Buying Guide
The Total Cost of Buying Property in France: 2026
Every cost from offer to ownership and beyond—one-off, annual and on exit—budgeted for a Riviera purchase.
In This Guide
The Total Cost of Buying Property in France: 2026
What does it really cost to buy property in France in 2026?
Quick answer: Beyond the price, budget roughly 7% in notaire fees on a resale, plus currency-transfer costs and any mortgage fees as one-off costs—then annual taxe foncière and second-home taxe d’habitation, and capital gains tax when you sell. On a €1.5M Riviera villa the one-off costs alone are about €105,000.
The headline price is only part of the picture. A French purchase has three cost layers: what you pay to buy (one-off), what you pay to own (annual), and what you pay to sell (on exit). This guide totals all three for an international buyer on the Riviera, drawing each figure from our detailed, primary-sourced guides.
General guidance, not advice
An overview for foreign buyers, not tax or financial advice. Figures are indicative and depend on the property, commune and your situation. Confirm with your notaire and advisers. Verified 29 June 2026.
One-off costs: what you pay to buy
Quick answer: The big one-off cost is notaire fees—about 7% of the price on a resale (lower in the Alpes-Maritimes, which kept a 4.50% transfer-tax rate). Add currency-transfer cost (often 1–3% if done poorly) and any mortgage arrangement and broker fees.
| One-off cost | Typical amount (€1.5M resale) |
|---|---|
| Notaire fees (resale) | ~€105,000 (~7%) |
| Currency transfer (vs a poor rate) | save 1–3% with a specialist |
| Mortgage arrangement + broker | ~1% of loan (if borrowing) |
| Survey / legal extras (optional) | €1,000–3,000 |
Notaire fees fall to roughly 2–3% on a new-build (VEFA). For the Alpes-Maritimes—where Valbonne, Mougins, Biot, Grasse and the hinterland villages sit—the departmental transfer tax stayed at 4.50% in 2026, slightly below the 5.00% adopted by most departments, so total fees there trend toward 7% rather than higher.
Annual costs: what you pay to own
Quick answer: Every year you owe taxe foncière (all owners) and, on a second home, the taxe d’habitation—often with a zone-tendue surcharge of up to 60%. Add co-ownership charges, insurance, utilities and, above €1.3M of French property, the IFI wealth tax.
Holding costs are modest relative to the asset but real. The two local property taxes are covered in our taxe foncière & d’habitation guide; both are based on the property’s cadastral rental value and set by the commune. If your net French real estate exceeds €1.3M, the IFI wealth tax applies at 0.5–1.5%. Budget also for maintenance, pool and garden upkeep, and insurance on a high-value home.
Exit costs: what you pay to sell
Quick answer: On selling a second home you face capital gains tax—about 36.2% for non-EU sellers, ~26.5% for UK/EU—tapering to zero over 22–30 years of ownership. Non-EU sellers above €150,000 also pay for a fiscal representative, and there may be agency commission.
The gain, not the price, is taxed, and long ownership erodes it to nothing. Full detail—rates, the UK/EU position, the taper and the fiscal-representative rule—is in our capital gains guide. Your French principal residence, by contrast, is exempt. Factoring the exit cost in at purchase helps you model true net returns, especially for shorter holds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
About 7% of the price on a resale, dominated by notaire fees (mostly transfer tax). On a €1.5M Riviera villa that is roughly €105,000, plus currency and any mortgage costs. New-builds are lower, around 2–3%.
Taxe foncière (all owners) and second-home taxe d’habitation with a possible surcharge, plus co-ownership charges, insurance and utilities. Above €1.3M of French real estate, the IFI wealth tax also applies.
No. Notaire fees and taxes are the same regardless of nationality or residence. Foreign buyers do face currency-transfer costs and, on exit, a fiscal representative if non-EU and selling above €150,000.
Marginally on fees: the Alpes-Maritimes kept the 4.50% departmental transfer-tax rate in 2026, while most departments moved to 5.00%—so total notaire fees there sit a little lower than in, say, the neighbouring Var.
For a second home, yes—capital gains tax (about 26.5–36.2% before taper) can be material on a short hold, falling to zero after 22–30 years. Modelling it at purchase gives a realistic net-return picture.
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