Recently published UK Government figures show that a startling 1 in 4 property purchasers in the UK face major unforeseen expenditure – as a direct result of not having commissioned a "pre-purchase" survey. This figure is almost certainly higher for French property, but it doesn't need to be!

With almost everything about French building radically different to how things are done in the UK, expert advice is the only sensible way to go if you want to avoid your dream turning into a property nightmare.