News and Tips
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The French real estate market blog
We believe that our experience in the French real estate, our daily market reading, the feedback we get from buyers, vendors, tenants, holidaymakers, real estate agents, notaires, mortgage brokers and other stakeholders, combined with our approach towards the real estate can be useful to our visitors . Also, whether you want to take part to this section or become a partner, please contact us ( email to info@papaty.co.uk ). We will provide some valuable tips and your feedback is much appreciated.
This information cannot be used as a consulting or legal advice, and no liability shall be seek for errors and omissions.
News
Events, culture and practical information
IN PARIS
**** March 16 - 2008 - Bertrand Delanoë has just been reelected as the Mayor of Paris and therefore has been running the city since 2001. Parisians owe him the velib stations, the tramway, Paris plage, the ' nuit blanche ', the bus corridors, etc. ****
Since the 15Th of July 2007, everywhere in Paris, you can rent a bicycle very easily (just read and follow the instructions at the 'Velib station', you will need your payment card). For instance, you can collect your bike in Bastille 'Velib' station and leave it in Saint Germain des Près at another 'Velib' station. This is the bicycle revolution in Paris! We have tried and approved! For half an hour use, with the 24hours ticket will cost you Euro 1.
From July to August.
Summer holidays and families frolicking on fine sand beaches: where else but Paris Plages? As this annual event gets underway, Parisians and tourists alike will be seen on ...
21 June 2008. Mad about music? Here’s a festival you’ll really enjoy. The first day of summer, 21 June, inevitably sparks anticipation of summer holidays and sunny beaches...
Boats
Experience Paris from the Seine by using the river as an original means of transport and discovery. How ? Take a regular company, like the Batobus, or simply hire a boat for the weekend, for example ...
Metro
New: Improvements to night-time transport in Paris
The entire Parisian metro service will operate on Saturday evenings until 2.15 am from 23 December 2006, and on Friday evenings until 2.15 am from 29 June 2007.
Internet
Rendezvous in a cyber café or a cyber-space to check and send your e-mails. Often open late, they are usually reasonably-priced. Some offer student tariffs...
Map of Bus and Tramway network click here
Map of Metro network click here
ON THE FRENCH RIVIERA
HEAVENT March
The exhibition for venues, hotels, destinations, and event provders and suppliers in the Mediteranean.
click here
Grand Prix de Monaco Watch the 66th Monaco Grand Prix 2008
click here
Cannes Film Festival May 2008
click here
The 16 golf courses offering the Pass will take you on a superb journey through Provence, in pursuit of the little white ball. Take advantage of Provence's year-round incomparable climate. Tomorrow is another day ! click here .
A majormountain bike event: several races, several routes, lots of activities, workshops, a bicycle and VTT show. In 2005, 14,000 participants and over 120,000 spectators over the five days of the event. Click here .
rent a villa on the French Riviera
Main Events in Cannes
| 2007 | 2008 | ||
7 – 15 – 24 August
19 - 28 August |
INTERNATIONAL FIREWORKS FESTIVAL RUSSIAN ART FESTIVAL |
27 - 31 January | MIDEM 2008 |
12 - 17 September
16 - 19 September
19 - 20 September |
CANNES INTERNATIONAL BOAT AND YACHT INTERCOSMO 2007 BANKHALL ANNUAL CONFERENCE |
17 - 24 February | Games Festival |
08 - 12 October
2 - 26 October |
MIPCOM 2007 Tax free World Exhibition 2007 |
10 - 14 March | MIPIM 2008 |
04 - 8 November
24 - 01 December
20 - 27 November |
Gartner Group Emporio Symposium IT expo 2007 International Dance Festival Mare Di Moda |
7 - 11 April | MIPTV 2008 |
04 TO 06 December |
ILTM – INTERNATIONAL LUXURY TRAVEL MARKET 2007 | 14 to 25 May |
FIF - Film International Festival Festival de Cannes 2008 |
Tips
Selected information about buying a property in France
The French law protects the buyer:
- There is a general obligation of information at the vendor’s and real estate agents’ charge.
- There is a right to retract or a cooling-off period within which the buyer can change his mind.
- When the buyer asks for a mortgage from a French bank, but the bank refuses to lend, the deposit can be given back (conditions apply)
- The notary carries out all the checks to ensure the buyer a peaceful ownership.
- In general, the parties allow for a period of two or three month between the first agreement and the final deed, to ensure there is enough time to assemble all the documents needed for the sale and for the buyer to get his finance ready.
- There is NO CHAIN IN FRANCE, and it is rare for the completion to fail when the preliminary sale agreement has been signed.
Who said there is no survey in France?
There are several surveys and there will be progressively more. Among them some are imposed by regulation related to health and safety (lead poisoning preventing measures , asbestos regulations, termites, energy performance, gas certificate). Besides, when you buy an apartment in a co-ownsership building, there is a property manager who makes sure of the compliance with the safety regulation, and who carries out the maintenance work.
Square meters and number of rooms
In France you will find the floor area in square meters and the description of the property in number of rooms (the kitchen and the bathroom are not counted):
Studio/1 pièce/F1/T1 = one room
2 pièces/F2/T2 = living room and bedroom
3 pièces/F3/T3 = living room and two bedrooms (or double living room and one bedroom)
10 m2 (mètres carrés) = 108 sq ft
20 m2 = 215 sq ft
50 m2 = 538 sq ft
100 m2 = 1076 sq ft
400 m2 = 4305 sq ft
France
France continues to be the world’s favourite holiday destination and remains short of tourist accommodation.
Paris
Updated on Feb. 28 - 2008.
The last figures known provided by the Organisation of Notaries in Paris (“La Chambre des Notaires de Paris) for the 3rd quarter of 2007:
According to recent statistics, the average price per square meter for old apartments* in Paris is
EUR 6,181 , +8.7% increase on a yearly scale.
The average price per square meter is € 9,144 for the 6th arrondissement, the most expensive area in capital, a 7.6% over 1 year.
The cheapest area for old apartments is the 19th arrondissement, where the average price per square meter is EUR 4,884 and 10.2% increase over one year.
* means the construction is over 5 years old
more information about property in Paris
Nice on the French Riviera, facts and figures
- Number of inhabitants (year 1999) and surface :
Nice : 342 738 / 72 km2
Villefranche sur Mer : 6 833 / 4,88 km2
Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat : 1 895 / 2,48 km2
- 2004/2005
The rise of the prices in Nice : +14%
Average price of old houses : 436 800 € (ca £298,037)
property on the French Riviera