There are about three months between the signature of the preliminary contract and that of the deed of sale.
When the papers are ready, the Notary summons both parties for signature of the official deed. He/she provides a provisional statement of selling costs to the buyer who he asks to prepare a bank check from his/her banking institution (it is made out to the Notary).
Once the deed is signed, the buyer becomes the owner of the property. It is therefore important for him/her to have contracted home insurance.
The taxe d’habitation (occupancy or council tax) is generally paid by the seller. Property tax however is divided between the seller and the buyer on a pro rata temporis basis.
Once the signature phase is over, the Notary informs the various administrations of the real estate property sale (the Mortgage Registry, the Trésor Public (Treasury), etc.). When all of these formalities have been performed (expect it to take about 6 months), the Notary provides the buyer with a detailed list of all fees.
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