Off-Plan Guide
The VEFA Reservation Contract
A Complete French Alps Off-Plan Buyer Guide for 2026
A practical guide to the French VEFA reservation contract for international French Alps buyers: mandatory contents, deposit caps, the 10-day cooling-off period, financing clauses, Alpine due diligence, red flags and a 48-hour signing checklist.
Before the Notaire: the Contract That Frames the Purchase
The contrat de reservation, also called the contrat preliminaire, is the document most buyers sign before the authentic VEFA sale deed. It is common, but not compulsory in every purchase. The developer agrees to reserve a specified home if the programme proceeds; the buyer accepts the stated framework and may place a regulated deposit on a special account.
Six Facts to Know Before You Sign
A preliminary reservation agreement between the developer and buyer, usually signed privately before the authentic VEFA deed.
It is not the final transfer deed and it does not replace the notaire's later legal checks.
A non-professional residential buyer normally has 10 calendar days from the day after valid notification or qualifying hand delivery.
Up to 5% if the sale deed is due within one year; up to 2% if within one to two years; none if later than two years.
A special account in the buyer's name at an authorised bank or with a notaire, not the developer's ordinary operating account.
Make every material promise identifiable in the contract, plans or specification. Marketing material alone is not enough.
The Deposit Cap Depends on the Final Sale Date
The legal maximum is linked to the expected time from reservation to the authentic sale deed - not to the build duration or key handover. The cap is 5% when the sale is due within one year, 2% when it is due in one to two years, and zero when it is due after more than two years.
- EUR 450,000 home, deed within 12 months: maximum EUR 22,500.
- EUR 450,000 home, deed in 12 to 24 months: maximum EUR 9,000.
- Deed after more than 24 months: no reservation deposit may be required.
The money belongs on a special account in the buyer's name at an authorised bank or with a notaire. Buyers should independently verify payment details before transferring funds.
Use the 10-Day Window Properly
For a qualifying non-professional residential buyer, the 10 calendar-day withdrawal period normally begins the day after valid notification or qualifying hand delivery. The first 48 hours should be used to check the unit and annexed lots, technical notice, projected price and revision clause, finance protection, deposit account, delivery wording and TMA deadlines.
The downloadable guide continues with the statutory refund grounds, contract anatomy, Alpine-specific clauses, stage payments, bilingual glossary, worked examples, red flags, adviser questions and a complete 48-hour checklist.
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