How we work
Every client, one adviser, one clear plan
Here is exactly what happens when you work with us, whether you are buying your first home in France or selling a house you have owned for thirty years.
The short version
We start with a conversation, not a listing. We write your brief with you, agree our fee in writing, then search or market the property on your terms. The same adviser stays with you through viewings, negotiation, the compromis de vente and the signature at the notaire, and is still there once you have the keys.
Buying with La Reserve
From first call to your first morning in the house
A first conversation
By phone, video or over coffee in Valbonne. We listen to what you want and why, and tell you honestly whether we are the right people to help.
Your written brief
We put your project on paper: budget, timing, villages, the way you will live in the house, and the points you will not compromise on. You check it and correct it before we start.
A search mandate, before any viewing
We sign a search mandate at the start, before any viewing, because it cannot be set up once you have found the home. It sets out our fee in writing. When you buy with us, we represent you, and if a home you like is one we hold for its seller, we tell you at the outset. As the fee is payable by you, it stays outside the price in the deed and you pay lower transfer duties.
How the search mandate lowers your dutiesThe search, listed or off-market
We search beyond our own listings, with other local agencies and through our network. You receive a short selection, with our reasons for each house and what is wrong with it as well as what is right.
Viewings
We group viewings into well-planned days and come with you to each one. If you are abroad, we view first and send an honest video walk-through.
Offer and negotiation
We check the price against recorded sales in that sector, then negotiate on your behalf. We also tell you when to walk away.
Compromis and notaire
We review the diagnostics, coordinate with the notaire and guide you through the compromis de vente, the ten-day cooling-off period and the months to completion.
Keys, and after
We attend the signature of the acte authentique with you, then help with utilities, insurance, schools, tradespeople and the introductions that make a village feel like home.
Selling with La Reserve
A sale managed with care, at the right price
An honest valuation
We value your home at sector level from recorded DVF sales and our knowledge of current buyers, and give you a realistic range with our reasoning.
A strategy that suits you
Open marketing or a discreet sale to our own buyers. We agree the approach, the timing and the asking price with you.
Presentation
Professional photography, a written description in English and French, and the diagnostics prepared in advance so nothing delays a sale later.
Qualified buyers only
We check each buyer’s budget and plans before a viewing, so your home is shown to people who are able to buy it.
Negotiation
We present every offer with our view on it, and negotiate firmly on price and conditions on your behalf.
Through to the notaire
We coordinate the compromis, follow the buyer’s financing and conditions, and stay with you until the acte authentique.
Some things we refuse on principle
- Show you fifty houses to look busy. You see the ones worth seeing.
- Push a property because it is one of ours.
- Hide a problem with a house to save a sale.
- Price a home high to win the instruction and drop it later.
- Change the adviser you work with halfway through.
Clear terms before any work starts
Every assignment starts with a written mandate that states our fee. Who pays it, buyer or seller, is set out in the mandate and on every listing, as French law requires. We take no fee or commission from anyone we introduce you to: lenders, mortgage brokers, diagnostic companies, builders, architects or other tradespeople. Our only fee is the one in your mandate. See our fees and the search mandate.
Buying and selling in France, step by step
How long does it take to buy a house in France?
Once an offer is accepted, it usually takes around three months from the compromis de vente to the acte authentique. The search itself depends on your brief and on the market. Some clients find the right house in a few weeks, others over several months.
Can I buy a property in France without being there?
Yes. We view on your behalf and send video walk-throughs, and the notaire arranges for you to sign by power of attorney (procuration) if you cannot travel for the signature.
What is the cooling-off period when buying in France?
A private buyer of a home has ten days after receiving the signed compromis de vente to withdraw without giving a reason. Any deposit paid is refunded in full.
Do you work with other agencies?
Yes. As your adviser we search beyond our own listings, including homes listed by other agencies, and arrange the viewings and negotiation with them on your behalf.
How do you value a home for sale?
We start from recorded sales in the same sector through the official DVF register, then adjust for the house itself: condition, plot, views, orientation and access. You receive a realistic range and the reasoning behind it.
Can I sell discreetly, without a public listing?
Yes. Many owners prefer to present their home only to qualified buyers we already know. We agree that approach with you at the start.
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Start with a conversation
Tell us what you have in mind. We will reply personally and tell you how we would approach it.