French buyers of an off-plan home have one month after taking possession to report apparent defects they missed at delivery, according to Service Public’s guidance on VEFA handover, checked on 25 September 2026. For a non-resident collecting the keys to a ski apartment in September, that is an awkwardly short distance from the first enthusiastic photograph to the first properly cold weekend.
The apartment may look finished. That does not mean you know how it behaves when everyone wants a shower, the building’s heating is running and someone arrives after dark with wet luggage. A sensible first-winter plan starts at handover, with demonstrations, written records and someone local who can let a contractor in. The aim is practical: turn a newly delivered property into a home you can operate confidently from another country.
Two dates belong in your diary
Start by separating réception from livraison. The former concerns the developer accepting the contractors’ work; the latter concerns delivery to you. They need not happen on the same day. Ask for the recorded reception date and relevant documents rather than assuming that every protection begins when your own key ring gets heavier.
ANIL’s explanation of buying off-plan describes the equipment guarantee running for two years from reception and the structural guarantee running for ten years. Their coverage differs. A stiff cupboard door, a failed detachable component and a serious defect affecting the building are not interchangeable complaints. The practical consequence is to keep the dates, evidence and responsible parties together, and obtain advice about the correct route when a defect is disputed.
These are new-build arrangements. A resale apartment does not acquire a fresh set of construction guarantees because it has a new owner; any remaining cover depends on its history. Nor does a warranty make an awkward first season convenient. You still need functioning equipment, a clear fault report and access for the people who can repair it.
Make the first visit an operating lesson
Bring the contractual specification, final agreed plans and records of approved alterations. The glossy brochure can stay in the bag. Work through the apartment in the same order as those documents so that an attractive kitchen does not distract you from the missing socket or the wrong storage arrangement. Photograph each room before furniture and delivery boxes obscure the finishes.
Ask the developer’s representative to demonstrate the heating controls, hot-water system, ventilation, shutters, entryphone and any access equipment actually included in your purchase. Take short videos of the operating sequence with permission. A photograph of a controller is less useful than knowing how to change its programme, recognise a fault and return it to the intended setting after a guest has experimented.
For the inspection itself, separate three records: what you tested successfully, what visibly failed, and what could not be tested. This is our suggested working method, not a statutory form. “Heating unavailable for demonstration” is more informative than an empty box beside “heating”. Record who will organise the missing demonstration and how you will receive the result.
A building professional can help assess what you are seeing; Service Public expressly allows buyers to attend delivery with professional assistance. If you cannot travel, arrange a properly authorised representative with a clear inspection brief. A friend who can collect keys is helpful. A friend expected to interpret a technical specification while a taxi waits outside has been given a different job.
Heating needs a real demonstration
Ask which parts of the system belong to the apartment and which are controlled collectively. Establish who sets the building’s operating schedule, who handles breakdown reports, and which settings the owner may change. The answer determines whether your first call goes to the developer, an equipment service provider or the managing agent, the syndic.
A warm September afternoon cannot demonstrate comfort during a freezing January night. That limitation should be explicit. Request the available commissioning records and arrange a further operational check when the relevant system is running. Do not convert a brief display on a thermostat into a claim that the whole installation has been tested under winter conditions.
Walk through the arrival sequence as well. Can the heating be set before you travel, if that feature was included? What happens after a power cut? Does remote control depend on an internet subscription that is not yet active? Ask the installer about an appropriate unoccupied setting for this particular apartment. A universal temperature copied from another owner’s group chat is a poor operating manual.
Ventilation deserves the same attention. QUALITEL’s guidance on ventilation and indoor air explains why the arrangement of air inlets, extraction and heating matters. Ask where filters or accessible components are maintained and which openings must remain clear. New furniture should fit around the designed system, rather than become an accidental experiment in obstructing it.
