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The signing of a sales compromise marks a decisive turning point in your property acquisition journey. From then on, you cannot go back without legal consequences. The buyer must then comply with a series of clearly defined obligations, both financial and administrative, in order for the transaction to be completed calmly until the signature of the authentic act.
Neglecting these responsibilities can lead to serious complications: financial penalties, sale resolution or loss of your deposit. That is why it is crucial to understand precisely what is your responsibility once the compromise is signed. This article guides you through every obligation, step by step, so you can move forward with confidence.
Payment of deposit: an unavoidable financial obligation
The deposit, usually set between 5 and 10 % of the sale price, represents your first financial commitment after the compromise has been signed. This is a non-negotiable obligation that demonstrates your seriousness as a buyer and secures the seller.
This advance payment must be made within a specified period, often stipulated in the compromise itself. In France, it is usually given to the notary or to a trusted third party, never directly to the seller. This provision protects both parties: the buyer can recover it if the suspensive conditions are not fulfilled, while the seller ensures the seriousness of the transaction.
Failure to pay the deposit within the specified time limits constitutes a serious breach of contractual obligations. The seller can then challenge the buyer and, if the payment does not occur quickly, terminate the compromise and retain the deposit already paid as compensation.
Real estate diagnostics: a buyer's responsibility
Although the seller is legally responsible for making the diagnoses, the buyer must verify the existence and validity of the diagnosis after the compromise has been signed. These key documents include the Energy Performance Diagnosis (EPD), the Status of Risks and Pollution (PRE), and the asbestos inspection for goods built prior to 1997.
Your role as buyer is to:
- Ask all the required diagnostics from the seller or his real estate agent
- Verify that these diagnoses are less than six months old (or three years for DPE depending on the date of signature)
- Carefully examine the results to identify possible problems (lead contamination, asbestos presence, insufficient energy performance)
- Report any missing anomaly or document immediately to your notary
If diagnostics are missing or invalid, the seller is obliged to provide them before the signature of the authentic act. You can invoke this failure as an unfulfilled suspensive condition and release yourself from your commitment.
The financing obligation: obtaining real estate credit
For the majority of buyers, obtaining real estate credit is a sine qua non for the success of the transaction. After signing the compromise, you usually have 45 days to obtain a financing approval from your bank.
This period, called the credit withdrawal period, offers you significant protection. If your loan request is refused, you can withdraw from the compromise without penalty, provided you inform the notary and seller promptly.
Your obligations during this phase include:
- Quickly forward all documents requested by the bank (pay slips, tax notices, bank statements, etc.)
- Actively monitor your loan file with the financial institution
- Meet the legal deadline for obtaining a decision
- Inform your notary immediately in case of refusal of financing
Don't be too long to start your business with your bank, as administrative delays can be important. Delays in obtaining funding could compromise the entire transaction.
Verification of suspensive conditions
The sales compromise generally contains suspensive conditions, i.e. events that must occur before the sale becomes final. The buyer must ensure that these conditions are met.
Common suspensive conditions include:
- Borrowing financing
- Personal Property Inspection
- Verification of real estate diagnoses
- The agreement of the condominium (in the case of an apartment)
- The implementation of regularisation work, if necessary
Your role is to verify that these conditions are actually met and to communicate the results to your notary before the specified deadline. If a suspensive condition is not fulfilled and you justify having acted as a good father to try to accomplish it, you are entitled not to finalize the sale.
The preparation of the file for the notary
The notary will need many documents to prepare the authentic act. It is your buyer's responsibility to compile and transmit all necessary documents within the agreed deadlines.
The essential parts you must provide include:
- Your ID or passport
- A recent proof of domicile
- Your proof of financing (bank agreement, proof of availability of funds)
- A copy of the signed sales agreement
- Town planning or registration certificates
- Any document relating to the special conditions of the property (servitudes, rights of way, etc.)
The faster you provide these documents, the faster the preparation of your authentic act. A smooth communication with the notary speeds up the entire process and reduces the risk of additional delay.
Personal Property Inspection
Although technically you were able to inspect the property before signing the compromise, you must have the opportunity to do so again after signing. This inspection is often a suspensive condition of compromise.
