Question: I am purchasing an apartment in Paris. I am being charged on top of the purchase price for the refrigerator, stove, oven, dishwasher etc. Is this normal?  Normally, appliances and/or furniture are not included in the sale of an apartment. However, you can agree with the seller to buy them along with the property.

The UK government has cracked down on the practice of purchasing properties through a company structure in order to avoid paying stamp duty. This measure is aimed in particular at wealthy foreign buyers who have bought investment properties that have subsequently been left empty.

The luxury property market thrived in 2013, says a new report on international real estate. London was the most popular destination for luxury property buyers seeking a second home but also the most expensive. The latter factor may encourage buyers to start looking to other cities, including Paris.

Question: In a French property transaction, who pays the selling agency’s fee, the buyer or the seller, and is it negotiable? Standard practice in France is that the selling agency’s fees normally amount to around 5% of the purchase price of the property. The fees are agreed between the seller and the real estate agent […]

Real estate is in a class of its own when it comes to investment in alternative asset classes (i.e. not stocks, bonds or cash), a recent survey by Morgan Stanley reveals. Of U.S. high net worth (NHW) investors with $1million dollars or more in financial assets, 77% own real estate, while 35% own Real Estate […]

This grand top floor Haussmannian apartment is located in a quiet residential area of the 17th arrondissement, between the Place Pereire and the Place Catroux, in the vicinity of the Parc Monceau.

Our partners at foreign currency broker FC Exchange provide an update on how the major currencies might move in 2014.  A major focus for currency markets in 2014 will be when and how fast interest rates will rise in the major economies. For rates to rise, the reduction of monetary stimulus will be a significant […]

Property experts consider that now is a good time to buy prestige real estate in Paris. The prices of prime properties in the sought-after Parisian neighborhoods are not as high as those in London or Geneva – also coveted by prestige property buyers.

We reported recently on the government’s flagship piece of legislation on housing and property rentals: the loi ALUR/Duflot. The French Parliament had passed the law but right-wing senators and members of Parliament referred it to the Constitutional Council on the grounds that parts of it might be anti-constitutional.

This typically Parisian sunny 2 bedroom apartment is located on a charming street in the “European quarter” of the 8th arrondissement, between the trendy Batignolles area and the Gare St. Lazare.  Nestled in a quiet residential neighborhood close to public transportation, shops and restaurants, the classic 19th century Haussmannian building is depicted in the famous Caillebotte painting […]