The costs of real estate purchases are no longer limited to the simplistic rule of “8% for old properties, 3% for new ones.” Since April 1, 2025, the increase in transfer taxes in more than 80 departments has changed the situation. Anticipating the actual cost of an acquisition requires breaking down each item precisely, including those that online calculators do not account for.
Transfer Taxes 2025: A Departmental Rate Directly Impacting the Purchase Price
The 2025 finance law allows departments to raise their property advertising tax rate from 4.5% to 5% until March 31, 2028. The maximum overall rate of transfer taxes for old properties (departmental tax, municipal tax, assessment fees) now reaches 6.32%, compared to about 5.80% previously.
On an old property priced at 300,000 euros, this difference represents over 1,500 euros more compared to a purchase made before this reform. We recommend checking the rate applied in the relevant department even before making an offer, as this additional cost does not always appear in listings that display “estimated notary fees.”
To better anticipate all costs related to ownership and acquisition, it is useful to consult Capitaine Immo for real estate and compare expenses item by item.
Notary Fees and Disbursements: What the Bill Really Covers
Notary fees are set by decree and calculated according to a scale proportional to the sale price. They represent only a minor fraction of what is misleadingly called “notary fees.” The bulk of the amount goes to the public treasury in the form of transfer taxes.
Disbursements cover the costs advanced by the office on behalf of the buyer: requests for urban planning documents, land registry extracts, mortgage status, registration fees with the property advertising service. These amounts vary depending on the complexity of the case (co-ownership, easements, prior mortgages).
Notary fees are non-negotiable, but the notary can apply a capped discount on the proportional part for transactions exceeding a certain threshold. This discount, regulated by law, remains rarely practiced and seldom offered spontaneously.
Bank Fees Related to the Mortgage: The Overlooked Items
Beyond the interest rate, the cost of a mortgage includes several lines rarely budgeted in advance.
- Bank processing fees: charged by the lending institution, they vary from one network to another and remain the simplest item to negotiate, especially during periods of competition among banks.
- Loan guarantee fees: conventional mortgage, lender’s privilege, or mutual guarantee (like Crédit Logement). The choice of guarantee alters the total cost by several thousand euros. The mutual guarantee has the advantage of partial reimbursement at the end of the loan.
- Borrower insurance: since the Lemoine law, changing insurance is possible at any time. Comparing contracts as soon as the loan is signed can significantly reduce the overall cost of the loan.
- Early repayment penalties (IRA): capped by regulations, they are often overlooked in the initial calculation, even though they impact any resale before the loan term ends.
Mortgage Guarantee or Surety: An Early Cost-Benefit Analysis
A conventional mortgage incurs registration fees with the property advertising service and discharge fees in the event of early resale. The mutual guarantee eliminates these two items but charges an initial commission, part of which is refundable. We observe that for a short-term loan (ten to fifteen years), the mutual guarantee is almost always less expensive.
Real Estate Agency Fees: Seller’s Charge or Buyer’s Charge
The display of “agency fees included” or “fees borne by the buyer” has a direct impact on the base of transfer taxes. When the fees are borne by the seller, the transfer taxes are calculated on the net selling price, which mechanically reduces the amount of taxes.
In practice, the distribution is often negotiated at the time of the sales mandate. We recommend systematically checking the mention on the compromise, as a misclassification can lead to an unrecoverable tax overcost.
Taxes and Recurring Charges from the First Year
Property tax is due from the owner on January 1 of the year. In the case of a purchase during the year, a prorated amount is usually agreed upon in the authentic deed, but this distribution is conventional, not legal. If nothing is provided, the buyer owes nothing to the seller for the period prior to the sale.
In co-ownership, the works fund (ALUR law) imposes a minimum annual contribution. The seller does not recover the amounts paid into the works fund, which can represent an indirect advantage for the buyer if voted works are already provisioned.
Co-ownership Charges: Calls for Funds and Regularization
The buyer must request a dated statement from the property manager, charged at an average of a few hundred euros, detailing current charges, voted works, and any unpaid amounts from the seller. This document conditions the financial security of the transaction.
The budget for a real estate purchase in 2024-2025 is built item by item, taking into account the recent increase in transfer taxes and the choice of bank guarantee. Each line neglected in advance ultimately increases the actual cost of the acquisition, sometimes well beyond the displayed price.