Club Clé France: KLAS Translation services
We are very pleased to offer further translation services when buying a house in France to our clients beyond that of the basic buying process and we always recommend the expert help of Karine Chevalier-Watts of "Karine’s Languages & Administrative Services". During the buying process we will guide you step by step but if you require any further specific translation then Karine is on hand to help.
Searching for property for sale in France need not be a chore and although we ensure our property details are in English you may need translation support further into the process, perhpas for legal reasons; rest assured when buying your French property with us we have all the languages covered with the help of Karine.
"Karine’s Languages & Administrative Services"
Founded by self-employed Karine Chevalier-Watts in May 2011 to answer a growing demand for languages tutoring, translating and interpreting along with a wide range of multilingual secretarial and administrative needs in the South West of England and beyond.
- The company is aimed at providing a straight-forward, flexible, friendly and affordable service in languages and administrative skills to the general public and to small businesses alike.
- Karine offers a comprehensive range of linguistic services to suit all your personal and professional needs. Karine not only specialises in French and English but can translate many languages, Mandarin Chinese, Arabic and more.
- Karine was born in Lozère, France but spent most of her youth in Provence.
From a very early age, she was fascinated by foreign languages and by the age of 17, could already speak English, Spanish and Russian.
- Based in Wiltshire, the company consists of a highly competent team of international native speakers, fully qualified and experienced in teaching their own languages at all levels and translating documents for personal and commercial purposes.
If you have a specific translation need then simply complete the Enquiry form below:
Main Translation service includes:
Karine aims at offering competitive, honest and transparent pricing on translations, we must point out that pricing depends on the level of complexity of the document to be translated.
The time-frame allowed to carry out the translation is also to be taken into account in the pricing. A project that needs to be delivered urgently may carry additional costs to the usual rates.
Conversely, should you already have a translation done by yourself or by another translator and would like Karine to proof-read and edit it, then she could provide you with lower rates than the ones she would normally apply for full translations.
To obtain a quote for translating services contact Karine using the form above so she can start helping you with your translation enquiry and give you an accurate quote.
Should you have a specific interpreting need you would like to discuss, we would advise you to call us so we may best assist you.
The information that you give and that we obtain through you using this website may be used by this Company and by our partner companies only for purposes in connection with your use of this website and for marketing activities of this Company and partner companies. By using this site you confirm your consent to this. If you do not want to receive any marketing information from this Company and/or our partner companies then please notify us.
For everything you need to know about French property for sale visit www.clefrance.co.uk
Buying Process - The Basics
Buying a property for sale in France can be a daunting task but we have sold many properties in France over many years so with Clé France you are in good hands.
Where are you looking to buy? Visit our Region Pages and find out more about each region and narrow down which one suits your needs best.
You may be looking for a Holiday home or a countryside Farmhouse for sale, it may be a building plot or a lake for sale, or indeed you may be looking to buy a 'Maison de Maitre' or a Chateaux, for us they are all the same as is the buying process, with a few tweaks here and there!
You can use our 'Location' box in the Quick Search to narrow your search to Town, Countryside, Village or Coastal as well as selecting No of Bedrooms, Land size and not forgetting of course the Budget.
Alternatively if you are starting from scratch then just send us your criteria and let us do the search for you and we will make suggestions of properties that 'fit your criteria' plus if you see a property that you like on the website then click on "Make and Enquiry" and ask any questions you may have.
Once you have selected some properties to see then we will arrange your viewing appointments, all you have to do is arrive, meet us, view the property and choose the one that suits you best! Then it gets interesting...
- Vendor and Buyer agree on the price and terms of the contract, including any conditional clauses (clauses suspensives) and any furniture to be included in the sale.
- The preliminary sales contract (compromise de vente) is drawn up by the notaire, and signed by both parties. The buyer pays the deposit (usually 10% of the purchase price) to the notaire, and a seven-day cooling off period ensues, during which the buyer can withdraw, but the vendor cannot. After this seven-day period, the contract is legally binding. If the buyer pulls out after this, he forfeits his deposit.
- If you are going to buy with a mortgage now is the time to put in your application. However, it is better to get the mortgage agreed in principle before you start your search, to avoid disappointment later.
- If you are taking out a mortgage, this will be a condition of the preliminary sales contract, giving you the possibility of pulling out, should your application be turned down. Once the offer is confirmed, the notaire will be notified and the contract becomes unconditional.
