When does the notary pay the money from the sale of a house?

Real estate transactions can involve large sums. In order to satisfy the buyer and the seller, we call on a notary who will play the role of intermediary to ensure the smooth running of the transaction.

Once the deed of sale is signed and you give the keys to the buyer, the money does not go straight to your account. In reality, it is sent to the notary who will then take care of transferring the money to your account.

There is therefore a certain delay between the moment of the sale and the transfer.

When does the notary pay the money from the sale of a house?

The lead time is approximately 21 days, or 3 weeks. Indeed, the notary must register the transaction with the Land Registry Service. Once the registration is complete, the transfer can begin. The deadline is then that of a classic bank transfer.

To find out more, we recommend this article on the PAP.fr site, here is an excerpt:

These funds are in the notary's account when you sign the sale. If the buyer has a personal contribution, he also transfers it by transfer to the notary's account before the sale. All operations are carried out exclusively by transfer, because it is now forbidden for the notary to accept checks, even certified by the bank, for the sale of real estate. It is only once the sale price and the notary fees are on his account that the notary gives you the green light for the signing of the deed of sale.

PAP.fr

The total amount payable for the sale

The buyer pays, on the one hand, the selling price of your property and, on the other hand, the notary fees. If the buyer had paid you an immobilization allowance when signing the compromise (the famous "10%" which most often represent 5% of the sale price), this amount is deducted from the total amount.

The time limit for payment of the sale price

Usually, the notary waits until the sale has been registered with the Land Registry Office to pay you the sale price. This formality can take about three weeks. However, with the deployment of teleacts, transmission times are shorter.

Ultimately, when the departments concerned and the studies are all equipped with secure high-speed links, post-sale formalities could be reduced to 48 hours.

Notary fees 

As part of a sale, notary fees are paid by the buyer. Now, that doesn't mean the seller has nothing to settle. Indeed, once you sign the deed of sale at the notary and the buyer has transferred the funds to the notarial office, you will not necessarily receive the full amount. For instance :

• You may be required to pay capital gains tax, depending on the transaction that has been concluded. 
• You may also be affected by the mortgage discharge. 
• In addition, you may also have additional administrative costs. This is particularly the case if you have requested the services of the notary to obtain a real estate estimate. 

Regarding the property valuation with the notary, you should know that you will be charged an average of 300 euros. Of course, before moving the notary, it is advisable to check the amount he is asking for this service. In addition, be aware that if you agree to conclude the sale with the notary carrying out the estimate, the latter can make you pay dearly for this process. Do not hesitate to broach the subject.

If you are surprised to read that a notary can make an estimate, remember that all deeds of sale necessarily go through a notarial office. This professional must enter the sales in a register. It is called BIEN for the Île-de-France region and Perval for the rest of the country. Anyway, these are local sales and therefore he is able to know the current market price. 

To get thefree home valuation, you can turn either to online simulators or to real estate agencies. The latter do not make you pay, because by obtaining a sales mandate and concluding it, the agency is remunerated by the agency fees. 

To be complete on the subject, know that you can also use the Patrim tool, which is on the official government website. You will have access to the administration database, by connecting to your private space. You must then go to the “Other services” tab and “Search for real estate transactions”. Afterwards, it works like a classic online simulator. All you have to do is fill in the type of property concerned by the sale, as well as its surface area and location.