Buying off-plan in France: what to check

Step 1: Who is selling: the company behind the project

Ask for the developer’s full legal name and registration number, not only the brand, and look the company up in the official register. The company that signs your contract should be the one that holds the land or the approvals.

What the rules and registers say

• Look up the company that signs the sale in the state’s Annuaire des Entreprises, by name or SIREN number: it shows whether the company is active, its registered address and its managers.Annuaire des Entreprises (French state company directory) (opened 14 November 2026)

In our data

1 of 55 projects we track in France name the developer by its legal company.

Examples

• Chalet Caribou: developer named as MGM SAS, SIREN 331735266

Step 2: The land and what you will own

Find out exactly what you are buying: freehold, leasehold or a right of use, who holds the title today and what charges sit on it. Ask for the official registry extract, not a copy prepared by the seller.

What the rules and registers say

• The seller must tell you anything it knows that could affect your decision, for example that the land is in a flood zone or that a large infrastructure project is planned nearby. You can also look up the natural and industrial risks of the address on Géorisques.Service-Public.fr: Vente en l’état futur d’achèvement (Vefa), checked by Service Public on 18 Sep 2026 (read 14 November 2026) · Géorisques (French state risk map) (opened 14 November 2026)

In our data

53 of 55 projects we track in France publish an address or location precise enough for a map pin.

Freehold and leasehold in off-plan property

Step 3: Permits and approvals

Ask for the permit number and date and confirm them with the authority that issued them. A company licence or a sales registration is not a building permit.

In our data

3 of 55 projects we track in France publish a permit or licence number.

Examples

• Nouvelle Vague: permit or licence number PC 006 004 24 A0028 published
• Angelina: permit or licence number PC 006004 23 A0106 published
• Villa Botanica: permit or licence number PC 006 088 22 S0241 published

Step 4: Where your money goes

Before each payment, know which account it goes to and what protects it if the project stops. Pay only into the account named in your contract, never into a personal account or a broker’s.

What the rules and registers say

• In a sale off-plan (VEFA) you pay as the works progress, at most 35% of the price when the foundations are finished, 70% when the building is weathertight and 95% at completion. The last 5% is paid at handover, and you may hold it back if you record defects then.Service-Public.fr: Vente en l’état futur d’achèvement (Vefa), checked by Service Public on 18 Sep 2026 (read 14 November 2026)
• The seller must give you a guarantee: either a completion guarantee that pays to finish the works if the developer cannot, or a refund guarantee for the sums you paid if the sale is cancelled because the building is not finished. It comes from a bank, a financial institution or an insurer.Service-Public.fr: Vente en l’état futur d’achèvement (Vefa), checked by Service Public on 18 Sep 2026 (read 14 November 2026)

In our data

4 of 55 projects we track in France state how buyer payments are protected (escrow, bank guarantee or insurance).

Examples

• Nouvelle Vague: deposit protection stated in the sources we read
• Angelina: deposit protection stated in the sources we read
• Chalet Caribou: deposit protection stated in the sources we read

Escrow and deposit protection in off-plan property · Payment plans and deposits in off-plan property

Step 5: Recording your purchase and the contract

Check how your purchase is recorded before completion and what the contract says about delays, changes and refunds. Have an independent local lawyer or notary read it before you sign.

What the rules and registers say

• The draft final deed must be sent to you at least one month before the signing appointment. If the sale is signed directly before the notary without a prior reservation contract, you have 10 days to change your mind, and the deed cannot be signed before they end.Service-Public.fr: Vente en l’état futur d’achèvement (Vefa), checked by Service Public on 18 Sep 2026 (read 14 November 2026) · Service-Public.fr: Acte de vente d’un logement en Vefa, checked by Service Public on 18 Sep 2026 (read 14 November 2026)

Step 6: Handover dates and progress on site

Compare the handover date you are promised with the record: earlier dates for this project and how the developer’s other projects went. Then check progress on site before each staged payment.

In our data

0 of 55 projects we track in France have a handover date on record that has passed; 2 had the date moved later.

Examples

• Nouvelle Vague: handover date moved later; months added: 6
• Angelina: handover date on record Q1 2027, no change so far