When you begin planning a property purchase, one budget item is often underestimated or misunderstood: notary fees for buying an older property. You often hear that they amount to 7–8% of the sale price, but the reality is more nuanced and depends on many technical factors. At APPARTE, we guide buyers through every stage of their plans, including managing their overall budget.
What Notary Fees Really Include
The term is misleading. Notary fees are not, in fact, the notary’s pay. More than 75% of the amount you pay when signing the final deed consists of taxes passed directly to the state and local authorities. These transfer duties (DMTO) have changed recently, including departmental increases passed in 2025 that directly affect your purchasing power in 2026.
To plan your budget accurately, break these fees down into four parts:
- Transfer duties: The largest share, collected by the notary on behalf of the Treasury and the department.
- Notary fees: The notary’s actual remuneration, calculated using a regulated sliding scale based on the sale price.
- Disbursements: Amounts advanced by the notary to pay other parties and obtain documents required for the sale (cadastral records, planning information, and so on).
- Real estate security contribution: A fixed tax charged for completing land registration formalities.
How the Costs Break Down: What Can and Cannot Be Negotiated
It is essential to understand that most of these fees are strictly regulated. Transfer duties, which are about 6.32% in most departments in 2026, cannot be negotiated. However, a discount on the notary’s fees may sometimes be available for transactions above certain thresholds, although this is uncommon for a standard residential purchase.
To avoid unwelcome surprises, we always advise clients to make a winning offer while factoring in these fees from the outset when calculating their borrowing capacity. A miscalculation here can undermine your entire financing plan.
Ways to Reduce Your Fees Legally
Can you reduce the bill? For older properties, there is little room to maneuver, but a few accounting strategies may help. If the property is sold with furniture, the value of the furniture may be deducted from the amount used to calculate transfer duties. Similarly, if you buy through an estate agency, its fees may sometimes be excluded from the calculation if they are payable by the buyer and are identified as such in the preliminary sale agreement.
It is also worth remembering that unlike new-build property, where fees are lower (2–3%), older properties incur the full tax burden. To make your purchase a success, be sure to analyze the co-ownership charges and upcoming works, as these affect the true value of your investment.
How to Plan Your Budget Accurately from the Start
The APPARTE approach is simple: never rely on a rough guess. Use official calculators updated for 2026 and always add a 5% safety margin for additional costs (mortgage application fees, guarantees and moving expenses). Buying property is a long-term commitment, so you need a clear picture of your disposable income after the purchase.
If you would like guidance from experts with an in-depth knowledge of the Paris and Île-de-France markets, and no conflict of interest, we are here to help. APPARTE does not act as a traditional estate agency: we represent buyers exclusively. To learn more about our approach, book an appointment with APPARTE today.
FAQ: Your Questions About Notary Fees
Are notary fees for an older property the same throughout France?
No. They vary slightly by department because departmental councils set the transfer duty rates. In 2026, make sure to check the rate that applies in your specific area.
Can I include notary fees in my mortgage?
Most banks only finance the property price. Notary fees generally need to be covered by your personal contribution. A 110% mortgage that includes these costs is rare, except for very specific borrower profiles.
Can the notary discount their fees?
Yes. For high-value transactions, a notary may discount the proportional part of their fees, but the discount is capped and never applies to taxes passed on to the state. As a result, it makes little difference to the total notary fees for buying an older property.
