What does the notary do in a French purchase?
A French notary (notaire) is a public officer appointed by the Minister of Justice. The transfer of real estate must be recorded in a notarial deed (acte authentique), which the notary drafts, signs with the parties and then registers with the land registry (service de la publicité foncière). Publication makes the buyer's ownership enforceable against everyone.
Before signing, the notary checks the seller's title and identity, the mortgages and charges registered against the property, the planning documents, any pre-emption right and, for a flat, the documents of the building's co-ownership (copropriété). The notary also collects the transfer duties on behalf of the State and the local authorities.
Buyer and seller may each appoint their own notary. The two notaries then share the regulated fee, so the buyer pays the same amount as with a single notary.
From the offer to the preliminary contract
Once the seller accepts your offer, the parties sign a preliminary contract, in one of two forms. In a unilateral promise to sell (promesse unilatérale de vente), the seller commits to sell and the buyer receives an option to buy within a set period; the promise must be registered with the tax authorities within ten days of its acceptance, failing which it is void. In a bilateral sale agreement (compromis de vente), both parties commit to the sale.
The buyer usually pays a deposit, commonly 5 to 10 % of the price, which the notary holds in escrow. It is deducted from the price at completion and refunded if a condition precedent fails. When the notary drafts the preliminary contract, it is prepared with full knowledge of the title and the planning position, and the completion follows from it directly.
The ten-day cooling-off period
A private buyer of residential property benefits from a cooling-off period (délai de rétractation) of ten days, under article L271-1 of the Construction and Housing Code. It starts on the day after the first presentation of the registered letter notifying the signed contract, or after its hand delivery by the notary. When the last day falls on a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday, the period runs to the next working day.
During those ten days you may withdraw without giving any reason, by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt. The deposit is then refunded in full. The seller, for their part, is bound as soon as the contract is signed, subject to the conditions it contains.
Conditions precedent: mortgage, pre-emption and planning
The preliminary contract lists the conditions precedent (conditions suspensives) that must be met before the sale can be completed. When the buyer finances the purchase with a loan, the contract must say so, and the loan condition must last at least one month (article L313-41 of the Consumer Code). It states the maximum amount, term and interest rate of the loan you will apply for. If the bank refuses the loan within these terms, the sale falls through and the deposit is returned.
The notary also notifies the local authority when the property lies in an area subject to the urban pre-emption right (droit de préemption urbain). The authority has two months to reply. Other conditions protect the buyer as well: absence of mortgages exceeding the price, absence of easements that would impede the intended use, a planning certificate consistent with the project.
- Loan condition: amount, term, maximum rate, deadlines for applying and for obtaining the offer.
- Pre-emption: declaration sent by the notary to the local authority.
- Title and charges: search of the land registry, release of existing mortgages from the price.
- Planning: urban planning certificate and permits for past works.
Completion: signing the deed of sale
The notary uses the weeks after the preliminary contract to gather the title deeds, the land registry search, the planning documents, the answer on pre-emption and, for a flat, the co-ownership documents. The buyer transfers the balance of the price and the purchase costs to the notary's account at the Caisse des dépôts before completion.
On the day of completion, the parties sign the deed of sale (acte de vente), usually at the office in Chartres or through a representative holding a power of attorney. Ownership passes on signature, and the keys are normally handed over the same day. The notary gives the buyer a certificate of ownership, pays the seller once the funds have cleared and the charges have been discharged, then registers the deed with the land registry.
How much does it cost to buy in Eure-et-Loir?
Most of what buyers call notary fees (frais de notaire) consists of taxes. For an existing property in Eure-et-Loir, the departmental transfer duty has been raised to 5 % since 1 April 2025, for a three-year period. Buyers who have not owned their main residence in the previous two years and who buy their first main residence keep the former rate of 4.5 %. The communal tax of 1.2 % and a collection charge are added, which brings the duties to about 6.32 % of the price for most buyers.
The notary's own remuneration follows a national scale identical in every French office, extended by an order of 25 February 2026. For a price of €250,000, it amounts to €2,394.75 before VAT. The property security contribution of 0.10 % of the price and the disbursements for documents complete the costs. For a new property sold by a developer, the duties are much lower, since the sale bears VAT instead. Our page on notary fees in France details each item, our French guide to purchase costs in Eure-et-Loir gives the local figures, and our simulators estimate the costs of your purchase.
| Item | Rate or amount | Paid to |
|---|---|---|
| Departmental transfer duty, existing property | 5 % (4.5 % for first-time buyers of a main residence) | Département d'Eure-et-Loir |
| Communal tax | 1.2 % | Municipality |
| Collection charge | 2.37 % of the departmental duty | State |
| Property security contribution | 0.10 % of the price | State |
| Notary's regulated fee | 3.870 % to 0.799 % by price band, plus 20 % VAT | Notary |
| Disbursements | Actual cost of documents and formalities | Third parties |
Buying from abroad
French law allows anyone, whatever their nationality or country of residence, to buy property in France. Buyers who live abroad can sign the preliminary contract and the deed through a notarial power of attorney granted by video call, without travelling: see remote notarial signing. The price and costs are paid by bank transfer to the notary's account; as for any buyer, the notary checks the origin of the funds under anti-money-laundering rules.
The deed states the buyer's marital status and, for a married buyer, the matrimonial regime, which may be governed by a foreign law. We establish it from your marriage certificate and any marriage contract, as explained on our page on marriage contracts and matrimonial regimes. Foreign civil status documents may need a sworn translation and an apostille. Buying jointly, through a company or with a clause in favour of the survivor also has consequences for a future inheritance, which we review before you sign.