During this visit, check:
- General condition of property (no new damage)
- Operation of installations (electricity, plumbing, heating)
- Lack of suspicious cracks or water damage
- Conformity of the good with the description of the compromise
- The presence of all agreed elements (luminaires, kitchen equipment, etc.)
If you discover any substantial defects that were not visible on the first visit or that do not match the compromise description, immediately inform your notary. This could justify a renegotiation of the price or, in serious cases, a resolution of the sale.
Compliance with contractual deadlines
The sales compromise specifically sets the deadlines for each stage of the process. As a buyer, you must adhere scrupulously to these deadlines, which include:
- The deadline for deposit payments
- The period to meet the suspensive conditions
- The signature deadline of the authentic act
- Dates of transmission of documents to the notary
Failure to comply with time limits without good cause may result in termination of the compromise at the buyer's expense. Even if you have an excellent reason for a slight overshoot, immediately notify the seller and notary to negotiate an extension.
Borrower insurance subscription
Si vous financez votre acquisition par crédit immobilier, votre banque vous imposera de souscrire une assurance emprunteur. C’est une obligation légale, mais c’est aussi une responsabilité d’acheteur que de mettre en place cette couverture à temps.
Cette assurance protège à la fois la banque et vous-même en couvrant les risques de décès, invalidité, incapacité temporaire ou chômage. Elle doit idéalement être mise en place avant la signature de l’acte authentique pour que le crédit soit effectif et que vous puissiez financer votre acquisition.
L’assurance emprunteur n’est pas la même que l’assurance habitation, qu’il vous faudra également mettre en place. Ces deux couvertures sont complémentaires et indispensables pour sécuriser votre investissement immobilier.
La déclaration d’achèvement et les frais d’agence
Si vous travaillez avec un agent immobilier, vous avez l’obligation de finaliser les modalités de paiement de ses honoraires. Ces frais sont généralement à la charge du vendeur selon la loi Alur, mais certains arrangements peuvent avoir été convenus différemment.
Vérifiez dans le compromis les modalités exactes concernant les frais d’agence. Assurez-vous également que tous les coûts annexes sont bien détaillés : frais de notaire, frais de dossier bancaire, éventuels frais de diagnostic complémentaire, etc.
La gestion des demandes de renseignements complémentaires
Après la signature du compromis, vous ou votre notaire pouvez formuler des demandes de renseignements au vendeur sur des points spécifiques concernant le bien. L’acheteur doit faire preuve de diligence en identifiant rapidement ces points et en sollicitant les clarifications nécessaires.
Ces demandes peuvent porter sur :
- Les contrats d’entretien existants (chauffage, climatisation, etc.)
- Les garanties décennales pour des travaux récents
- L’historique des sinistres ou des problèmes rencontrés
- Les accords de copropriété et les règlements intérieurs
- Les servitudes ou droits de passage affectant le bien
Posez vos questions sans tarder pour laisser au vendeur le temps de rassembler les informations. Plus vous agirez rapidement, plus fluide sera le processus.
La préparation de votre accès au bien
En tant qu’acheteur, vous devez organiser votre accès à la propriété au jour de la signature de l’acte authentique. Cela implique de :
- Prendre rendez-vous avec le notaire pour la signature
- Vérifier que tous les financements seront disponibles à cette date
- Organiser la remise des clés avec le vendeur
- Prévoir votre déménagement si nécessaire
- Mettre en place les fournitures d’énergie et d’eau à votre nom
Cet aspect administratif est souvent sous-estimé, mais il s’agit bien d’une obligation pratique liée à votre statut d’acheteur responsable.
En résumé, les obligations de l’acheteur après la signature du compromis de vente sont nombreuses et exigent rigueur et organisation. Du versement de l’acompte à la finalisation du dossier notarial, en passant par l’obtention du financement et la vérification des conditions suspensives, chaque étape revêt une importance capitale pour la réussite de votre transaction immobilière. En respectant scrupuleusement ces engagements et en maintenant une communication régulière avec votre notaire et votre banque, vous mettez toutes les chances de votre côté pour finaliser sereinement l’achat de votre bien immobilier. N’hésitez pas à poser des questions à votre notaire ou à un professionnel du secteur si vous avez besoin de précisions : il vaut mieux clarifier un point que de laisser une ambiguïté compromettre votre projet.
