Making an Offer

You have seen the house you want. Again take time to consider the situation calmly – even if only for an hour or two. Is your purchase going to be conditional on planning consent for major restoration or changes? If you are planning to set up a new business using the property - you may need to seek the relevant permissions. Does the asking price (and the inevitable purchase costs) mean you have to change your finance plans? Are you happy to proceed with the purchase knowing that you will be buying the house “as seen” or do you require a structural survey prior to purchase?

Do you know exactly what is being sold? Are all of the outbuildings included and were the limits of the garden and any land clearly pointed out to you. If you are unsure then say that you are happy to buy the property in principal but would like to meet with the agent and vendor at the house to get the details clear.

It is best to be clear about just which fixtures and fittings are included in the price. While fixtures such as fireplaces, baths, fitted carpets, etc. are part of the fabric of the building, ant item which may be easily removed or dismounted without destroying the property such us wood-burning stoves, satellite dishes, kitchen appliances, etc. are matters for separate discussion.

Talk to your agent about planning consents and any likely local difficulties – he may also be able to arrange a visit by a local builder to estimate the cost of any repairs or refurbishment before you make your offer.

It is perfectly acceptable to make an offer below the asking price but not (in the current climate anyway) too far below. Your agent will have a feel for local prices and may be able to guide you on how flexible the vendor may be.

Remember that if your offer is accepted you may be expected to sign a formal agreement to purchase within hours – perhaps the same day. If that sounds scary then do not worry, you can protect your position and secure your new purchase with an agreement that is binding on both parties but has a few “exits” built into it should circumstances dictate. A seven day cooling off period is now a statutory element of the agreement - just in case you have second thoughts about the whole thing. However, things do not have to proceed quite so quickly.

The speed with which purchase agreements are signed has changed dramatically of late. Few vendors are ready with the required documents to go ahead immediately. In any case, you might not finally make up your mind to proceed with a purchase until you are home again in the UK.

With a longer "time window" between your seeing the French house you want to buy and the signing of the purchase agreement you need to have some confidence that the vendor will take the house off the market and (of course) the vendor needs to be confident that you are serious about proceeding with the purchase. The next section of our guide deals with making a written offer.