What I've Seen Go Wrong When Buying Property inBiarritz (And How to Avoid It)

Over the years, I've watched buyers — smart, well-prepared people —make the same mistakes when purchasing property in Biarritz. Not because they weren't careful. But because the Biarritz market doesn't behave like most markets, and the French buying process doesn't behave like most countries.

Here's what I've seen go wrong, and what I'd tell anyone before they start.

1) The price you see isn't the price you pay

This surprises almost everyone the first time. In France, the listed price is just the starting point. By the time you sign, you'll typically add 7–8% on top for notaire fees (which include registration
taxes), and potentially agency commissions if they're not already built into the asking price. On a €700,000 property, that's €50,000+ in additional costs that first-time buyers often haven't accounted
for.

On the financing side: if you're buying above €1 million, there are some genuinely advantageous loan structures available to you — not always with the first bank you walk into. Not exploring those options is money left on the table.

Ask your notaire for a simulation des frais at the start. It takes five minutes and removes all the surprises.

2) Biarritz is small, but its neighborhoods are not the same

People say "Biarritz" like it's one thing. It's not. The Quartier Impérial feels like a different world from La Négresse. Milady-Mouriscot is calm, residential, close to the beach — different
clientele than Les Halles, which is lively and central. Brau/Aguilera is quieter, more suburban, more affordable.

The neighborhood you choose shapes your daily life, your resale value, and — if you're renting it — your yield. I've seen buyers fall in love with a property without really understanding where it sits in the town's ecosystem, only to find six months later that the vibe wasn't what they expected.

My advice: visit twice. Once on a Saturday in July, and once on a Wednesday afternoon in November. Both visits will tell you something different.

3) The best properties aren't on the internet

This one still catches buyers off guard. In Biarritz, the most interesting properties — the ones with real character, in the right location, at a fair price — often never make it to Leboncoin or Se
Loger. They get sold before they're ever listed. Off-market deals, word-of-mouth, relationships.

If you're searching from abroad using an online portal, you're seeing what's left after the local buyers already had first pick. Working with someone embedded in the local market isn't a luxury — it's a
prerequisite.

4) Due diligence isn't optional

France is a country of paperwork. The buying process involves a notaire, a compromis de vente, diagnostics, and multiple waiting periods. Most buyers understand this in theory. What they don't always do is read the documents carefully.

Check the DPE (energy performance rating) — it affects what you can renovate and how the property will be valued in the future. If it's an older building, get an independent survey. If the property is part of a copropriété, read the last three years of meeting minutes — they'll tell you what repairs are coming and what disputes exist.

And if you don't speak French fluently: hire a bilingual notaire, or bring someone who does.

5) Short-term rental income is not guaranteed

A lot of buyers come to Biarritz with a plan: buy an apartment, rent it on Airbnb in the summer, offset the costs. Biarritz is one of the most visited towns on the Atlantic coast — it sounds logical.

The reality is more complicated. Biarritz has progressively tightened its short-term rental rules to protect housing for permanent residents. If the property isn't your primary residence, registering
for a rental permit is neither automatic nor guaranteed. Some zones are no longer issuing new permits at all.

If rental income is central to your financial model, verify the local regulations before you sign anything. The rules are subject to change, and what was allowed last year may not be allowed next year.

In conclusion, buying in Biarritz is still one of the best decisions you can make — I did it, and I've watched hundreds of clients do it well. But it's not a casual market. The people who come out ahead are the ones who do their homework, move quickly when the right property appears, and work
with people who know this town deeply.

Alex Gaines — Luxury Real Estate Specialist, Partner at Prestant Luxury Realty, Biarritz