Inspection prior to acte de vente?

Finding/Owning French Property

Inspection prior to acte de vente?

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Carolski 25/04/2008, 9:00

When we bought our house here in France 4 years ago, we never checked it out just prior to signing the acte de vente. We are now just about to sign the acte de vente before returning to the UK.We have a very officious estate agent who has been pretty difficult. We have complied w ith everything she has asked even down to having the boiler serviced, chimney swept and fosse sceptic emptied. We have papers to confirm all of this. I recieved a telephone call today from them to say that they are coming round the morning of the signing (2pm) to check the house out!!! I was quite surprised as we never did this 4 years agowhen we bought the place and certainly not in the UK.

 My question is this: Are they entitled to do this? Not that we have anything to hide at all but we have reason not to trust them as they have done some pretty underhand stuff these past few months.

Re: Inspection prior to acte de vente?

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Jacqui Too 25/04/2008, 9:11

Carolski wrote:

My question is this: Are they entitled to do this? Not that we have anything to hide at all but we have reason not to trust them as they have done some pretty underhand stuff these past few months.

Of course they are entitled to have a last Minuit check, we certainly did and I would do it again as well.

You may be trusting, but its to late when you get the keys and find out things are not as they should be, at least this way you don't have to sign if things are not right!!

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Jackie

Re: Inspection prior to acte de vente?

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sweet 17 25/04/2008, 9:51
Jacqui Too is right.  Trusting is one thing but there is just too much money and potential aggro involved not to do something so simple as an inspection on signing day.

Re: Inspection prior to acte de vente?

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Ron Avery 25/04/2008, 9:58
I think Carol is actually selling not buying.  A lot has changed in that last four years, there are so many inspections and reports (like lead, termites,  asbestos, size of fosse) now necessary that were not four years ago, and more to come next year, Whereas in the past it was all done informally, that is not the case anymore.  I suspect that the OP's agent has had a few problems in the past with after sale comebacks and wants to make sure all is in order before the money changes hands.

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Why not post a sensible answer, people will appreciate it more

Re: Inspection prior to acte de vente?

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andyh4 25/04/2008, 10:01
It should realy be just to check that everything is in order and that you haven't removed the kitchen sink, radiators and plumbing.  (Oh yes, I have heard of such things).

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Andy

Re: Inspection prior to acte de vente?

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sweet 17 25/04/2008, 10:10
Some friends of ours bought a house where they went so far as to drain the oil tank!  Not that the OP would do such a thing, of course.

Re: Inspection prior to acte de vente?

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Ron Avery 25/04/2008, 10:51

A lot of the French would though, and have in the past.  When the Notaire said the house must be emptied it was, no fuel, firewood, light fittings, bulbs, plants etc

Before Claire comes along and clouts me that is an outrageuos slur on the majority of the French, some UK sellers have also done the same thing.

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Why not post a sensible answer, people will appreciate it more

Re: Inspection prior to acte de vente?

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Clair 25/04/2008, 11:01

Ron Avery wrote:

A lot of the French would though, and have in the past.  When the Notaire said the house must be emptied it was, no fuel, firewood, light fittings, bulbs, plants etc Before Claire comes along and clouts me that is an outrageuos slur on the majority of the French, some UK sellers have also done the same thing.

It happened to me too (empty fuel tank)...

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Clair
Real Virtual French Person

Re: Inspection prior to acte de vente?

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Llantony 25/04/2008, 20:41
Well, we bought our little French house 5 years ago and before we went to the notaire, the estate agent came with us for a last look.  We'd heard of people taking everything including the toilet seat!  In fact, the first thing we bought was a toilet seat as the existing one was disgusting.  He left the horrible rusty fluorescent lights, & the sink and quite honestly there wasn't anything else worth having!

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