Making an offer is pretty much the 'done thing' in France these days, it did not used to be so and one had to be careful not to offend a French Vendor with a cheeky offer. Current market conditions over the last few years have meant that offers are more readily entertained.

It does depend on the property but our properties are valued by a local agent with the local market in mind so the asking prices are generally pretty accurate in terms of value. We are seeing that offers within 5% to 10% of the asking price (depending on the asking price) are being accepted or the vendors are open for negotiation. Although it is worth pointing out that French vendors do not like the 'start low and edge up' routine that is seen in the UK where you bat back and forth a few thousand here and there, they tend to not like that approach at all.

So how do I decide what to offer? my advice would be to make the offer you genuinely want to pay. If you view a property and you feel that for example, on an asking price of 100k you really wouldn't be comfortable paying more than 85k, then that is the offer you should submit, and if that is refused, you walk away because you don't want to pay any more.

What if I really want it and offer full asking price? If a French estate agent gets a full price offer for a vendor, the vendor is legally obliged to accept it; if they don't the agent can sue them for breach of contract.

The reason this is written into French law is for consumer protection, it stops a vendor trying to get two potential purchasers into a bidding war, which is a good point for buyers to note. Find out more about the Buying Process in France.

Blog submitted by: Sharon at Cle France.