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How to Sell Your French Property to Avoid New Second Home Tax

Sarkozy is proposing to bring in a new property tax which could impact British owners of French homes – this is the final straw for some Brits who now want to sell up. We discuss the top tips for selling a property in France quickly and profitably.

Published in: Property in France - Mon, May 23, 2011

It’s not just in the UK that the government is seeking to stealthily increase taxes in a bid to bring the nation back from the brink of bankruptcy; President Sarkozy is implementing similarly sneaky tactics in France.  His latest idea is to add an additional tax burden on to owners of second homes in France…which could of course impact many Britons who still retain French holiday properties.

The idea has faced stiff opposition, with some alleging it is discriminatory against foreign owners of second homes, therefore it has some way to go before it could become law.  However, the move has served to force the hand for some Britons who were already concerned at the high cost of maintaining their second home abroad.

If you want to sell your French property in a bid to avoid this potential new tax, or because the cost of having a second property overseas is just too expensive, the good news is that you can potentially benefit as the euro is still strong against the pound.  But the bad news is that the property market in France, which has never been particularly buoyant compared to our own in the UK, has slowed right down and you will have to fight to find a buyer.  So, here are 7 top tips that will hopefully enable you to sell up and encash your French property asset as profitably as possible.

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