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130-point property purchase checklist for France - Free advice from www.house-hunting.org
Feel free to print the checklist and bring along when you inspect. Obviously not all points will apply, but we hope you find it a useful tool. Please send us an email with any remarks or suggestions you may have.

  1. 1) VICINITY

  2. Climate (sunshine, temperatures, wind conditions)
  3. Air quality
  4. Hazards (flooding, power lines, etc.)
  5. Zoning: Residential or commercial, future use of nearby land…
  6. Water & sewer systems
  7. School system
  8. Public facilities (parks, streets, roads, lightning etc.)
  9. Safety (crime rate, minority demographies)
  10. Noises (trains, planes, highways, animals, industry)
  11. Smells (farm animals, neighbours, industry, septic tank, nearby garbage dump, etc.)
  12. Neighbourhood/neighbours (children, pets, privacy)
  13. Public transportation (bus, train, metro)
  14. Shopping facilities
  15. Cul de sac

  16. 2) PROPERTY VALUE

  17. Year of construction
  18. Asking price/initial asking price
  19. Time on market
  20. Neighbourhood recent price comparisons (3)
  21. Square meters of building & land
  22. Price per m2
  23. Leins
  24. Easements
  25. Property tax annually (foncières & habitation)
  26. Covenants/conditions/restrictions
  27. Association dues/fees annually
  28. Association financial condition (annual statement & letter)

  29. 3) QUALITY & CONDITION

  30. Foundation
  31. Basement (moisture/water damage)
  32. Roof (tiling & leaks)
  33. Fireplace/chimney
  34. Plumbing (toilets, faucets, sinks, tubs, showers, water-heater, external faucets, washing machine & dishwasher plumbing and location)
  35. Heating systems (ducts, furnace, radiators, etc.)
  36. Eave troughs (gutters)
  37. Shutters
  38. Screens
  39. Water drainage
  40. Floors (tile, wood, carpentry, fixed rugs, insulation)
  41. Walls (plaster, paint, wall paper, tile)
  42. Ceilings
  43. Doors ( interior, exterior, garage)
  44. (3 continued)

  45. Windows (plastic, wood, natural or painted)
  46. Woodwork & cabinetry
  47. Electricity (boxes, cables underground into house or in air, circuits, recepticals, switches, kw available)
  48. Exhaust fans (kitchen, bathroom, attic, basement, garage)
  49. Stairways (safe, large, stone, wood)
  50. Illumination (ceiling & wall fixtures)
  51. Insulation values (walls, ceiling, floor, windows, external doors)
  52. Vapour barriers (walls, floors)
  53. Window coverings (shades, blinds, curtains)
  54. Appliances (fridge, freezer, washing machine, dishwasher, dryer, oven, cooker)
  55. Antenna/satellite
  56. Outlets/jacks (telephone, internet ADSL, TV, electrical)
  57. Pests (termites, flies, spiders, snakes, dogs, rats, mice, pigeons, bats, mosquitos)neighbours?
  58. Overall fit & finish

  59. 4) HOUSE ERGONOMICS & AESTHETICS

  60. Style (traditional, modern, regional, etc.)
  61. Appearance from the street
  62. Views from windows
  63. Siting (exposure)
  64. Privacy (open, fence, plantations)
  65. Parking (street, private yard, garage)
  66. Driveway and sidewalk
  67. Floor plan/traffic circulation
  68. Guest accomodation (separate building, room in house, private bath-& toilet facilities, private entrance)
  69. Furniture placement
  70. Ease of maintenance, inside & outside
  71. Measured room sizes (on floor plan to scale)
  72. Living room------   Dining room-----  Kitchen----- Breakfast area----- Masterbed room----- 2nd bedroom----- Bathrooms----- Toilets, if separate----- Garage----- Closets & storage----- Laundry room---- Outdoor buildings----- Garage-----

  73. 5) LANDSCAPE

  74. Design
  75. Execution
  76. Terraces
  77. Patio
  78. Deck
  79. Pool area
  80. Pool filtration system
  81. Barbecue (fixed or loose)
  82. 5 continued

  83. Walls & gates
  84. Fences & gates
  85. Outdoor illuminations
  86. Irrigation systems
  87. Outdoor structures (sheds, pool house, tennis court, carport, etc.)
  88. Grass (weeds, soil condition, roll-on, etc.)
  89. Flowers/flower beds
  90. Shrubs
  91. Trees
  92. Windshields (structures, plantations)
  93. Shade (location of terraced areas, pool, tennis area, etc.)

  94. 6) COST TO RENOVATE & REPAIR
  95. House____________________________
  96. House systems_____________________
  97. Appliances_________________________
  98. Landscape_________________________
  99. Pool______________________________
  100. Tennis court________________________
  101. Other_____________________________
  102. Mise______________________________
  103. Total costs_________________________


  104. 7) COMMENTS
  105. __________________________________
  106. __________________________________
  107. __________________________________
  108. __________________________________

  109. 8) FINANCIALS

  110. Annual property tax___________________
  111. Annual house tax____________________
  112. House insurance____________________
  113. Down payment______________________
  114. Mortgage insurance__________________

  115. Mortgage terms______%__________Years
  116. Monthly mortgage payment_____________
  117. Tax deduction_______________________

  118. Annual cash flow____________________

  119. 8 continued

  120. Monthly cash flow____________________

  121. Mortgage payment___________________
  122. Gas______________________________
  123. Electricity__________________________
  124. Water_____________________________
  125. Sewage ___________________________
  126. Trash_____________________________
  127. Pool maintenance___________________
  128. Tennis court maintenance_____________
  129. Other_____________________________
  130. Transportation______________________

  131. Monthly total costs_________________

  132. less taxes & insurances, which usually are payable annually _________
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