E
EDF - Electricite de France, the national electricity company
étage - floor/level
état des lieux - schedule of condition
expert comptable - chartered accountant
F
FAI - frais d'agence inclus, agent's fees included
FNAIM - Federation Nationale des Agents Immobilier, the national estate agents association
fonds de roulement - sinking fund within a service charge
fosse septique - septic tank
frais de notaire - notaire's fees, usually payable by the purchaser
G
GDF - Gaz de France, the national gas company
géometre - measurement surveyor who produces the official floor areas
grenier - attic
H
haut gamme - top of the range
HT - hors taxe, net or without tax
huissier - bailiff, often used as an independent witness on schedules of condition
hypothèque - mortgage
I
immobilière - estate agent
impot - tax
individuelle - detached
indivision - joint ownership
J
jouissance - right of possession (also means orgasm!)
L
location - rental
loi scrivener - law protecting consumers against lenders and sellers
lot - land registry plot (apartments)
lu et approuvé - written with signature, literally 'read & approved'
M
mairie - town hall
mandat d'achat - agreement allowing an agent to search for property of behalf of an acquirer
mandat de vente - sales agreement
mètres carrés - square metres
meubles - furniture
mitoyenne - semi-detached
N
notaire - notary
nue-propriété - reversionary purchase conveying no occupational rights until the surrender or death of the life tenant
P
panneau immobilier - estate agent's board
permis de construire - planning permission
pièce - room (e.g. 2 pièces = 1 bedroom apartment)
plus-value - capital gain
prêt - loan, mortgage
promesse de vente - same as compromis de vente
proprieté - property
R
rafraichir (à) - needs redecoration
refait à neuf - newly renovated
rénover (à) - needs renovation
residual SHON - where a chalet in its own grounds can be extended or another property built (see COS and SHON)
rez-de-chaussée - ground floor
S
salle d'eau - shower room
sans vis-à-vis - not overlooked
SCI - société civile immobilière, a company or entity established purely for the ownership of property
séjour - lounge, living room
SHON - surface hors-d'oeuvre nette, the amount of habitable floor space that can be built on a particular plot of land, determined by the COS.
sous-sol - basement
surface habitable - habitable floorspace
T
terrain - land
toit - roof
tontine - joint ownership
très bon état - very good condition
TTC - toutes taxes comprise, including tax
TVA - taxe sur le valeur ajouté, Value Added Tax (VAT)
V
vendu - sold
viager - a life annuity purchase, where a property is purchased with a life tenant in occupation
vue dégagée - open view
vue imprenable - uninterrupted view
