May 2019 bring you a beautiful home!

Yes, 2019 seems to be the perfect year for good real estate wishes. House prices are rising only slightly (+ 1.5% according to Insee), interest rates remain at rock-bottom levels (1.5% on average for a 15-year loan) and the zero-rate loan is still available to finance a house in need of renovation. Against this backdrop, buyers can look forward to attractive opportunities on the market. However, they need to be careful not to rush and to use the right keys when prospecting.
While it's important to fall in love with a property, it's also important to be rational when making a decision! That's why the notary shares some of his secrets for achieving a great project. Whether it's location, taxation, diagnostics, energy performance or budget, these are just some of the key criteria to consider when choosing your new home.
Your notary will help you in your search to ensure that 2019 brings you a beautiful home!

1st wish

An attractive location

Before embarking on your property search, it's a good idea to focus on the geography of the area, and consequently on the location of your property. Not surprising, since notaries will tell you that location accounts for around 40% of the price of a property.
Logically, properties located in major metropolitan areas and, to a lesser extent, in medium-sized towns fetch higher prices than those in rural areas. In fact, the difference between a 100 m2 house in a quiet provincial sub-prefecture like Brive-la-Gaillarde and one on the outskirts of a major metropolis like Talence, near Bordeaux, can be as much as 1 to 3. While the initial investment requires a more substantial financial effort, it goes without saying that the resale will potentially offer a better capital gain.
But beware: a large conurbation doesn't necessarily mean a good deal. The property must not be located next to a ring road or a SNCF line, for example, as these nuisances will affect the quality of the property and its attractiveness on the market. Let's take a look at some of the things you'll need to tell your notaire when you decide on the location of your future home:
- it benefits from a low-noise environment ;
- it's not far from major roads, or close to shops and schools, or just a stone's throw from public transport;
- the carte communale (in small towns) or the PLU (Plan local d'urbanisme) do not present any projects that would alter the environment with the construction of a commercial zone in the immediate vicinity.

immonot tip
Make an appointment with your notary to tell him about your plans and ask his advice on which areas to prioritize for buying.

2nd wish

Reassuring diagnostics

Real estate advertisements already set the trend by displaying the property's energy class, with the letters A to G. These are the results of the DPE (Diagnostic de Performance Energétique), which provides information on the environmental qualities of a home or building, by assessing its energy consumption and its impact in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. The diagnosis also includes recommendations for energy savings.
Given as advice, these recommendations show how to improve the building's energy performance.
These include asbestos, lead, termites, electrical and gas installations, sanitation and "risk" servitudes, plus soil information. The sooner they can be consulted, the better it is for the buyer, who can then perfect his level of information about the property. Knowing that the notary will provide all the necessary details.
Let's look at the diagnostics that should alert you before you buy:
- in the absence of any of the required diagnostics, the seller may be held liable;
- alarming findings concerning gas or electrical installations will require work to be carried out;
- any presence of lead or asbestos presents a health risk;
- the buyer must bring the sanitation system up to standard no later than one year after signing the deed of sale;
- the risk and pollution report must have been completed less than 6 months before the signing of the promise to sell (or, failing that, the deed of sale) or the lease.

immonot tip
Ask to see the diagnostic reports before you sign the compromis de vente at the notary's office. This will give you a good idea of the quality of the property.

3rd wish

Amazing energy performance!

What if the environmental aspect became the number 1 choice criterion? The latest government announcements at the time of writing confirm that, even in the home, oil-fired heating systems are on the way out! Indeed, within 10 years, boilers running on this energy source will have to be replaced by more environmentally-friendly devices. This encourages future homeowners to take the heating aspect into consideration. Depending on their choice of property, they may need to set aside an additional budget to finance a new installation. Alternatives to fuel oil include :
- gas boilers, if the house can be connected to the mains gas network;
- an air-to-water heat pump, if the building is equipped with underfloor heating, to achieve a good comfort/price ratio;
- wood-burning stoves, mainly for supplementary heating;
- or a geothermal system with underground or surface collection.
To finance the installation of a new heating system, the zero-rate eco-loan allows you to borrow up to €30,000 interest-free, provided you realise a package of 3 works (heating system replacement, renewable energy domestic hot water production and thermal insulation of half the windows, for example). And the property must have been built before January 1, 1990. Other assistance is available under the Anah's "Habiter Mieux" program.

Info immonot
Don't forget to seek advice from the Espaces Infos Énergie energy information centers, which offer advice and recommend an energy audit.

4th wish

An attractive tax system

It's a pious wish, and a legitimate one: how to limit the tax burden generated by a property as much as possible. This leads us to consider :
- the taxe d'habitation, which will be gradually reduced for 80% of households, and will disappear for all households from 2020 onwards;
- property tax, the fate of which is not in question, and which represents the biggest burden. It is calculated on the basis of the cadastral rental value, with a 50% allowance, and the rate voted by local authorities (communes, intercommunalités and départements).

immonot tip
Ask the seller to provide you with tax statements, or request a simulation from the local tax office.

5th wish

An attractive budget

Budget remains the sinews of war! But the notary has several strings to his bow to keep costs down.
Some of his key advantages include
- negotiation fees among the most advantageous on the market, ranging from 3 to 6% of the purchase price;
- properties sold at the right price, as the notary carries out a property valuation to determine its value;
- auctions on immonot, 36h immo, which give you access to highly attractive properties and enable you to bid online.

immonot tip :
Contact the notaries in your search area and tell them about your project. They'll be happy to advise you!

New or old house?

LET REASON AND PASSION TALK!

While the charm of the old often lies in the beauty of the old stones, it can also be revealed through more contemporary constructions. Let's take a look at a few qualities and shortcomings to guide our choice.
ADVANTAGES: Old buildings possess incomparable charm and materials of rare nobility. What's more, they can be transformed to suit their new owners' lifestyles. As for more recent homes, they often offer beautiful living spaces and a great deal of natural light, all with an incomparable level of comfort. This means you can move right in without having to carry out major renovations.
DISADVANTAGES: while homes built in the last 50 years offer generous living space, they sometimes lack insulation. Houses built in the 80s or later with double walls and double-glazing (at the time of the first thermal regulations in 1974) are to be preferred. In the case of older properties in need of restoration, the budget is likely to soar, given the amount of work required on walls, roofing, insulation, heating, etc.
ADVICE: in all cases, seek the advice of your notary who, as a real estate expert, will be able to assess the extent of the work involved and the property's potential for living in or renegotiating it.

Christophe Raffaillac