Insights

Technical and market intelligence for international buyers of significant French property. Written by a dual-qualified UK and French architect with close to a decade of practice across France.

Guide to purchase - Due diligence

Buying a property in France is a dream for many. Rolling vineyards, forgotten farmhouses, stone barns with centuries of history — it’s not just real estate, it’s a vision of a life.

But that vision can become clouded quickly when the property you’ve fallen for hides structural flaws, renovation traps, planning restrictions, or budget risks you weren’t prepared for.

Most estate agents won’t tell you these things; and many might not know them either.

That’s where due diligence comes in. It’s the difference between a purchase that becomes a costly burden, and one that becomes the perfect foundation for your future.

At Meridian Grey, we help clients “see beyond the walls” - to look beneath the surface of a property and understand what’s truly possible, what’s likely to be approved, and what it will actually cost to realise your vision.

This guide brings you inside that process. Whether you’re early in your search or already viewing properties, you’ll learn the risks to look for, the questions to ask, and the framework we use to bring clarity and confidence to every decision.

Because your future home in France deserves more than hope. It deserves insight.

Property Purchase Guide

Historic Unauthorised Works in French Property: What Buyers Need to Know Before They Commit

One of the most common risks in French property acquisition sits in plain sight. An extension added without permission, an outbuilding converted quietly, a pool that went in without the right consents.

These works exist, they appear on the cadastre, and for years nobody has said anything.

But prescription is not regularisation, and for buyers with transformation ambitions the distinction matters enormously.

This article explains the legal landscape around historic unauthorised works and what needs to be established before commitment.

Historic unauthorised works