Every client I work with arrives with a number in mind: the price of the villa. Almost none of them arrive with a number for everything else. And on the French Riviera, "everything else" is not a rounding error — it is a meaningful line item that deserves its own spreadsheet tab before you ever write an offer.
I learned to think this way in Atherton, where closing costs are a known quantity and buyers rarely get surprised. France operates on a different logic entirely, with fees that are legally mandated, largely non-negotiable, and structured in ways that catch even sophisticated American investors off guard. Here is what actually goes into a Riviera purchase budget, beyond the headline price.
The "Frais de Notaire": France's Signature Closing Cost
The single biggest surprise for most of my clients is the notary fee structure. In France, the notaire is not simply a closing agent — they are a public officer who drafts and authenticates the deed, collects taxes on behalf of the state, and registers the transaction. Their fee, commonly called "frais de notaire," is really a bundle of three things: the notaire's own honorarium, registration duties owed to local and national government, and various administrative disbursements.
For existing (non-new-build) properties, which describes the vast majority of villas and apartments in Cannes, Cap d'Antibes, and Saint-Tropez, buyers should generally budget in the range of 7 to 8 percent of the purchase price for these combined costs. On new-build properties, the figure is considerably lower, typically in the 2 to 3 percent range, because the tax treatment differs. These are directional figures — the exact percentage depends on the property type, its location, and current rates, so I always tell clients to get a precise estimate from the notaire handling the transaction before finalizing their budget.
Why This Fee Structure Feels Unfamiliar to Americans
In the US, closing costs are often a patchwork you can negotiate: title insurance, attorney fees, lender fees, transfer taxes that vary wildly by county. In France, the notaire's fee schedule is set by national decree — there is no shopping around for a lower rate the way you might negotiate a real estate commission. What you can control is timing and structure, which is exactly where a bilingual advisor earns their keep.
Ongoing Property Taxes: The Recurring Line Items
Once you own the villa, two recurring local taxes typically apply.
Taxe Foncière
This is the annual property tax owed by the owner, roughly analogous to property tax in the US, though calculated on a different basis — a notional rental value of the property rather than market value. It is billed once a year, typically in the fall, and the amount varies significantly by commune. A villa in Super Cannes or Mougins will carry a different taxe foncière than a comparable property in a less sought-after area, so I always pull recent tax bills for any property my clients are seriously considering.
Taxe d'Habitation
Historically a tax on occupants of a residence, taxe d'habitation has been phased out for most primary residences in recent years, but it can still apply to secondary homes — which describes many of the properties my American clients purchase on the Riviera. If your French villa will function as a vacation home rather than your primary residence, budget for this tax to remain in effect and confirm the current treatment with your notaire or a local tax advisor, since rules in this area have shifted meaningfully over the past several years.
Agency Commission: Who Actually Pays It
Unlike the US model, where the seller typically covers both sides of the commission, French real estate commissions can be structured either way — paid by the seller and baked into the price, or paid by the buyer as a separate line item ("honoraires charge acquéreur"). Listings will specify which applies, and it materially affects your all-in cost. This is one of the first things I clarify with clients before we even schedule a first viewing, because a 5 percent difference on a multi-million-euro villa is not a small number.
Renovation and Currency Considerations
Two more categories deserve a place in your budget, even though they are not government fees. First, many of the Riviera's most character-filled properties — a Belle Époque villa in Cannes, a bastide in the Mougins hills — will need updating to meet the standards American buyers expect: modern kitchens, upgraded electrical systems, sometimes structural work respecting historic facades. Build a renovation contingency into your total budget rather than treating it as an afterthought.
Second, if you are converting dollars to euros, currency fluctuation between the day you sign the "compromis de vente" and the day you complete the sale at the "acte de vente" — typically a window of two to three months — can move your effective purchase price by a meaningful amount. Some of my clients work with currency specialists to lock in favorable rates during this window rather than leaving it to chance.
Building Your Real Budget
When I sit down with a client considering a property in the €3 million to €10 million range typical of Cap d'Antibes or Super Cannes, I encourage them to think in three layers: the purchase price itself, a one-time acquisition cost layer of roughly 7 to 10 percent covering notary fees and any buyer-side commission, and an ongoing annual layer covering taxe foncière, insurance, and property management if the villa will sit empty part of the year.
None of this should be discouraging — it is simply the cost of doing business in a market that, euro for euro, still offers exceptional value compared to equivalent trophy properties in Silicon Valley or the Hamptons. The buyers who feel most in control of their Riviera purchase are the ones who budgeted for the full picture from day one, not just the number on the listing.
This article provides general guidance based on typical practice and should not be relied upon as tax or legal advice. Notary fee percentages, property tax rules, and residency-based tax treatment can change and vary by commune and personal situation. Always consult a licensed French notaire and a cross-border tax advisor before finalizing your purchase budget.
