Buying guides for rural France

Practical reading before you offer on a house in rural France. Start with the wider buying questions, then follow the checks that matter to your property.

Finding and choosing a house

Buying a renovation property in France
Where to look, how to shortlist, what to investigate and how to build the whole budget. With buyer experiences from Survive France and official sources.
What to check before offering on a French house
The records and questions worth examining before you commit.

Understanding a particular issue

Can you convert the barn?
How the local plan affects the project you have in mind.
The SPANC drainage report
What to ask when a house has private drainage.
Buying a house with an F energy rating
Questions about heating, energy performance and the work ahead.
Checking flood risk
What the records can tell you about a particular address.
Understanding radon risk
What a risk category means and which questions remain.