- The notaire does all the conveyancing, which typically takes around 8-10 weeks. When the paperwork is ready, the notaire confirms the date and time of the final signing of the Acte de vente.
- The buyer must transfer the balance of payment to the notaire in advance of completion day.
- On the day of completion, all parties meet with the notaire (the buyer can appoint a proxy), keys and an attestation de vente are handed over, and ownership is transferred. The final acte de vente papers are then sent out around 3-6 months later.
All our prices are quoted as FAI (agency fees included) unless otherwise stated and 'notaire' fees are around 7% to 8% (on average at 100K purchase price) but feel free to ask us for an exact amount on any particular French property for sale you are interested in.
So there you have it! not so difficult after all to buy a property in France, but make sure you have the best advice along the way, let us take care of all the stress and risk for you and find you your dream home in France.
For everything you need to know about French property visit www.clefrance.co.uk
Property for sale in Aquitaine - click here
Aquitaine
This region stretches up the west coast of France from its border with Spain up to the mouth of the Bordeaux river. It has a long coastline but also sweeps inland a long way and include part of the Pyrenees mountain range.
In the Middle Ages, Aquitaine was allied with the Plantagenet kings of England, so the region has many historic connections with the United Kingdom, most notably through the wine trade. You will recognise a lot of the town names from the wine bottles on your local supermarket shelves like Saint-Emilion, Bergerac and Bordeaux.
Pau is the departmental capital and it is an elegant city, one of our favourites, that was very popular with the British in the nineteenth century as a thermal spa resort, it even boasted at one time a full on English hunt, complete with hounds and redcoats but that may have been banned by now I guess?
The Aquitaine region consists of 5 departments:
Dordogne (24), Lot-et-Garonne (47), Landes (40), Pyrenees-Atlantique (64) and Gironde (33).
Weather
Transport
By train: TGV from Paris Gare Montparnasse, or from Lille; train from Toulouse or Marseille.
By car : motorway from the Channel ports via Rouen and Tours, or from Paris.
By air : to airports at Bordeaux, Bergerac, Pau and Biarritz - or (peripheral) Toulouse.
Food
Aquitaine is famous for many regional products such as Perigord Truffles and Bayonne Ham, also many mouth watering dishes known of the world over like Foie Gras and Duck Confit. The Aquitaine gastronomy is appreciated for a combination of fine French produce and recipes handed down over the years, these of course all go to complement the outstanding Bordeaux wine and together they produce a fantastic dining experience.
Leisure
Coastal Aquitaine can offer fishing trips, relaxation, spa therapy centres, cycling tracks and golf courses usually in the shade of pine trees.
Inland Aquitaine also has rolling fairways, walks, horse rides or bike rides, and canoeing.
Pyrenean Aquitaine is ideal for fishing, white-water canoeing, visiting spa towns and hiking through stunning scenery.
Don't forget theme parks and Zoos.
Property
Aquitaine houses tend to be larger and more elegant than the standard farmhouse of neighbouring regions and are often called a Mas. normally square or rectangular in shape, the houses often have almost flat roofs and walls made of stone and covered with render or whitewashed.
The "Bastides stlye" tend to have really well thought out and practical layout, like traditional Maisons de Maitre. The name "bastide" itself originates from the name given to a fortified mediaeval town built in the 13th and 14th centuries in south west France.
Click here to see all of our properties in Aquitaine
CONTACT US to discuss your search for property in Aquitaine or any area of France, or indeed for any further information you may require on buying French property, moving to France, living in France etc. just give us a call or send us an email, we will be happy to help!
Property Finding Service: We will do a property search for you to match you criteria but also you can try our Advanced Search: including saving your favourites and getting updates of new properties for sale in France and price reductions direct into your inbox, and you can also add your comments to our blog pages - simply sign up for your own account here.
For everything you need to know about French property visit www.clefrance.co.uk
Our Story...
Having spent 15 years living in France ourselves, my husband and I founded Clé France to help other British buyers find their dream home.
One thing we discovered while living in France was that British buyers were often missing out on some of the best French properties simply because they weren’t listed in the UK. So we decided to do something about it.
We set up Clé France to give you as an International buyer exactly the same choice as somebody French walking through the doors of their local high street agent, and at no extra charge.
Over the past eight years we have built Clé France into one of the leading French property websites and have assisted hundreds of International buyers in their search to find their very own French property.
Today we have over 8,000 houses for sale in France ranging from affordable houses, cottages in the countryside, rustic farmhouses, coastal villas, charming townhouses, right up to luxury estates.
