Compromis de Vente

Would you like an explanation of the Compromis de Vente?

The compromis de vente, also referred to as the promesse de vente, is probably the most important document within the process of buying or selling your property in France. If you have an inadequate knowledge of French and/or the French legal aspects of this agreement, it is a sensible idea to allow a competent third party to examine the document, provide clarification and modify it if required.

It does not matter whether you are a buyer or seller. It is essential that you fully understand the compromis de vente so that you know exactly what you are signing. We can take care of this for you, no matter where you purchase a property in France.

What is the Compromis de Vente

The comprimis de vente is more than just a provisional sales agreement.

It must include several statutory provisions. These conditions, suspensory and/or resolutive, subject to which the purchase and sale occur, are also discussed in detail. Existing servitudes are identified and an insight is provided into any (notarial) fees that you can expect.

We are sure you understand just how crucial it is that these aspects as well as other relevant ones are present or included in the compromis de vente. It is our business to ensure this is indeed the case. We also work for French clients, incidentally. You can use this expertise, even if you do not contract us for the entire buying assistance process.

Look under Prices to find out about the relevant conditions.

Below is a glossary of terms that you could encounter in the compromis de vente.

Accepter les condition de vente	Agree to the conditions of sale
Accord de volontés	Consensus
Accord verbal	Verbal agreement
Achat a temperament	Hire purchase
Acte (authentique) de vente	Deed of sale
Agence Immobiliere	Real estate agency
Agent immobilier	Real estate agent
Annulation judiciaire	Nullification
Appartement dans un immeuble (detenu) en copropriete	Apartment right
Approbation	Approval
Acquéreur	Buyer
Arpentage	Land surveying
Assurance	Insurance
Assurance de dommage au mobilier	Household contents insurance
Assurance dommage ouvrage	Insurance that must be taken out by the commissioner of a construction (often via an architect or maitre d'oeuvre). 30 A Vendre has such an insurance.
Assurance habitation	Building insurance

Bon de visite	The real estate agent asks potential buyers to sign this document before they are shown a property. If they decide to buy, signing this document obliges them to do so via this real estate agent.

C/C (commission comprise)	Price includes real estate agent costs
Carectéristiques technique	Technical characteristics
Carte professionnelle	Real estate agent permit
CU (certificat d'urbanisme)	Document indicating whether construction is permitted in a particular place (type of zoning plan).
Clause d'accroisement	See "clause de tontine"
Clause d'exonération de vices cachés	Exemption from latent defects
Clause de dedit	Deposit (often 10%) when purchasing and financial compensation in the event of cancellation.
Clause de tontine	If one of the two owners (married, for example) dies, part of the property of the deceased goes to the surviving spouse. This surviving spouse is considered, with retrospective effect, to have been the sole owner of the property since the day of purchase.
Clause resolutoire	Resolutory clause
Construction cle sur porte	Turnkey construction
Compromis de vente	Real estate contract that becomes final once all conditions have been met. Provisional sales contract.
Compte sequestre (notaire)	Third-party account
Conclure un accord	To enter into an agreement
Condition suspensive d'obtention d'un pret	Financing restriction
Contrat de construction de maison individuelle	Building agreement whereby the building contractor must build in accordance with what has been agreed on, but all legal responsibility lies with the owner.
Couts annexes	Additional costs
Credit relais	Bridging loan

Défaut	Defect
Défaut caché	Latent defect
Dégâts des eaux	Water damage
Délai	Period
Délai d'acceptation	Period for acceptance
Délai de rétractation	Period of 7 days after receipt of the confirmation of signing of the compromis de vente (from civil-law notary or real estate agent).
Détérioration	Deterioration
Devis	Estimate
Diagnostics	Mandatory tests that must be carried out before the compromis de vente is signed (energy, lead, asbestos).
Domicile conjugal	Marital home
Droit de propriété	Property right
Droit de préemption	Pre-emptive right

