Thinking of buying a renovation property in France? Before you fall in love with a ruin on the internet, you might want to hear what someone who's been selling French property for 40 years has to say.

Dan Newton - director and co-founder of Agence Newton, the first British person to hold a full real estate licence in Brittany, and the voice behind the popular French Estate Agent YouTube channel - joins Rosie and Sue for a frank, fascinating conversation. From budgeting realities and DPE ratings to 'vice cachée' claims and unlicensed property finders, this one is packed with things you didn't know you needed to know.

For a detailed summary of the episode, along with a mini glossary of terms used in the show, head to the French Reno Diaries website and look for episode #17.

What we talk about:

  • Why two thirds of buyers walk away once they get proper renovation quotes.
  • Whether flipping property works in France (spoiler: not really) and the official status that exists if you want to try.
  • Location, location, location - why where you buy isn't just about where you want to live.
  • DPE ratings explained - what they mean for buyers, sellers, holiday lets and long-term rentals, and why old stone houses are often unfairly penalised.
  • The French buying process from start to finish - why the three-month silence is normal and what the 'compromis de vente' actually protects you from.
  • Vice cachée - what it actually means legally, and why it's becoming the latest fashion in buyer complaints.
  • Why property finders may need a licence too - and what to check before using one.
  • AI-generated property adverts and unregulated property portals - what's legal and what isn't.
  • Dan's rant: why he'd like to see full structural surveys introduced into the French buying process.
  • The ghosting problem - and why it goes both ways between agents and buyers.

Resources mentioned:

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Podden och tillhörande omslagsbild på den här sidan tillhör Rosie Ellis and Sue Peake-Russell (30+ years combined French renovation experience!). Innehållet i podden är skapat av Rosie Ellis and Sue Peake-Russell (30+ years combined French renovation experience!) och inte av, eller tillsammans med, Poddtoppen.