Literally translates as "2 faces (sides)", "3 faces (sides)", "4 faces (sides)". They respectively refer to a terrace house, a semi-detached house, and a detached house. For more explanation, see bottom of page.

A shelter. Could also be a small outbuilding (e.g. a shed)

Deposit

Estate Agency

The previous owner

Apartment

Lift (or in North American English: elevator)

Workshop

Building

A form that estate agents ask you to sign before viewing a house. It is used to prove that they were the first to show you the house, so that in the event of you subsequently buying from another agent or from the owner direct they can still claim their sales commission.

In good condition. See also "Rafraîchir" and "Rénover". In terms of condition, the terms from best to worst are "très bon état", "bon état", "Rafraîchir" and "Rénover".

DIY

Residence permit. No longer required for members of the EU (e.g. not required for UK citizens)

Cellar. If you want to store wine, this could be important!!

Bedroom

Heating

Central Heating

Oil Central Heating

Chimney. Also sometime used to mean fireplace.

A conditional clause which is used in the "Compromis de Vente". For example, you might add a condition that the sale of the house is dependent of obtaining planning permission for an extension.

Normally the first document signed between the buyer and the seller. It commits both to the sale of the house. Normally the buyer must pay a substantial deposit at this stage; if he does not complete the sale then the deposit is lost. On the other hand, if the failure to complete the sale is due to the seller, the seller must repay the deposit, plus pay the same amount again to the intended buyer as a penalty.

Kitchen

A USA-style kitchen (e.g. large, open-plan, with large modern appliances).

To move

Estimate for work. It is wise to always obtain a devis before requesting work to be done. Note that this is only an estimate, so in the event of unforeseeable circumstances it is not binding. This is similar to UK and USA law.

Double glazing

Inheritance arrangement whereby the surviving spouse takes full ownership of joint assets. See our pages on inheritance and taxes for more information.

Entirely renovated

A measure of the property size. For details see bottom of page.

Septic tank. Typically found in rural properties that don't have mains sewage.

Fireplace. Also sometimes used as slang to mean house (e.g. "Each 'foyer' is entitled to an allotment" would mean that there was one allotment per house. Also see "Chéminee" above.

The fees charged by the notaire. These fees are normally in addition to the sales prices and include the fee received by the notaire for his work, plus his direct costs (e.g. the land registration fee that he needs to pay), plus property sales tax. As these fees can be substantial and are normally paid by the buyer, one should confirm the amount before committing to purchasing a property. These fees are regulated by law, so should be the same regardless of which notaire you use. If both the buyer and the seller are represented by their own notaires, the buyer pays the same fee but the two notaires split this fee between them.

The estate agent's fees are included in the quoted price.

Barn

Attic

Property (in American English: Real Estate)

Tax

Translates as "read and approved". When signing a contract, one is sometimes asked to hand-write this above the signature. It is intended to ensure that the person signing cannot claim they did not know what they were signing.

Builder

House

Literally translates as (House of Master). The term Maitre is used to describe certain positions of importance, so the house of a Maitre is a more formal, somewhat grand style of house.

Town Hall

Square meter. Used to express the size of a property. Properties are measured different in France than in the UK, for explanation see bottom of page.

Furniture

A "notary". Every property sale must involve a notaire, who is an official responsible for ensuring that the official requirements associated with property sales are met, that the taxes on the sale are collected and that the legal aspects of the contract are followed.

Planning Permission

A room

Swimming pool

The town plan, which shows properties and parcels of land

The first floor (in other words, the floor above the ground floor).

The Owner

Property

Plubming

Similar to "Compromis de Vente" (see above)

Close to

To redecorate. Commonly in the form "à rafraîchir ", which means it is in need of redecoration. See entry for "Rénover" and for "Bon état".

See "Rez-de-Chaussée".

To renovate. Commonly in the form "à rénover ", which means it is in need of renovation. See entry for "Rafraîchir" and for "Bon état".

Ground floor

Bathroom

Shower room (or shower with toilet)

Lounge (as in living room)

Dining room

Living room. Similar to "Salon"

A company which is set up to purchase property. Even if one is purchasing only a single property, this may be a useful approach in order to avoid tax and inheritance issues. See the articles on tax and inheritance on this site.

The basement. The literal translation is "under-floor" (which, of course, is where the basement is located).

The amount of living space in a house. Note that this is calculated differently in France than in the UK (for details, see bottom of page).

A measure of the property size. For details see bottom of page.

A local tax, paid by anyone living in a property (either rented or owned).

A tax on property (paid by the owner).

Short for "très bon état".

Land

Roof

Very good condition. See also entry for "bon état".

The abbreviation for "Taxe sur la Valeur Ajoutée". In other words VAT or Valued Added Tax (in North American English: sales tax). As in most countries, this tax is found on a range of goods. If you are discussing prices or asking for a "devis", ensure that you check if the price includes the TVA or not. Note that most goods have TVA at 19.6%, but if you are having work done on your home (provided it is not a new property) and you have your builders buy the materials, the TVA is normally reduced to 5.5%.

French Measurement

UK Equivalent

Square Meter

A square meter is one meter by one meter, commonly abbreviated to "m²". It is equal to approximately 10.75 square feet, or 1.2 square yards.

Are

An Are is 100 m² (e.g. 10 meters by 10 meters). It is a common measure for land area, equal to approximately 120 square yards (e.g. 10 yards by 12 yards).

Hectare

A hectare is 100 ares ("hect" is 100, so "hectare" = 100 ares). It is equal to 10,000 m² (e.g. a piece of land 100 meters by 100 meters), which is about 2.5 acres. If you are buying a property with a hectare or more of land, you already have a considerable amount of property.

Land size can be expressed in Ares (e.g. 50 ares) or Hectares (e.g. half a hectare). It can also be expressed as a combination (e.g. 1.2 Hectares may be written as "1 Hectare, 20 ares".