Buying through Clé France means that you have full access to our extensive network of French estate agents, often independent operators, who you would otherwise never come across.
Not only are you getting the best that the French market has to offer, but you also have the benefit of our U.K. based enquiry office.
Our bilingual support network combined with our in-depth knowledge of the buying process in France, means that you are in excellent and safe hands.
To discuss your search for property in France, or indeed for any further information you may require on French property sales please call our UK office on +44 (0) 1440 820 358.
Thanks for reading, Sharon Evans (Founder and Owner of Clé France - The French Property Network).
Meet the Team
CLE FRANCE
Sharon is the Founder & Owner of Clé France (founded in 2009). She had the idea of starting the business whilst living in France and working as a translator for local notaires and official government bodies such as the Gendarmerie, and also as a sales agent for a local immobilier.
Having begun her professional life with an early hi-level career in fashion at Harrods and in high street brand management, Sharon changed her focus in the 1990s to education.
She taught Business Studies to adult students, and advised companies on training and staff development. She holds two BA Honours degrees in French and English and a Masters Degree in French/English Translation Studies, using her skills to teach English to secondary school pupils in France, and French to mature students.
A skilled bi-lingual communicator who steers the Clé France business from the front. When not working Sharon enjoys reading, creative writing and travelling around France.
David looks after the day to day running of the website, the Partnership Team, system administration, vendors who are selling property in France and all the Clé France marketing activities.
With a background in Architecture & Design, David trained as a Draughtsman in his early career, then moved to a long stint in top level retail management & recruitment in and around central London before leaving the 'Rat Race' and moving to France in 2001.
With the aim of changing his lifestyle and spending more time with his family, he went on to combine all his professional skills by setting up as a bi-lingual 'Project Manager' overseeing 150+ renovation projects in and around Brittany, Pays de la Loire, Poitou Charentes and Upper & Lower Normandy.
David enjoys helping clients realise their dreams of starting-over in France, just like he did, and when he is not helping to run Clé France he enjoys playing guitar, listening to music and is a keen cyclist and long distance runner.
THE CLE / KEY CURRENCY TEAM
Geoff is your first point of contact for all clients requiring to move funds internationally, a skilled communicator, he can guide you through the options available explaining the benefits of each and has a wealth of experience.
He was previously General Manager of a major import-export company, Tulip Foods, where he managed large cross-border transactions in the US, Spain, Italy, Belgium and Germany.
Previously Geoff also developed commercial relationships with some of the UK’s largest retailers including Tesco, Sainsburys and Marks & Spencer.
Keiron can help you decide which method of currency transfer suits you best, it could be an on the spot trade or a forward contract amongst other options.
Before embarking on a career in finance, Keiron served his country as an Infantry Soldier in the British Army for over 7 years.
After leaving the Army he retrained as a stockbroker, spending the next 6 years learning the ins and outs of global finance, including derivatives trading and foreign exchange markets. Keiron is a reliable and efficient person whom our clients trust to get the job done properly.
Moving funds internationally is an important part of any property transaction so having the process explained in 'plain English' is, we think, essential and Damian is an expert in helping our clients understand the process.
Damian started his career on the shop floor in various retail ventures before working his way up to managerial positions.
Several years ago he moved into the currency exchange sector, where he now specialises helping clients through the onboarding process.
THE CLE PARTNERSHIP TEAM
New Cle France Partner coming soon.
Tim has been a qualified and licensed Independent Mortgage Broker in the UK market for around 20 years. His previous career, in retail management was focused on providing a supportive customer experience.
His specialist area is to help people release money from their UK properties, to enable them to realise their dreams of owning a French home, often getting them a better deal on their current mortgage at the same time.
Tim became part of the Cle France team after he and his wife bought their “Little Place in France” through the Clé France Property Network.
Franck is a general insurance agent and has been an independent financial advisor since 2005.
We have been working with Allianz Insurance since 1999 and more recently with the excellent Franck Haloche, who along with his team offer a friendly, professional service and they also speak very good English!
When looking for a quotation from a French insurance company, in English, or just looking for advice / information about the insurance system in France? then Franck and his English speaking insurance team are proud to be of service to you.
James is a French general insurance agent with his own agency branch so can deal with the day to day insurance needs of his local community but also being part of a large national group he can cover your insurance needs where ever you buy in France.
A fluent English speaker, James does attract a lot of British and International clients who find his energy to help get the correct insurance cover set up for his clients and his professional knowledge invaluable.
