Little known, this system saves several thousand euros when buying accommodation. A boost that can help cross the course!
Buying accommodation represents the project of a lifetime for many French households. But faced with the outbreak of real estate prices, the additional costs weigh more and more heavily in the buyers’ budget. Notary fees, which oscillate between 7 and 8% of the purchase price for an old property, can thus represent several thousand additional euros. This substantial sum sometimes discourages future owners or forces them to review their projects downwards. However, in some municipalities in France, there is an unknown solution that can considerably reduce this financial burden and restore hope to households who dream of having the keys to their own housing.
This financial opportunity is not a myth or a scam, but indeed a legal system set up by several French local authorities. These municipalities have decided to invest in the attractiveness of their territory by financially supporting new arrivals. The mechanism is simple: communities reimburse a significant part of the notary fees during a real estate purchase, allowing families to sometimes save several thousand euros. This measure is part of a broader strategy for revitalizing territories and the fight against desertification of certain rural areas. This is aid for real estate acquisition, a significant financial boost.
The system generally works by reimbursement of the departmental tax, which constitutes a significant part of the notary fees. Concretely, after the purchase of your property, the municipality or the department reimburses you this tax, which can represent between 1.2% and 4.5% of the acquisition price according to the departments. For example, in Haute-Vienne, for accommodation of less than 125,000 euros, aid can reach 2,000 euros, and up to 4,000 euros for a much more expensive, with possible bonuses according to your family situation. The conditions of allocation vary according to the communities: some require that the purchaser undertakes to reside in the municipality for a minimum period, generally between 5 and 10 years. Others specifically target first-time buyers, families with children, or apply income ceilings.
Among the departments offering this type of help, we find in particular Haute-Vienne, where municipalities like Limoges have set up attractive devices. Corrèze also offers this possibility in cities like Brive-la-Gaillarde, Tulle or Ussel. In Creuse, Guéret and other municipalities offer similar aid. The Allier, with cities like Montluçon or Vichy, is also one of the participating departments, just like the Nièvre with Nevers. To benefit from these aids, the approach is relatively simple: you must inquire upstream with the town hall of the municipality where you wish to buy, because certain devices require a prior request for purchase. In other cases, you can make your request after the acquisition, provided with the deed of sale and the documents requested. Do not hesitate to contact the municipal services directly or to consult the websites of the municipalities which interest you to find out the exact conditions and the reimbursement methods!
