Will you pick a survey for your French property

You may have found your dream property in France but without ensuring the proper searches and surveys are carried out, the sale could run into difficulties.

Searches are necessary in order to confirm who has ownership of the land, where boundaries lie, rights of way, termite checks as well as lead and asbestos surveys.

These should be carried out by a public official or 'notaire' whose responsibility it is to make sure these are done properly. It is good to know that these do not need to be paid for separately.

Unlike Britain, surveys are not always done in France but surveyors are available in the country who will offer a full UK-type survey. Most buyers do not, however, choose this option as they will have a registered builder's opinion on the property.

Even when it comes to financing a purchase with a mortgage, many banks will not commission a survey and some are even satisfied with seeing a photograph of the building.

Different properties may require different forms of opinion on whether on not to have a survey and it is best to discuss the option with your agent before you buy.

Some things to keep in mind are that in most cases, a vendor will not be liable for defects on the land or in the building itself. This means you will purchase the property in the state that it is in on the day of completion.

In some sales it is possible to insert a condition into the first contract to subject the sale to a satisfactory survey - but keep in mind that they can be expensive, sometimes costing up to 1,000 euros (£658).

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