russie, Roumanie et Bulgarie), nombreux sont ceux qui connaissent les lois et abusent du système français, qui semble conçu pour protéger les criminels.

Il y a tellement de choses à vous dire sur ce problème que nous avons rédigé un article séparé à lire absolument guide des squatters et des invasions de domicile, car il est très important de comprendre les limites de la police (la plupart du temps, elle ne vous aidera pas) et le fait que you peut être accusé de criminel pour avoir menacé les envahisseurs.

Climate Change Effects

Climate change is increasingly impacting the French Riviera, bringing numerous challenges to the region. Intense heatwaves on the French Riviera become more frequent and prolonged. Forest fires have become frequent, exacerbated by rising temperatures and prolonged droughts, which have destroyed homes and natural habitats.

Water scarcity has also become a critical concern, leading to stringent water rationing measures. These measures have sparked debates about fairness, particularly between local residents and the tourism industry. Locals argue that everyone, including hotels and tourists, should share the burden of conservation by not filling swimming pools or watering gardens. However, the tourism sector, which is vital to the local economy, often continues to use significant water resources to maintain their services, leading to feelings of inequality and resentment. According to local news reports, these tensions highlight the broader challenge of balancing environmental sustainability with economic interests in a region heavily dependent on tourism.

The rising frequency of natural disasters, including heatwaves and forest fires, will likely lead to higher insurance premiums for properties. Ensuring comprehensive coverage and investing in measures to mitigate heat impacts, such as proper insulation and air conditioning, will be essential to protect your investment and well-being, so make sure to factor in that extra cost.

Acheter une villa ? Lisez ceci en premier !

Lorsque vous êtes prêt à rechercher une propriété, assurez-vous de lire notre guide complet pour acheter un bien immobilier en France. Ces guides expliquent comment estimer la valeur d'une propriété réel valeur, comment obtenir le meilleur prix et éviter les prix excessifs, ce qu'il faut surveiller, comment éviter de se faire arnaquer, et plus encore.

Premièrement, pour comprendre le marché immobilier en France, il faut comprendre comment Le prix au m² est une arnaque géante. Ensuite, vous pouvez passer aux autres guides :

Notre guide sur la direction que prend le marché comprend : les prévisions du marché immobilier de la Côte d'Azur, les tendances actuelles et historiques des prix sur le marché et les raisons pour lesquelles les prix continueront de baisser. De plus, supplémentaire guide des Russes et de leur impact sur le marché immobilier de la Côte d'Azur.

Notre guide des annonces immobilières comprend : comment trouver des villas à vendre, ce qu'il faut surveiller, la désinformation et les avertissements, les enchères et les saisies, l'achat direct auprès des vendeurs, pourquoi le timing est primordial et la raison pour laquelle seulement environ la moitié des ventes de villas sont cotées publiquement.

Notre guide des escroqueries et des secrets comprend : des avertissements sur les astuces contraires à l'éthique que les agents, les notaires, les vendeurs, les promoteurs et les constructeurs utilisent pour obtenir plus d'argent de vous. Il s'agit d'une lecture incontournable et d'un guide de dénonciation que les acteurs du secteur ne veulent pas que vous voyiez.

Notre guide des agents immobiliers comprend : les choses malhonnêtes que les agents vous diront, comment fonctionnent les agences immobilières, les agents acheteurs et les chercheurs de propriété, pourquoi vous devriez éviter les agents illégaux et non locaux, et à qui faire confiance (un avertissement important).

Notre guide de tarification et détermination de la valeur marchande d'une villa comprend : pourquoi il y a tant de surévaluations extrêmes, comment estimer la valeur marchande d'une villa (ce qu'elle vaut) et un guide étape par étape pour trouver le prix de votre offre.

Notre guide des choses importantes à découvrir comprend : rapports de diagnostic et enquêtes, soleil et microclimats, problèmes potentiels de vue, taxes d'habitation, âge, accès Internet et mobile, zones de danger (rouges), risques pour la santé, problèmes d'intimité et d'espace, problèmes à proximité, ce que vous' Je posséderai réellement des ajouts et des structures illégaux, pourquoi ils vendent, comment vérifier, et plus encore.

Notre guide du processus d'achat comprend : la négociation du prix et de l'offre initiale, le choix d'un notaire honnête, l'achat au noir, l'offre officielle et le dépôt, le recours à une SCI, les pièges du contrat, le délai de réflexion, que faire avant de remettre l'argent et le signature définitive.

Notre guide après l'achat comprend : les pièges de l'assurance, des conseils pour les résidences secondaires, la location de votre villa, la rénovation et ce qu'il faut savoir sur l'embauche de personnes.

Guide pour les vendeurs : Comment fixer le prix de votre villa pour qu'elle se vende.