French property guides for international owners: inheritance, taxes, selling from abroad.
Catégorie du blog
23 article(s)
Buying property in Brittany: department-by-department price table from French land-registry data, where to buy by project (holiday home, year-round, letting), the full buying process for non-residents, costs (notaire fees 7-8%, second-home surcharge) and Breton pitfalls.
Usufruit explained for foreign owners: meaning (usus, fructus, abusus), the Article 669 age scale, the surviving spouse's usufruct, gifting with reserved usufruct, viager, and UK IHT treatment.
Assurance vie in France explained for expats: how the wrapper passes outside your estate, the €152,500 and €30,500 allowances, beneficiary clause traps, a worked example and UK/US tax treatment.
The new French inheritance law explained for non-French residents: Article 913, the compensatory levy, the EU Succession Regulation, who is affected and the planning options in 2026.
Notaire fees in France 2026: 7-8% on existing homes, 2-3% new build. Official fee scale, worked examples, the 20% discount rule and total buying costs.
Second home tax in France 2026: taxe foncière, taxe d'habitation + 5-60% surcharge, occupancy declaration, rental income and resale rules for foreign owners.
Mortgage in France for non-residents: 2026 fixed rates (3.1-3.4%), deposits by residency (15-50%), the 35% debt rule, monthly payment examples and timeline.
French gift tax in 2026: €100,000 tax-free per parent per child every 15 years, rates of 5-60%, the extra €100,000 property exemption ending 31/12/2026.
House prices in France in 2026: the index is flat (+0.1% YoY), apartments up, houses down. Median €/m² in 12 cities, coastal markets, rates and outlook.
French wills for foreign owners: English/US will validity, the four French forms (free to €136), forced heirship, the EU law election and FCDDV registration.
French wealth tax in 2026: the IFI applies above €1.3M of net property wealth, at 0.5-1.5%. Threshold, scale, exemptions and rules for non-residents.
Renting in France in 2026: the 3 lease types compared, documents landlords ask for, deposit caps, rent control, tenant rights and how to get your deposit back.
Selling property in France as a non-resident: the 3-stage notaire process, agent fees (4-6%), capital gains tax, représentant fiscal and 90-day timeline.
Moving to France in 2026: which long-stay visa fits your case, how to rent without a French guarantor, real cost of living, healthcare, schools and timeline.
Retiring to France in 2026: long-stay visa income requirements, taxes on US and UK pensions, joining French healthcare (PUMa, S1), and buying your home.
Buying a house in France as a foreigner: the full 2026 process (compromis, notaire, timelines), real costs of 7-8%, non-resident mortgages and legal pitfalls.
How to sell an inherited property in France from abroad: succession formalities, notaire, co-ownership between heirs (indivision), capital gains tax basis, powers of attorney and timeline.
SCI France explained for foreigners: what a Société Civile Immobilière is, advantages for co-ownership and inheritance planning, setup costs, taxation of rental income and sales, and the pitfalls for UK and US owners.
Viager meaning, explained in English: France's life-annuity property sale — bouquet, monthly rente, occupied vs free viager, and who really comes out ahead.
French capital gains tax for non-resident sellers in 2026: 19% + social levies (7.5% or 17.2%), taper relief after 6 years, surtax above €50,000, fiscal representative rules and the UK/US treaty position.
French property taxes for foreign owners in 2026: taxe foncière (who pays, how it's calculated), taxe d'habitation on second homes with surcharges up to 60%, vacant property taxes and how to pay from abroad.
French inheritance law explained for foreigners: forced heirship (children's reserved share), order of heirs, the surviving spouse's rights, the EU Succession Regulation choice of law, and the 2021 compensation rule.
French inheritance tax 2026: rates by relationship (5-45% for children, 60% for non-relatives), tax-free allowances (€100,000 per child), rules for non-resident heirs, deadlines and double-tax treaties.