Yes. Buyers living abroad can buy a house in Provence with a mortgage from a French bank, commonly at 70–80% of the price for strong files from the UK, Ireland, the EU or Switzerland and 50–70% for residents elsewhere. Most foreign buyers here want an old stone house, often with a pool and land, and that shapes the file. Renovation works must be quoted to be included in the loan, the diagnostics pack can reveal a drainage system needing work, and agricultural land or olive groves can be subject to the SAFER's pre-emption right.
Financing a house in Provence with a mortgage
Buying a house in Provence with a mortgage usually means financing an old stone property: a village house in the Luberon or the Alpilles, a mas in open country, or a bastide near Aix-en-Provence. The bank values it on location, condition and how quickly it would resell.
A house in a village or close to a town is generally easier to finance than an isolated one at the end of a long track. Pools, outbuildings and gardens add to the price, and a bank's valuer may give them less weight than a buyer does.
Renovation in the financing plan
Many Provençal houses need work on roofs, wiring or plumbing. Banks commonly finance works only when French contractors have quoted them (devis) before the loan offer, and they release that part of the loan against invoices as the work progresses. Works you decide on after completion usually need new financing.
Bring the works into the first conversation with the broker. They change the amount you borrow, the repayment and the bank's view of the project.
Drainage reports and the SAFER
Many rural houses have their own septic system with no mains connection. The diagnostics pack attached to the sale then includes an inspection of the non-collective drainage (assainissement non collectif). If it fails, the buyer must bring it up to standard within a set period after the sale, so get a quote and add it to the budget before you sign.
Agricultural land, vines and olive groves can be subject to the pre-emption right of the SAFER, the body that oversees rural land sales. The notaire notifies it, and it can step in and buy in your place. Allow for this in the timetable and in the loan condition.
Holiday rentals in Provence
A pool and a long summer make holiday letting tempting. Treat that rent as a bonus in your own budget. Banks count rent they can verify, often around 70%, and frequently set aside short-term holiday income, so the loan has to rest on what you earn. Since the Le Meur law of 19 November 2024, communes can also restrict furnished tourist lets more easily, so ask the town hall how it applies before you buy.
Next steps for a Provence purchase
Use the eligibility check to tell us about the house and any works you have in mind, and we will introduce you to one broker who places files for rural property in the south. French Notaires can find you an English-speaking notaire in Aix-en-Provence to explain the drainage report and any SAFER notice. The mortgage calculator lets you compare the repayment with and without the works.
Your purchase deed is signed before a notaire. French Notaires matches English speakers with a bilingual notaire nearby, free of charge: Notaires in Aix-en-Provence.
Questions
Can I include renovation costs in a mortgage for a house in Provence?
Commonly yes, when French contractors have quoted the works before the loan offer. The bank adds them to the financing plan and usually releases the money against invoices.
What is the SAFER and can it stop my purchase?
The SAFER oversees sales of rural land and can hold a pre-emption right over farmland, vines and olive groves. When it applies, the notaire notifies it and it can buy in your place, so allow extra time in the compromis.
What happens if the septic system fails its inspection?
The buyer must bring it up to standard within a set period after the sale. Get a quote before signing the compromis, since the cost comes from your budget and may affect your offer.