The Mandatory Diagnoses When Buying A House In France
Essential Reading
When buying a house in France, the sewage treatment diagnostic is part of the 10 mandatory diagnoses that must be annexed to the promise to sell or to the deed.
These diagnoses make it possible to check the state of the housing. This overview of the situation is essential to evaluate the work to be undertaken in the dwelling. You can benefit from a negotiation margin depending on the extent of the work to be done.
List of the 10 mandatory diagnoses to be attached to the promise to sell:
- Diagnostic Loi Carrez (floor area)
- The building’s energy performance diagnostic
- Asbestos diagnostic
- Lead diagnostic
- Termite diagnostic
- Natural Hazards diagnostic
- Gas diagnostic
- Electrical diagnostic
- Individual sewage treatment diagnostic
- Mérule diagnostic (inform about the local presence of a risk of dry rot, a wood-eating fungus that attacks buildings)
All these diagnoses appear in a file called DDT « Dossier de Diagnostic Technique».
What to expect with the individual sewage treatment diagnostic?
The individual sewage treatment diagnostic is established by the SPANC (Public Service for Non-Collective Sanitation) in your area. The SPANC is a service attached to your municipality. The diagnostic report is valid for 3 years.
The main objectives of a sanitation diagnostic:
- Protect you from hidden defects when buying a house
- Progressively improve the condition of individual sewage treatment systems
Today, more than 600,000 homes are not connected to a sewage treatment system. When signing the deed of sale, the non-conformity of the individual sewage treatment diagnostic leads to a compulsory upgrade. The buyer has one year to carry out the work.
The main actors for obtaining a sewage treatment diagnostic
The seller: the sewage treatment diagnostic can be obtained directly from the seller. The seller must make an appointment with the SPANC to check the state of the installation. The acquisition of such a document does not exceed 2 weeks.
The estate agent: is one of the possible contacts between the seller and the buyer. As an intermediary, he must ensure that the DDT is available and valid.
The notary: he checks all the necessary documents for the drafting of the deed of sale.
Report of nonconformity of the sewage treatment diagnostic, what to do?
If the SPANC’s report mentions a nonconformity, the rehabilitation of the individual sewage treatment system is the responsibility of the seller or the buyer: ask the seller to do the work to bring the system up to standard.
- Advantage: you do not have to worry about anything
- Disadvantages: you do not choose the sewage treatment system that you will use and the date of signing the deed of sale might be delayed.
You choose to do the work and negotiate a reduction in the sale price with the seller:
- Advantage: you choose a system that suits you (micro-station, compact filter…)
- Disadvantage: you have 1 year from the date of purchase to upgrade your installation.
If you choose to undertake the work, there might be grants and subsidies available to help with the work.
Share to: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email
Related Articles
By Tricel