property surveyor in france
Whether you are buying this.....?

english speaking property surveyor in france

or this.....we can help!
keywords in here

GPB PROJECT SERVICES

GORDON P. BARNES MRICS
CHARTERED SURVEYOR


The mark of property professionalism worldwide

Finding your "French Dream Property" can be exciting, but also stressful.

Buying in a country where the system is unfamiliar and where all the contract documents are not in your mother tongue, you will doubtless have lots of questions.

When you have found a property and you are considering making an offer you need to be sure how to proceed with security and peace of mind, all the way through to completion.

That is where I can help!

As a Chartered Surveyor I have more than 35 years experience working in the construction industry in both the UK and internationally.

Before returning to UK in 2020 I lived and worked in South West France for 16 years providing pre - purchase surveys on all types and sizes of properties in this beautiful region of France.

The French system for buying and selling property offers both parties a great deal of protection so as the buyer you need to be aware of both your rights and your obligations.

From my base in UK I am able to offer you a Comprehensive Advisory Online Service, to help you through the whole purchasing process, drawing on my long and wide-ranging experience of working as a property professional in France.

What does the Service Include?

  • Advice and Help with any questions or concern you may have about the property, from the moment you first register with me, until you finally get the keys to your French home.
  • A Written Guide to Purchasing a French property. This is provided as soon as you register with me and explains the whole buying process from start to finish. This will be an invaluable reference for when queries arise throughout the period of searching and securing your French house.
  • I provide a detailed written analysis of the compulsory Diagnostic Reports which are provided by the vendor. The reports are prepared in French by specialist licensed operators and paid for by the vendor.
  • These reports are long and detailed, written in technical French, covering many aspects of the property including Electrical Safety, Asbestos, Lead, Termites etc
  • I provide a detailed written analysis of the Drainage Report which is also compulsory for vendors to provide, prepared by the local drainage authority.

Many rural properties have a private septic tank system and unless you are buying a modern property it is entirely possible that it will not conform to the current regulations. It can come as a surprise to discover that new buyers are required by law to repair or replace a defective drainage system within 12 months of buying the property.

The purpose of these compulsory reports is to disclose any hidden defects, but their discovery places no legal obligation on the vendor to rectify any faults.

When you sign the First Contract which commits you to the property - Compromis de Vente - both the Diagnostic and Drainage reports form part of the legal documents.

Since the disclosure of any problems in these reports places no liability on the vendor to rectify any defects or anomalies you are therefore buying "As Seen" and the Notaire will assume that you have accepted any issues that are raised in both the Reports.

I provide clients with my own detailed analysis, written in clear common-sense English, explaining precisely what the Diagnostic and Drainage Reports contain and assessing their implications and advising on your course of action.

Included in my assessment of any problems I can provide budget costings of the work required.

This is all essential information for any buyer to have before making a final offer to buy a French property.