Echantillon	Sample
Egouts	Sewers
Estimation de la valeur d'un bien	Appraisal
Expert en batiment	Structural advisor
Expert immobilier	Appraiser (also the name for someone who performs the diagnostics)

Fosse septic	Septic tank
Fuite d'eau	Leak

Depot de garantie	Guarantee deposit
Garantie biennale	Guarantee that can be invoked during a two-year period after delivery with regard to small defects.
Garantie de parfait achevement	Guarantee that can be invoked during a one-year period after delivery with regard to visible and latent defects.
Garantie decennale	Guarantee that can be invoked during a one-year period after delivery of a building with regard to all parts of the building that influence its soundness.
Garantie des vices caches	Guarantee against latent defects

Hypotheques dont le bien est grevé	Real estate mortgages

Impots fonciers	Property tax
Impots sur les plus values	Profit tax

Jouissance	Enjoyment
Jouissance exclusive	Exclusive enjoyment

Lot de lotissement	Plot in an allotment
Lotissement	Land with plots for construction

Maitre d'oeuvre	Construction project manager or main contractor
Maitre d'ouvrage	Project owner or individual who commissions a construction
Maison a usage d'habitation	House
Mettre hors air	Wind-proofing
Mettre hors eau	Water-proofing

Negociation	Negotiation
Notaire	Civil-law notary

Offre	Offer
Offrir a la vente	To put up for sale
Option d'achat	Option to buy

Parcelle constructable	Building plot
Permis de construire (PC)	Building permit
Permis de demolir	Demolition permit
Permis de lotir	Allocation permit
Plan de occupation des sols (now PLU)	Old name for zoning plan
Plan Local d'Urbanisme (PLU)	Zoning plan
Plus-value	Profit between purchase and sale of property
Pret immobilier	Loan to finance a property
Prix elevé	High price
Prix impose	Specified price
Prix raisonnable	Reasonable price
Prix avantageux	Favourable price
Promesse d'achat	Unilateral promise by the interested buyer to purchase the property at a pre-determined price. The seller does not enter into an obligation.
Promesse de vente	See compromis de vente
Promoteur immobilier	Property developer
Propostition (faire un)	(Make) an offer
Proprieté	Property

Releve de compte definitif (du notaire)	Final statement of account (of civil-law notary)
Remise de cles	Key transfer
Reseau public d'assainissement	Public sewer
Retraction	See droit de retraction
Retrait d'une offre	Revocation of an offer

SAFER (Societé d'Amenagement Foncier et d'Etablissement Rural)	Regional organisation responsible for protecting agricultural land and woodlands. SAFER therefore has a pre-emptive right to buy immovable property.
SHOB (Surface Hors Oeuvre Brute)	Gross floor space (note that the method used in France to calculate this may differ from the one used in your country).
SHON (Surface Hors Oeuvre Nette)	Net floor space
Servitude	Servitude
Servitude de passage des eaux (usees)	Right of household water drainage
Servitude de passage	Right of way
Servitude de prospect / vue	Right of prospect
SCI (Société Civile Immobilière)	A company that can be set up exclusively to purchase property; often used when several families purchase together. A type of partnership with a legal personality set up in order to maintain/manage property (buying, selling, renting). The SCI becomes the owner of the purchased property and the partners become shareholders in the SCI. Owning a property via shares offers a number of advantages. It can be transferred more easily, articles of incorporation can prevent interference by third parties (heirs) in the company, and all kinds of fiscal constructions are possible in order to pay less inheritance tax/gift tax when transferring ownership of the property.
Sous-traitant	Subcontractor
Surcout	Additional costs
Surface	Surface area
Syndicat des coproprietaires	Owners' association

Taux d'interet du pret immobilier	Mortgage interest
Taxe d'habitation	Local annual tax levied on the occupant of a property
Terrain a batir	Building land
Titre de propriete	Ownership title
Transfert de proprieté	Transfer of ownership

Valeur de (re)construction a neuf	Reconstruction value
Vendeur	Seller
Vente par autorite de justice	Judicial sale
Vice cache	Latent defect