How do i check if a house in france is on polluted land?

THE ONUS IS ON THE SELLER TO PROVIDE DETAILS IF THERE IS SIGNIFICANT RISK, BUT YOU CAN DO YOUR OWN HOMEWORK TOO READER QUESTION: YOU RECENTLY COVERED A STORY ONLINE ABOUT A FAMILY WHO

DISCOVERED THEIR HOME WAS BUILT ON POLLUTED LAND. IS THERE NOT A WAY OF CHECKING THIS BEFORE BUYING? If there is a significant risk, the seller must provide a survey of pollution in the

ground of the property to help potential buyers decide whether to go ahead or not. The law assumes the seller of a site which might be polluted, such as an old factory, will know the history

of the land and thus whether a survey is needed. Buyers can also consult georisques.gouv.fr for a rundown of risks to any known address in France. READ MORE: €900,000 FOR FRENCH HOME OWNERS

WHOSE HOUSE WAS BUILT ON POLLUTED LAND The site can be alarming, pointing to high risk of subsidence due to clay shrinking and expanding, for example, until you realise that nearly half of

France has heavy clay soils. It also shows large areas of potentially polluted soils corresponding to vineyards and fields, where farmers have had soil analysis done. Some polluted sites

might not be in the database so if you are worried, ask around and do some research. You can also pay for a soil diagnostic and ask for a _clause suspensive_ in the _promesse de vente_ which

stops the sale if pollution is discovered. If still worried, put a _garantie de passif environnemental_ in the final _acte définitif_, so that if pollution is found later you will share

clean-up costs with the seller. RELATED ARTICLES PROPERTY BUYERS NOT ATTENTIVE TO NATURAL HAZARDS, FRENCH EXPERTS FEAR PROPERTY PRICE NEGOTIATION IN FRANCE: WHAT IS AVERAGE NEAR YOU? WHY

FRENCH PROPERTY PRICES ARE EXPECTED TO FALL 5-10% IN 2023