6. Visits to Auction Properties in France
The cahier des charges (or cahier des conditions de vente in a court sale) sets out the visit arrangements. Occasionally you can view the property freely, but more often there are one or two fixed dates and times. In a court sale the visit is normally accompanied by a court officer (commissaire de justice), and the dates are also published on the auction listing sites.
If you are not a building professional, take someone with the right expertise or experience with you. The property is sold en l'état, so you cannot expect to claim later for defects you could have spotted.
For a notarial sale it is worth asking to speak to the notaire, who can tell you more about the property and its background. Bear in mind that the notaire acts for the seller, so form your own view of its market value. In a court sale the lawyer who drew up the cahier can answer questions about the procedure, but not advise you on value.
You may find that a full visit is not possible because the property is occupied, possibly by people with no right to be there. In that case you have to decide whether you really want it. An occupied property may have to be cleared through a legal process that can take a long time. Court-sale prices for occupied apartments are on average several points lower than for vacant ones.
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