Assurance dommages-ouvrages : Insurance the property owner must take before structural work takes place on his property, utilized in the cases when the contractor's responsabilité décennale could be engaged.
Avant-contrat : The preliminary contract signed between buyer and seller. It can either be a compromis or a promesse unilatérale de vente.
Certificat d'urbanisme ordinaire and Certificat préopérationnel : Preliminary documents that can be obtained to obtain assurances in regards to the zoning of a property.
Communauté universelle and pacte tontinier : Two estate-planning tools enabling members of a couple to advantage one another at the expense of other heirs.
Compromis : A type of avant-contrat whereby the buyer and the seller are committed and would be liable for damages in the case of breach of contract.
Contrat de construction de maison individuelle avec fourniture de plan : A building contract whereby the contractor furnishes the plans as well as the labor.
Contrat de construction de maison individuelle sans fourniture de plan : A building contract whereby the contractor does not furnish the plans.
Contrat de vente d'immeuble à construire : A building contract whereby you buy from the developer both the land and the home that will eventually sit on it.
Contrat multirisques-habitation : Homeowner's insurance in which what is covered is specifically spelled out.
Contrat tous risques sauf : Homeowner's insurance in which what is not covered is specifically spelled out.
Convention d'indivision : An agreement entered into by the several owners of a property, designed to protect the owners from a forced sale initiated by one of them.
Déclaration de travaux : The formality that consists in informing the local authorities of work about to take place on your property, in the cases when an actual permit is not required.
Direction départementale de l'équipement : The local administration in charge of zoning.
Donation and donation partage : Two estate-planning tools making it easier for individuals to donate their assets to family members.
Droit de bail : Taxes homeowners must pay when they rent their home.
Droit de préemption urbain : The exercise, by a municipality, of its first right of refusal on any property put up for sale within it.
Droits d'enregistrement : Taxes paid when you purchase a home.
En indivision : Refers to the situation when real estate property is owned jointly by several people.
Huissier : A legal professional whose function is, among others, to witness events and situations and enforce court orders
Lotissement : A group of town homes usually with a small backyard, built by the same developer on the outskirts of a city.
Mandat de recherche : Document signed by the seller of real estate, asking an agent or a notaire to look for a buyer.
Mitoyenneté : The situation consisting of two property owners with adjoining properties co-owning at least a portion of their respective property.
Notaire : Legal professional whose participation is compulsory in all transfers of real estate from one owner to another.
Plan local d'urbanisme : The zoning plan enacted in a city.
Possession trentenaire : The rule according to which one can become a property's rightful owner simply by using it and taking care of it for thirty years, provided certain conditions are met.
Promesse unilatérale de vente : A type of avant-contrat whereby a property is promised to a prospective buyer for a specific amount of time.
Réception des travaux : The formality by which the work done is declared to be consistent, or not, with the contract.
Redevance télévision : Taxes paid on the ownership of a television set.
Règles générales du règlement national d'urbanisme : The zoning rules that must be followed when a city has no plan local d'urbanisme.
Responsabilité décennale : The contractor's liability, for up to ten years, for certain structural aspects of his work.
Schéma d'urbanisme : The zoning document that spells out major forthcoming projects in the area.
Société civile immobilière : A legal entity under which one can own real estate.
Syndic : Group of individuals appointed by the homeowners' association to manage a building or a housing community.
Taxe de séjour : A tax levied on vacationers using short-term accommodations.
Taxe d'habitation : Property taxes paid by the user or owner of real estate property.
Taxe foncière : Property taxes paid by the owner of real estate property.
Tribunal de grande instance : Court having jurisdiction on all matters involving 50,000 francs (7,122 euros) or more, or 13,000 (1,981 euros) or more for civil matters.
Viager : A form of real estate sale whereby the seller receives a specific monthly amount from the buyer for the rest of his life.
BUYING A HOME IN
FRANCE
