Property

View of an energy rating overlaid over an image of a model house

How DPE energy ratings are reshaping France’s property market

Diagnostic de performance énergétique certificates increasingly guide property buyers

More options now available for home equity release in France

Prêt viager hypothécaire being offered more widely as well as other similar schemes

French ‘super off-peak’ contracts offer up to 60% discount on electricity

Households which can match consumption to special hours can see significant savings

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On the market: 'Our 1758 French manoir became an Opera House'

Manoir La Gozinière in Auvergne echoes to the enchanting melodies of Mozart, Verdi, Bizet and Puccini

Map: tap water restrictions and warnings by department as of June 2

Find information on restrictions in your commune

Exploring a 'natural home' in the south of France

Discover a beautifully restored French farmhouse near Uzès in the Gard, filled with antique furniture, vintage finds and natural interior design inspiration

A view of a private swimming pool at a home

Key points and rules to consider if want a pool at your French home

Taxes, safety measures, running costs are all things you should factor in

Partially built villa with concrete block walls and open window spaces behind a site fence.

UK directors investigated over failed French holiday village

New rules require holiday village developers to explain risk

€30m clay subsidence scheme helps only 19 cases in France

'We cannot hide it: the result is not good', minister says

Mosaic-tiled sewing table and chair in a colourful patterned room

Mosaic masterpiece: French home as a work of art

La Maison Picassiette is decorated inside and out

France homeowner faces legal trouble over 4cm land encroachment on neighbour’s property

Any construction encroaching on a neighbour’s land may be required to be removed

Young man with arm cast in sling sitting in a wheelchair indoors

What to do if someone is injured on your property in France

Costs of such an accident can quickly accumulate

Worker using a power drill to demolish an interior wall seen through a hole

Renovating a house in France: the key mistakes to avoid

British architect based in France shares his tips for restoring homes

Plumber on the kitchen floor repairing pipes beneath a sink unit

French court warns DIY home renovators can face hidden defect claims

Couple obliged to pay back €120,000 house sale proceeds

Buyer disappears after signing property deal in France - should estate agents be liable?

Buyer paid a €10,000 deposit before vanishing

A view of a man separating piles of coins, with a piggy bank and house to show debts

Rent-free tenancy can cause inheritance issues in France

Recent case shows impact of letting an adult child live in property for free

Bag with pellets and firewood in the living room

French consumer group launches bulk-buy wood pellet scheme

Scheme looks to bring down cost of pellets via bulk buying

'Breathing life back into' Mediterranean homes

We visit two properties and meet a ceramicist in Uzès, as featured in Mediterranean Living by Laurence Dougier

Split image of European Commission anf French notaire sign

Is France considering easing its 2021 inheritance law affecting foreign wills?

More than three years have passed since the European Commission first acknowledged receiving multiple complaints

Rises of +9.9%, drops of -5.6%: see how French flat prices have changed near you

Majority of cities recording price increases as property slump ends

Most French cities see house prices rise: latest notaire data

Tours (8%) and Metz (6%) see highest rises Oct-Dec 2024 - 2025 whilst south-east remains most expensive region outside of Paris

Property owners in France reminded of June ‘property-use’ deadline

Updates must be filed via the biens immobiliers system or fines may apply

Water restrictions begin in south-west France: who is affected?

Residents can check restrictions near them using government website

Free building materials in France: how the Cycle Zéro app works

New app relies on unused materials discarded in skips at local construction sites

France to end eco-renovation funding for homes with a gas boiler

Properties must not have gas boiler by end of works to access grant scheme

Can we contest neighbour’s planning permission at their home in France?

There are rules which dictate whether planning permission can be contested and by whom

France chases ‘one million annual heat pump’ goal, but is it feasible?

Sector leaders cite need for more aid and say ‘leasing scheme’ may be limited in effect

Buyers win compensation for collapsed French chimney

Judges ruled that the description of the building stating that 'the exterior is in good condition', was inaccurate

French tax authorities expand AI checks for undeclared property expansions

Verandas, pagodas, and sheds targeted in new €100 million campaign

Selling a home in France: what should I tell the utility companies?

The transfer of utilities is a separate task from the notarial sale process

How do landlords register an Airbnb let with French commune?

New system requires all mairies to give tourist rentals a number

French ‘swimming pool’ tax falls for first time in nearly a decade

New pool installations must be correctly declared

Emily in Paris: three flats in her building for sale from €650,000

Buyers can live like the American heroine of the hit Netflix show

Airbnb ruled responsible for illegal subletting by French court

Short-let service fined as court rules it provides more than ‘internet service’

Air heat pump in a garden by a modern house

France’s heat pump leasing plan explained

Homeowners will pay back installation costs over three years, with payments cheaper than current bills

Houses sell for average of €550/m²: discover France's cheapest village

Property prices in Haute-Marne village, some three and a half hours from Paris, are lowest in France according to latest ranking

Five questions about plans to raise French property tax on millions of homes

Mairies will be able to assume that homes contain basic features omitted from official information, raising taxes

France announces ban on gas boilers in new homes and expanded electric car leasing

