Are there any ways to reduce notaire fees when buying a property in France?
We look at some less well-known possibilities as tax hike looms
Notaire fees are likely to rise in most departments in the coming months
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Reader Question: I have seen your article about rising notaire fees. We are looking to buy a property - is there anything we can do to reduce the fees we will have to pay?
It is correct that notaire fees are likely to rise in almost all departments as a result of the 2025 budget.
So-called notaire fees are around 7-8% on a non new-build property and 2-3% on a new property.
The biggest part of these is taxes known as droits de mutation à titre onéreux (DMTO) which are in many cases likely to rise this year from 4.5% to 5%, equating to an additional €500 in taxes per €100,000 spent on a property.
Read more: Buying a property in France may cost more from April as ‘notaire fees’ allowed to rise
Read more: When will ‘notaire fees’ for property purchases increase in France?
However, there are some things that you can do to reduce the overall cost of these fees.
The first option is to deduct the price of estate agent fees paid when purchasing a property from the property price used to calculate notaire fees.
However, this can only be done if the fees are agreed to be paid by the purchaser not seller, and are clearly stated and paid separately from the purchase price. This often allows for a small saving on the part of the purchaser.
Another alternative is to directly negotiate the fees with the notaire conducting the purchase.
Deducting furniture costs
Another effective way is to ask the notaire to deduct the cost of certain items in the property from the purchase price when calculating the overall ‘notaire fees’ (of which the largest part is the DMTO).
This lowers the price of the property fees are based on (that range from between 7% to 8% of the cost of a property when purchasing a non-new build), helping save on the final fees.
In order to do this, a list of furnishings left by the former tenants must be included by the notaire in the compromis de vente (provisional sales agreement).
Types of furniture that can be deducted are those known in French tax law as meubles meublants (literally, ‘furnishing furniture’), as described in Article 534 of the French Civil Code.
This is essentially items that are not actually built into the building, such as:
Electrical appliances (fridge, cooker, etc)
Garden equipment and furniture
Kitchen and living room furniture (sofas, tables, chairs…)
Radiators
Swimming pool accessories such as an above ground jacuzzi
Items such as mirrors, fireplaces, shutters etc that are permanently fixed to the property are included intrinsically as part of its value, and cannot have their cost deducted from notaire fees.
The question arises as to whether kitchen units may qualify, and the answer is likely to vary case by case. The Crédit Agricole advises its customers, for example, that ‘upper and lower cupboards’ can qualify, but not ‘made-to-measure furniture set into the walls’ (meubles encastrés conçus sur-mesure).
To include relevant items, you should request invoices from the sellers for each of the things you are deducting costs for, and the figure claimed should also include a deduction for wear and tear.
If necessary, do your own research to make an honest assessment.
This can only be done for non-new build properties with furniture included in the sale, and not new-builds, which will either come bare or equipped but with this furniture included in the price.
How much can be deducted?
Generally, costs up to around 5% of the overall value of the property can be deducted from the purchase price when calculating notaire fees without leading to scrutiny.
Above this however – for example, if you believe the furniture equals 10% of the purchase price – it is essential to have the relevant invoices and to be able to justify the figure claimed, if this is asked.
If using the 5% figure, and you purchase a property for €200,000, you may be able to claim €10,000 as being related to furniture costs, making notaire fees payable only on €190,000.
Assuming notaire fees of around 8%, this would equate to paying €15,200 as opposed to €16,000, ie. an €800 saving.
The more expensive a property is, the more you can deduct.
Read more: Is there an official complaints process against notaires in France?
