Your purchase agreement will have included a final date for any sale. You can’t rely upon this date as it is only included in the document as a final “get out” option in the event that one of the parties has no intention of completing the sale. If both parties are proceeding in good faith then the actual sale completion may well fall before the agreed final completion date.
You will have to prepare to have the purchase monies available with the notaire and cleared through his bank account in advance of the completion date. You will have let your agent know about details of any French mortgage arranged and the notaire can then act for your bank at the completion as well as sorting out their contribution to the purchase monies. Your Dream Properties Dordogne agent will let you have copies of any important documents that come to hand such as a termite inspection certificate.
Ask your agent to contact each of the utility companies in advance of the completion to let them know the date from which you will be taking over the property. It would also help them if you can supply your billing address (if it is different to the French address) and let them know when you will be next available at your French house to sign any necessary agreements if that can’t be managed by post. It may be that your French estate agent will manage this process for you.
The notaire will let you know when he is ready to proceed and he will try and agree a date with all of the parties concerned. That can be a little difficult if a large number of individuals are involved in the sale. Also remember many official functions and departments of the French state effectively shut down for August and this can add to the delay between the purchase agreement and the completion.
On the day of the completion it might be a good idea to meet with the vendor and/or your agent to check the meter readings. If you can do so then do not forget the water meter – you may not have one in the UK. Otherwise visit your new house straight after the completion and make a note of the readings then and inform the utilities company.
It is possible (with some exceptions) to manage your part in a completion from the United Kingdom but in most instances it is simpler and much more enjoyable to attend the notaire’s office. As with many things French the completion is quite a social event and there will be lots of chat in between the reading of the key documents and the “laborious” process of initialling and signing the relevant pages.
At the end when you have signed every bit of paper in sight and paid all of the bills you will get the keys to your new property and everyone’s best wishes. That’s it! All you have to do now is move in.
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