Measure forms part of wider push to accelerate electrification and reduce reliance on fossil fuels

A,Man,With,Hard,Hat,Standing,On,Steps,Inspecting,House

Estate agent found guilty after seller lied about work done on French house

Onus on agents to do their homework and check whether the seller's claims are true

Versailles,,France,-,July,22,,2010,:,The,Apollo,Fountain

See what €50,000, €500,000 and over €1m buys in Yvelines

Versailles is 16km from Paris and has very good but busy roads linking it to the capital

Worker's hands placing bricks to build a wall

Neighbour walls off road in France after dispute, leaving residents trapped

Three households no longer have access to public roads or emergency services

EDF to provide €240m in grants to help home-owners and firms switch to electric

Money will be available for installing heat pumps and buying electric vehicles

Who can benefit from new €1,000 grant for a heat pump in France?

First-come-first-served basis for 80,000 grants to boost switch to electric

When do you really need to clean your roof in France?

Columnist Nick Inman is in two minds about this particular job

‘We have 100-plus rooms to restore in our French chateau’

Felicity Selkirk fell in love with the listed French mansion while searching for a heritage property

Gas prices in France set to shoot up: Tips to reduce costs

A 15% rise is already expected from May 1, 2026

What are the recycling rules in France?

We are all encouraged to go greener, but making sense of what can and cannot be recycled is not always obvious. We cover what objects can and cannot go in yellow French recycling bins

New Nice mayor's tax reduction plans a windfall for homeowners

A drop in taxe foncière and taxe d’habitation can be expected in September

How do I get an evaluation for inherited property in France?

It is important to get a fair and accurate valuation at the date of death

Millions of French homes face higher property tax over bathrooms and heating

Councils can levy property tax on ‘comfort features’ properties are assumed to have

Fuel leak at Brittany water plant triggers tap water ban

Limits on drinking water and showers still in place for some homes

More homes in south of France must clear undergrowth or face fine

Homeowners reminded of obligatory land clearance rules prior to forest fire season

Farmers' hedge-trimming deadlines extended in France after winter rainfall

Homeowners are recommended – in most cases – not to trim hedges on their land between March 15 - August 15

Attractive,Handy,Man,Using,A,Drill,To,Put,Up,Pictures

How to find a handyman online in France

Two thirds of people polled in online survey say it is difficult to find a tradesperson - leaving many odd jobs undone

French gas prices: should you switch to a fixed deal before May rise?

Bills may increase by €200 per year due to increase in global gas prices

New ‘toothpick’ trick used by burglars in France can target second homes

Authorities in Ariège report several burglaries using method since start of the month

10% of French homes used only occasionally

Only 0.6% of properties in England and Wales are classed as second homes

A view of someone looking at paperwork with a calculator and house model in the foreground

French residential tax debits have not been taken - what should I do?

Many opt for monthly payments from January to October

Chimney sweeping rules in France: Can you do this yourself - and how often is required by law?

Insurance companies have their own requirements

Image of a piggy bank next to a water tap to show the cost of water

Water bills rise by up to 40% in parts of Normandy

It follows the installation of remotely-read meters to homes around Caen in Calvados. Authorities claim previous readings were incorrect

New rules to define heat pumps eligible for energy grants in France

List set to be published in September 2026 as bodies call for more available aid

Why almost a million French households risk higher electricity bill in March

EDF must implement ‘red day’ tariffs before end of month

Unpaid bills led to a million electricity and gas ‘cut-offs’ in France in 2025

The number of accounts affected has risen by 79% since 2019

French cities where it is better to buy than rent in 2026

New study shows where it makes more financial sense to buy if living there long term

Is there a ‘bedroom tax’ in France for additional rooms?

The surface area of rooms is used to calculate property taxes

Bordeaux,,France-,August,19,,2024:,A,Couple,Looking,At,Real

I’m an estate agent and these are the five errors that newcomers make in France

'Many overestimate their DIY talents – and underestimate renovation costs'

What changes for residents in France in March 2026

Major changes for drivers, hospital patients, and property owners

A view of houses on piles of coins to show increasing costs

How much is second home insurance in France?

There is no legal obligation to insure a second home if it is a fully independent property

Group,Of,Chickens,On,A,Farm,Yard,Chicken,Eco,Farm

Can I install chicken coop for my own eggs during shortage?

Coops are subject to taxes if over a certain size

What do you risk if you hire someone for work on your home and pay cash-in-hand?

Undisclosed payments cost French economy billions each year

294 French communes classified as natural disaster zones following flooding

Homeowners - including second homes - now have 30 days to make a catastrophe naturelle claim

House cracking threat spreads to new areas in France, putting 12 million properties at risk

Map from environment ministry shows more than half of country at risk

France’s home renovations grants relaunch: key points to know

MaPrimeRénov’ is once again available to households of all income levels

Did you know? These plants are forbidden in French gardens

Invasive species cannot be sold, planted, or exchanged

Home insurance increases expected in France after floods

Compensation costs for the recent storms and flooding across the west and south-west is estimated to be in the billions of euros