The following is a list of some of the common legal terms and well as some general terms that are likely to come up when buying property in France and their English translations.
Achat/Vente | Purchase/Sale |
Acte authentique | Notarised document (often refers to the final conveyance on completion) |
Acte de vente | Act of sale (conveyance) |
Adresse | Address |
Agent immobilier/Agence immobilière | Estate Agent/Estate agency |
Appartement | Apartment |
Avocat | Lawyer or solicitor |
Buanderie | Utility room |
Cadastre | Land Registry |
Cave | Cellar |
Chambre | Bedroom |
Clé | Key |
Compromis de vente | Contract of sale |
Contrat de réservation | Reservation contract (for a new build) |
Cuisine | Kitchen |
Dépendance | Outbuilding |
Diagnostics | Technical inspection reports |
Droits d'enregistrement | Stamp duty |
Droit de préemption | Preemption rights |
Expert-comptable | Accountant |
Frais de notaire | Costs of conveyance including the Notary's fees and stamp duty |
Garantie | Guarantee |
Hypothèque | Mortgage |
Impôt/Taxe | Both terms mean Tax |
Loi | Law |
Mairie | Town Hall |
Maison | House |
Meubles | Furniture |
Notaire | Notary |
Parcelle | Plot |
Permis | Licence |
Permis de construire | Planning permission |
Piscine | Swimming pool |
Police d'assurance | Insurance policy |
Procuration | Power of Attorney |
Promesse de vente | Contract giving an option to buy |
Promoteur immobilier | Developer |
Propriété | Property |
Renseignements hypothécaires | Land Registry search |
Résident | Resident |
Revenu | Income |
Salle de bain/Salle de douche | Bathroom/Shower room |
Société | Company |
Syndicat des propriétaires | Community of building owners |
Syndic | Building manager |
Taux d'intérêt | Interest rate |
Taxe d'habitation and Taxe foncière (known collectively as Impôts locaux) | Habitation tax and Property tax (known collectively as Local taxes) |
TVA (Taxe sur la valeur ajoutée) | VAT (Value Added Tax) |
Terrasse | Terrace |
Testament | Will |
Valeur vénale | Market value of the property |