Purchasing mobile home in France

[Daddy Ireland]

If one is buying a second hand mobile home for personal/family use only in France what should they look out for ? Also, what obligations are there in Ireland to declare this property ? Has anyone purchased a second hand mobile home in France that have any stories to share please do. The possible purchase would be going through the campsite owners and I am told the process is just as simple as purchasing a second hand car.

 

[Jazz01]

Hi DaddyIreland,

Just in relation to ownership of one - you will need to fly out at the start of the season to get it ready for use for the coming season - as the mobile home would probably be vacant over the winter / spring season, it will be damp (no heating on etc), which may lead to mould etc. Big cleaning needed.

Depending on the plot, you may need to cut grass / trim hedges / etc (unless covered by the ground rent charge) and fix things around the place that could be damaged over the off season. Painting / oiling decking etc.

Also, accessibility - how easy to get to the location from where you are? Are there direct flights to the place, do you need car hire, etc.

Will you actually make use of the place ? You are tying yourself to one location that you will feel obliged to make use of . If you letting it out to family / friends, it may not be looked after the same way as you yourself would take care of it.

Need to take into account costings for ground rent / service(s) charges / etc..

On the flip side, would be a little oasis that you can escape to, when you can

 

[rboyddd]

We've a house on the west coast of France, not a mobile home. However we have seen a number of weather events that have adversely affected mobile home camp sites along the west coast which completely wiped out the majority of mobile homes on sites :

Xynthia : publication de la cartographie des zones noires en Vendée et en Charente-Maritime | Portail du Gouvernement

archives.gouvernement.fr

I would suggest that you really evaluate the area where you intend to purchase your mobile particular for flooding or fissure / ground swelling movement (much of France is clay based soil so is subject to a lot of ground movement that the UK and Ireland do not experience). This can lead to gas and water leaks.

You will be required to pay for a TV license fee in addition to a taxe fonciere.

 

[Daddy Ireland]

Thanks for info. Taxe fonciere doesnt apply to mobile homes on wheels and chassis. The mobile home is worth about 7k. What about declaring it in Ireland. As I say it will only be rented out to family and friends.

 

[rboyddd]

That is good news for you regarding taxe fonciere, however there will be some form of charge for the pitch the mobile home is sitting on including dry and wet waste removal in place of a taxe fonciere.

If there is hedging surrounding your pitch site, then I recommend you seek clarification around responsibility for maintenance as our Euro brethren can be quite particular about the legalities of hedge encroachment....

You cite the term "rent" in your post. If you are have paying guests regardless of them being family/friends, then you have to register the intent to rent it with the tax authorities so they can ensure you are paying the overnight holiday tax your guests are liable for and you are making your French tax return the following year in which the rental income was earned. If you receive rental income, you are additionally required to perform an Irish tax return (on top of the French return) to the revenue commissioners annually. Fortunately there is a double taxation agreement between Ireland and France so you only pay the difference between the French and Irish tax rates to the Irish RCs. The Irish rates are invariably higher assuming you are on the higher rate of income tax in Ireland.