An alternative to the viager, with a payment term you control
Securing your property wealth with guaranteed income over a defined term.
An instalment sale lets an owner sell their property while receiving payment spread over a term fixed in advance. Unlike a viager, the payments do not depend on how long the seller lives.
The term is known from the signature: 5, 10, 15, 20 years or more, according to what the parties want. The seller therefore has complete visibility of their future income.
The buyer, for their part, knows from the outset the total to be paid, how long they are committed for, and the date on which they will have full use of the property where it is occupied.
This solution is for you if…
You want to know exactly how long payments will run
You want regular, predictable income
You want to sell while keeping your home for a time
You have a financial plan with a horizon
You want an alternative to the classic viager
Replacing uncertainty with a schedule
The instalment sale answers sellers who want to avoid the uncertainty of life expectancy. It replaces the viager’s element of chance with something more predictable: a sale price spread over time on a schedule known from the signature.
1 — Free instalment sale
The seller leaves the property at the sale; the buyer has immediate use of it and may live in it or let it. This form often suits second homes, homes that have become too large, and owners who already have somewhere else to live.
2 — Occupied instalment sale
The seller keeps a right of occupancy for a period set out in the contract and may stay in the home on the terms defined in the notarial deed. They keep their surroundings, know exactly how long the occupancy lasts, and draw a regular additional income.
Les principaux avantages
Pour le vendeur
- Revenus réguliers pendant une durée connue
- Sécurité financière renforcée
- Possibilité de conserver son logement temporairement
- Organisation facilitée d’un projet futur
- Solution adaptée aux personnes souhaitant transmettre progressivement leur patrimoine
- Paiements sécurisés par acte notarié
Pour l’acquéreur
- Engagement financier connu dès le départ
- Absence d’incertitude liée à l’espérance de vie
- Possibilité d’acquérir un bien avec des modalités de paiement adaptées
- Construction progressive d’un patrimoine immobilier
- Stratégie patrimoniale maîtrisée
The tax treatment of an instalment sale
For the seller
- The monthly payments are instalments of the sale price and are not subject to income tax.
- They do not fall under the tax regime for life annuities — an essential difference from the viager.
- The sale may nevertheless give rise to capital gains tax, depending on the nature of the property and the exemptions available.
For the buyer
- Flexibility of funding: the price is spread over time while the purchase itself is secured.
- The property enters their estate from the signature.
- The tax and accounting treatment depends on the purpose: main residence, buy-to-let, or estate strategy.
