Buying MGM French Properties

Because of the way the buying process with MGM works, you will already have paid all monies by the time you get to do the Delivery Inspection, so you’ll be somewhat limited in terms of the leverage you can exert on MGM to complete their outstanding tasks, but even so, it’s well worth identifying every last little item during the inspection, as they are legally obliged to complete all those items that you do identify. Exactly when they might complete them is a different matter, but the sooner you formally bring things to their attention, the more chance you have of them happening.

The inspection itself is pretty much common sense, so you’ll be looking for things like all promised appliances being in place, doors / shutters etc being present and closing correctly, paintwork being clean and tidy etc etc. You really do need to go through things with a fine toothcomb though, from the minute you arrive at the doorstep (so is the doorbell working, is the front door finished properly).

General Rooms

The best approach is to take one room at a time, checking the following:-

• Paintwork (walls and ceiling);
• Floor - cracks in tiles, wooden floor sealed properly, no marks on carpet;
• Lights - all ceiling and wall lights have necessary fittings, no exposed wiring, ceiling ‘rose’ fitted. Check that the lights ALL work by arming yourself with a couple of bulbs beforehand (generally the fittings are of the small [1cm diameter] screw-in type). Check that the whole apartment doesn’t ‘trip’ when you switch the lights on.
• Plug sockets - take a small electric lamp with you to plug into each socket to make sure it’s working correctly, is it fixed firmly in the wall?
• Windows / shutters - are there any cracks / marks on the glass, does the window open and close easily, are the shutters fitted and do they open and close properly?
• Wardrobes - do the doors open and close properly, is there a clothes rail inside the cupboard, are any shelves solid and undamaged?
• Wall heaters - switch them on, see if they warm up; are the control panels fixed securely in place?
• Phone / TV Sockets - probably difficult to check whether the phone socket works as you won’t yet have an account, but if you have a portable TV you could try testing the aerial socket using that.

Bathrooms / Kitchens

In addition, for bathrooms, kitchens and wc’s, you should look out for the following:-

• Taps / Showers etc - do all taps work correctly, does the hot run hot?
• Sinks / Basins - are there any marks or cracks, are they sealed properly round the edges; if the plugs are moved using a lever, do they both move the plug up and move it down, and do they keep the water in the basin / bath?
• Toilets - does the wc flush properly, is the lid or bowl cracked, does the vent work if there is one?
• Towel rails - check these heat up properly, and switch on and off as per the instructions.
• Appliances provided - do they all work, are any damaged, are they fitted properly?
• Spaces for appliances - if space has been left for you to fit your own appliances, will they fit? (a ’standard’ washing machine for example is 850mm high x 600mm wide) There have been some examples of the spaces in MGM apartments being just 825mm high, meaning you would need to buy an integrated machine, which is over double the cost of a normal one. Also, an integrated machine means you need to buy a door for it, which may take some time for MGM to organise you one that matches.

This list is by no means exhaustive, so once you’ve been round the whole apartment once, go round again to see if you spot anything else - it could be your last chance!

Once you’ve finished your inspection, and agreed the outstanding tasks, these will be itemised for you on a document that you’ll be asked to sign. You’ll probably be told that these things will be done within a month, but legally they only have to be completed within 12 months. Make a note of the items on the document, but also ask for a copy of it, which may not be offered as a matter of course.

Welcome to Buying MGM French Properties, the new site with advice on purchasing MGM Apartments from MGM French Properties in the UK, or directly with MGM Constructeur in France.

So why is this site needed?

Firstly, for most people, purchasing a ski property is going to be a major decision, so you want to know that you’re making the right choice. Hopefully you’ll therefore find the advice on this site useful to help you avoid any pitfalls, and ensure that things run as smoothly as possible.

Secondly, while much of the process of purchasing an MGM property will be explained in English, a good many of the documents are only provided in French legalese, which can at times be difficult to understand, even for those with very fluent French. Many of the contractual requirements are actually very innocuous, but we’ll attempt to highlight those that you do need to pay attention to.

Thirdly, when you take delivery of your beautiful new apartment, you will be given the opportunity to do a pre-delivery inspection, which is your last opportunity to identify outstanding ’snagging’ issues still to be completed by MGM Constructeur. For you, this will probably be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, whereas it’s a daily occurrence for MGM Constructeur, so worthwhile for you to be informed of the things to look out for, to ensure that the wool isn’t pulled over your eyes!

Finally, even when you’ve bought your MGM apartment, and hopefully identified and agreed the outstanding works which need to be completed, there’s the matter of getting MGM to do them! At this point, you’ve paid your money, their contractors have probably departed to the next big project, so not an easy task to get them to do that little job like fixing a leaking pipe in your apartment. We’re not sure that we’ve arrived at a solution to this one, but hopefully by sharing our experiences, we may help you move a way towards getting some results.