Before you put an offer on a villa, it’s very important that you find out the following things about the property:
Diagnostics Reports & Surveys
There are a number of surveys that the seller is legally obligated to give you (if they don’t, you can sue them later). They’re by no means exhaustive, and some surveyors are corrupt and will lie for the benefit of the agent or notaire, so it’s important to get your own inspection done as well (before you sign the contract.)
The diagnostics given to you by the seller need to be recent (here are the details). Here’s a guide to diagnostics reports and another guide. The seller isn’t obliged to fix defects; as the purchaser, you will be expected to pay to fix them. The obligation on the seller is simply to provide the full reports. If he/she does not do so, they remain fully responsible for defects relating to these specific matters (that is, if your notaire doesn’t screw you by adding an “as is” clause — more about that in the section about contracts).
