The real math with frais de notaire, taxe foncière, and fixed-rate mortgages.
The largest upfront cost for French buyers is the frais de notaire — roughly 7-8% of the purchase price for resale properties. This includes transfer taxes, notary fees, and registration charges. New-build properties benefit from much lower rates of around 2-3%. On a 350,000€ resale apartment, expect approximately 28,000€ in notary costs alone.
One major advantage of the French market: mortgages are typically fixed rate for the entire term (15-25 years). You lock in today’s rate and it never changes. This predictability makes long-term planning easier than in variable-rate markets like Norway or Sweden.
Your résidence principale is fully exempt from capital gains tax — no cap, no minimum holding period. Mortgage interest is not deductible for primary residences (that benefit was removed in 2011). Rent increases in many French cities are regulated and tied to the IRL index.