Installations
I find that during a viewing a lot of my clients - particularly the French-speaking ones - really want quite detailed information about the installations in a property. It might be a question about the electric wiring, the plumbing, the heating system, or the age of the pump in the ornamental fountain. It can get pretty tiresome even in English. In French you'll need to prepare, so here are some of the key questions and answers you'll need in order to successfully talk about technical issues.
Introducing the installations
- Toutes les chambres disposent de l´aire conditionné. Dans le salon et la salle à manger, il y a le chauffage par rayonnement.
All of the bedrooms have air-conditioning units. The lounge has radial heating. - Toutes les chambres disposent de portes coulissantes qui donnent sur le jardin.
All of the bedrooms have sliding doors onto the garden.
Talking about the age of the current installations
- L´ensemble du câblage a été refait il y a seulement 4 ans.
All of the cabling was renewed just 4 years ago. - La chaudière est pratiquement neuve. Elle a été installé il y a moins de deux ans.
The water heater is almost new. It was installed less than two years ago. - La façade n´a pas été repeinte depuis très longtemps, mais la communauté des propriétaires s´est mise récemment d´accord et ils vont faire les travaux en septembre.
The facade hasn't been painted in a long time, but now the owners committee has reached an agreement and the work will start in September. - L'édifice a été construit il y a plus de 100 ans, et a été totalement restauré il y a 3 ans par le propriétaire actuel.
The building was constructed more than 100 years ago and was completely restored 3 years ago by the current owner.
Renovations needed?
Clients often appreciate honesty!
- Il faut refaire la cuisine.
It's necessary to renovate the kitchen. - Les fenêtres sont en bois et il faudra les changer.
The windows are made of wood and they need to be changed.
Off Grid?
- La maison n'est pas connectée au réseau d´eau courante. Elle dispose d'un puits dans le jardin et d'une citerne d'eau à la cave.
The house is not connected to the water network. It has a well in the garden and a large cistern in the basement.
((MOVE THIS))
Les taxes ne sont pas très importantes sur Montpellier.
The taxes are not high in Montpellier.
Thanks for visiting!
Some other stuff here
This Course
Business French
Our Business French course is designed to get you working in French as quickly as possible. The course contains sections on meetings and the telephone, as well as French for finance and practical workplace French (The type of practical phrases you'll need in a French-speaking office).
We are also working on a series of sector-based courses. First up is a set of classes for estate agents and property buyers.
Other sections in this course
Real estate
Whether you're selling property in Provence or working with clients in Paris, the type of vocabulary you'll need isn't going to vary much from place to place.
Speaking on the Phone
Speaking on the phone can be one of the most difficult tasks in any foreign language. In this course we'll take you through all the basics, from answering the phone, to taking messages or giving excuses when your boss hasn't come back from lunch.
French for Meetings
Need to attend a meeting with French-speaking clients?
In this section we'll cover everything from arranging dates and sending invitations, to writing agendas, through to summarising the agreements reached at the meeting.
In a French-speaking office
Dont' know how to ask for a stapler? In this section we'll take you through all those useful little phrases and questions for office life that other courses just don't cover.
Finance and Numbers
How do we present numbers and talk about financial information in French? In this section we cover the basics (the numbers in French!) as well as how to present graphs, sales results, or complicated statistical data.
Real estate
Other classes in this section:
Estate agents: Getting started
This first class in our section on English for Estate Agents looks at some of the most important questions which you'll want to ask a new client. We'll also take you through the most usual responses you'll hear from clients.
Talking about properties
How to describe the main characteristics of a property and its location.
Arranging Property Viewings
Need to organise a viewing, meeting or other business engagement with a French-speaking client? This article forms part of our course on French for (Real) Estate Agents, but it should also prove useful for professionals in other sectors too.
Talking about Offers
Who doesn't like receiving an offer for a property? Unfortunately, we'll probably have to do quite a bit of work before we get an offer, or at least one which is likely to be accepted. So, in this class, let's look at different ways of talking about, making, and reacting to, offers.
The property search
Understanding what the client is looking for is an absolutely essential part of being a successful estate agent. With French-speaking clients there are a serious of fairly standard questions which you'll need to use in order to find out what type of property the client wants.
Location, location, location...
How can we talk about the location of a property in French? What's the best way to describe the area, and talk about it's pros and cons. How can we talk about the distance to a town centre, shopping centre or beach?
Installations
Don't you just hate it when potential start asking technical questions about the heating system or electric wiring? However, it's inevitable that clients will have quite a few questions about the installations of a house, from the plumbing to the hot water, and lots else besides.
The property market
It's not just estate agents, but a whole range of professionals, who will find themselves having to explain aspects of the property market to clients, colleagues or suppliers.