A real estate project relies on a sequence of legal, financial, and technical decisions, the order of which determines the success of the transaction. Whether the project involves a purchase or a sale, each step generates specific obligations, legal deadlines, and costs that vary according to the nature of the property and its location.
Energy performance of the property: a filter before any real estate transaction
Since the tightening of rules related to the DPE, banks are increasingly refusing loans for properties classified F or G. This tightening modifies the strategy of both parties: a poorly rated property on the DPE hinders purchase and complicates sale.
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For a seller, putting a property on the market without having checked its energy class risks a blockage at the time of the buyer’s financing. The diagnosis must be included from the announcement, and an unfavorable rating often leads to undertaking renovation work before putting it up for sale.
For a buyer, careful reading of the DPE allows anticipating the actual occupancy costs and assessing the negotiation margin on the price. An energy-intensive property may justify a discount, provided that the financing file includes the renovation budget. Portals like Immo B allow comparing listings by filtering according to these technical criteria, which speeds up the pre-selection.
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Ten-year warranty and renovation: what the February 2026 decree changes
Decree No. 2026-127 of February 22, 2026, published in the Official Journal the following day, extends the obligation of ten-year warranty to energy renovations for all contracts signed after January 2026. This regulatory evolution directly affects buy-sell projects involving renovations.
In practical terms, an individual who buys a property to renovate and then resell must ensure that the company involved in insulation, heating, or ventilation has a ten-year insurance covering these services. Without this coverage, the resale may be compromised: the notary will check the compliance of the guarantees at the signing of the deed.
Checks to perform before signing a renovation quote
- Request an up-to-date ten-year insurance certificate, explicitly mentioning energy renovation work among the covered activities.
- Verify that the policy number corresponds to the company signing the quote, and not to an undeclared subcontractor.
- Keep all invoices and acceptance reports to provide to the notary at the time of sale.
This obligation enhances the security of the final buyer but complicates the timeline of investment projects involving renovations.
Sale agreement and purchase offer: legal mechanisms to master
The purchase offer is a unilateral commitment from the buyer. It sets a price and a validity period. The seller can accept it, refuse it, or make a counter-offer. As long as the seller has not accepted, the purchase offer only binds the buyer.
The sale agreement (or bilateral promise) binds both parties. It details the suspensive conditions, particularly the obtaining of the loan. The buyer then has a ten-day withdrawal period from the notification of the agreement, during which they can withdraw without justification or penalty.
Price negotiation: what to rely on
Real estate price negotiation is not done instinctively. It relies on verifiable elements:
- The price per square meter of recent sales in the same area, accessible through the DVF (Demandes de Valeurs Foncières) database.
- The amount of work to be anticipated, quantified by quotes and not by an approximate estimate.
- The defects noted in the mandatory diagnostics (DPE, asbestos, lead, risk assessment), which constitute factual arguments for adjusting the price.
- The duration of the property’s time on the market: a property that has been on the market for several months often indicates an initially too high price.
A complete financing file, presented with the first offer, enhances the buyer’s credibility and facilitates negotiation.
Disputes in co-ownership: an underestimated risk when purchasing real estate
The FNAIM study “Real Estate Disputes 2025-2026” reports an increase in co-ownership disputes related to obstructed views by new constructions. Low-rise buildings, less than three stories, are experiencing a decline in sales since mid-2025 in the affected areas.
Before buying in co-ownership, reading the minutes of the general assembly from the last three years allows identifying ongoing conflicts, voted works not carried out, and unpaid charges. The co-ownership regulations also specify usage restrictions that may limit a resale or rental project.
The notary systematically requests a dated state from the property manager, but this document reflects a snapshot at a given moment. Latent disputes (such as appeals against a neighboring building permit) are not always included. Consulting the building permits issued in the vicinity through the municipality’s urban planning service provides additional visibility.
A well-prepared real estate project relies less on intuition than on documentary rigor. The DPE conditions financing, the ten-year warranty protects resale, the agreement frames the commitment, and the analysis of the co-ownership prevents unpleasant surprises. Each of these steps produces verifiable documents, and it is their careful examination that separates a smooth transaction from a costly dispute.