Run water, open doors, find the meters
Use the taps and showers, check that water drains, and look for visible leaks afterwards. Ask how the hot-water installation is intended to serve the apartment and where its instructions are stored. If an appliance is not connected or a supply is unavailable, record that limitation. Avoid announcing that an untested item works simply because the installer has left a reassuring sticker.
Locate the water stopcock and have its use demonstrated. Identify the apartment’s electricity meter and record the reading and identifier at the transfer of possession. Confirm which supplies require an individual contract and which are dealt with through the building. A working corridor light tells you remarkably little about whether your own electricity account is ready.
Open every window and external door, operate the shutters and check the handles. Inspect visible seals and finishes without dismantling anything. On a balcony or terrace, ask about drainage and the permitted maintenance routine. Do not attempt an improvised flood test or climb into an unsafe area to prove enthusiasm. Specialist assessments belong with someone equipped to make them.
Extend the visit beyond the front door. Test the supplied garage remote, identify the actual parking space, open the cellar and ski locker, and try the route from the entrance with a suitcase. Record unfinished communal areas separately and establish who is responsible for following them up. Your apartment can be handsome while the route to it still needs work.
Write a defect so someone can find it
A useful entry identifies the room, exact position, observed problem and supporting photograph. “Bedroom window, left opening panel: handle does not reach the closed position” gives a contractor something to act on. “Windows poor” starts a correspondence. Number the photographs and use the same numbering in your own tracker and the delivery record, the procès-verbal de livraison.
Where something differs from the contract, point to the relevant specification or agreed amendment. Avoid guessing the engineering cause. You can report water appearing under a basin without declaring that the whole plumbing installation is defective. Keep a copy of the signed record and any document whose wording you have queried.
The final 5% of the sale price deserves preparation before the appointment. The Caisse des Dépôts explains the consignation mechanism for a VEFA balance where qualifying reservations are raised. Consignment means placing funds with an appropriate third party under the applicable procedure. It is not an informal decision to leave money in your own bank account indefinitely. Discuss the grounds and arrangements with your notaire in advance, especially if disagreement seems likely.
Build a local follow-up plan before flying home
For a non-resident, the mundane question is often the decisive one: who will open the door on Tuesday? Nominate a local contact, agree their authority and costs, and decide how contractor appointments will be recorded. Keep keys secure and record access arrangements. Repairs should not depend on you finding a last-minute flight every time a technician becomes available.
Our practical recommendation is to spend the first 48 hours using the apartment normally where possible, rather than collecting the keys and immediately departing. This is an inspection aid, not an extension of any legal deadline. Prepare a meal if the kitchen is commissioned, use the bathroom, try the lighting after dark and note problems while their circumstances are fresh.
Do not delay reporting an apparent defect because you are waiting for a more impressive collection. Follow the formal notification requirements promptly; Service Public describes registered notification with acknowledgement of receipt for defects found after delivery. If the issue is serious or contested, get advice on deadlines and remedies rather than assuming an email exchange preserves every right.
Let the first winter prove the routine
Before accepting guests, give the property manager the operating instructions, emergency contacts and unresolved-item list. Distinguish cosmetic work from anything that affects safe or comfortable occupation. A developer’s anticipated repair date is useful planning information; it is not proof that the repair has happened. Request evidence and, where appropriate, a repeat demonstration before marking an item closed.
Build your rental calendar around the apartment’s actual readiness. This article does not assume a particular occupancy rate, nightly price or compensation entitlement. For an investor, a cautious opening date is a budget choice worth comparing with the cost and disruption of a failed first stay. For a family, it can be the difference between a holiday and a week spent waiting for service calls.
Keep one shared digital folder containing the contract, agreed changes, delivery record, photographs, manuals, guarantee information and repair correspondence. Update it when work is completed. The strongest first-winter preparation is rarely photogenic, but it pays back every time you or a guest needs a simple answer quickly.
If you are comparing new-build ski properties, ask about the delivery process alongside the layout and specification. Talk to DOMOSNO about your intended arrival season and how you plan to use the property, so practical handover questions become part of the search from the start.