Before starting his Insurance agency James worked as an Immobilier / Estate Agent so he has a wealth of skills to bring to the Cle France team.
Contact James.
Loic Raboteau is a French national and legal consultant specialised in advising private clients on cross-border legal issues between UK, France and North Africa.
A real estate specialist with experience advising on international estate planning and tax issues, Loic provides legal assistance to British clients requiring legal advice in French speaking jurisdictions and a corresponding service to French clients living in the UK who require a French-speaking legal consultant.
Loic moved to the UK in 2002, but has maintained a foot in France by remaining engaged with the French community in London. He is a member of the Association of Franco-British Lawyers.
Contact Loic.
Matthew is internationally renowned for his expertise in French law, he advises on Buying and Selling French property, French inheritance matters, Taxation and Wills.
Matthew regularly appears on radio and television programmes and is a contributor to Living France, French Property News and France magazine on the legal implications of buying, selling and owning property in France.
He has acted for many clients on multi-million Euro property deals. He has lectured in French and English on cross-border legal issues and is a member of the Franco-British Lawyers Society.
Nick qualified as a Technical Building Consultant & Surveyor in the West of England at the end of the 1960’s. He was employed as a Local Government Building Inspector for some years and then moved into private industry and worked for major house building contractors in Gloucestershire.
After buying and renovating his first holiday home in Brittany 20 years ago, Nick moved permanently to France over 15 years ago, where he renovated an old farm ‘from scratch’ carrying out most of the work himself. After the farm was sold he has completed another old cottage renovation project.
New Cle France Partner coming soon.
New Cle France Partner coming soon.
Karine is a multilingual translator, teacher and office administrator from France who realised that she could add value for her clients and their businesses by offering ancillary services such as liaising with foreign clients and relocation assistance which were greatly appreciated.
During the buying process we will guide you step by step but if you require any further specific translation then Karine is on hand to help.
Karine is registered as a French / English Translator & Interpreter with the French Consulate in London.
Valerie is based in the Mayenne department and she offers various administrative services and assistance to the English speaking community, from a simple translation to very specialised secretarial, relocation and administrative work.
Born from the love of helping people and a passion for the English language, Valerie has helped many clients over the years and by using her knowledge and expertise has many times smoothed their path into the French systems and helped people solve the convoluted paperwork that the French authorities seem to love, our clients find her services invaluable.
Simon is responsible for the website and the database of property details and user information, and basically handles all the deeply technical issues which are part & parcel of running a popular and regularly updated site.
He enjoys peace and quiet above all else, not that it's easy to find. He has been visiting France at least once a year since being a teenager, mainly for the variety and beauty of the countryside plus of course the food - nothing beats a morning cafe au lait and fresh croissant.
Club Clé France: Architect services
In your initial search for a property for sale in France we will help you understand the rules and regulations for just about every eventuality but if you are considering a full renovation project for your French Property or modifying the facade of a property to any extent then you will need to have the correct permissions in place. If the project is to be carried out by artisans then a set of plans will be essential and you may be best advised to seek a professional architect.
Finding a renovation project for sale in France should be easy, having the right advice and guidance on how to make a ruin into a beautiful French home is essential and we want you to have the best possible advice on renovating and buying a house in France there is.
As part of our Club Cle France preferred partners scheme we are pleased to be able to recommend...
Timothy Bowman : Brittany Architectural Services.
Working with Cle France - The French Property Network.
- Providers of Architectural Design and Planning services to the English in France since 1985.
- Professional RIBA and Ordre des Architectes registered Architect providing a complete service to anyone building or renovating property.
Projects undertaken in Brittany, Normandy, Pays de la Loire and further afield.
From a simple Déclaration Préalable to a full design and supervised package it is ensured that the service is tailored to your requirements.
Every Client and every project have their own individual requirements - listening to these and doing as much or as little as you require is the key to a successful project.
You tell us what you want and we will turn it into reality. Projects are carried out on a fixed, agreed fee basis from the start so no nasty surprises !
We have, to date ,worked on hundreds of successful projects from a Stable to a Medieval Manoir.
The information that you give and that we obtain through you using this website may be used by this Company and by our partner companies only for purposes in connection with your use of this website and for marketing activities of this Company and partner companies. By using this site you confirm your consent to this. If you do not want to receive any marketing information from this Company and/or our partner companies then please notify us.
For everything you need to know about French property for sale visit www.clefrance.co.uk
