French-English Dictionary of Real Estate Terms

In addition to the list below, this Telegraph article, Conveniently located (above a takeaway) – how to decode estate agents' sales patter, is quite amusing.

à partir du beginning, starting, from
achat purchase
agence immobilière estate agency (realtor)
agent immobilier estate agent (realtor)
an year
année year
annonce advertisement
appartement flat (UK) apartment (US)
ascenseur lift (UK) elevator (US)
atélier workroom
attenant adjoining
avec with, including
avenue (av) avenue
bail letting (lease)
balcon balcony
baraque shed, hut
bâtiment building
beau beautiful
beau(x) volume(s) spacious
belle beautiful
béton concrete
boulevard (bd) boulevard
box lock-up garage
buanderie laundry room
bureau literally: "study". In reality: a bedroom either too small to be called a bedroom or without windows or in the basement etc. Also see "coin bureau"
cabane hut, cabin, shed
cabanon cottage, small house
calme calm
caractère see "maison de caractère"
carrelage tiled floor
cave basement
cellier storeroom for wine and food
centre commercial shopping centre (UK) shopping mall (US)
chambre (ch) bedroom
chambre à coucher bedroom
chambre de bonne maid's room
charges expenses paid in addition to the rent to cover cleaning of common areas, refuse/garbage collection etc. and sometimes heating and water
charme de la campagne Literally: "charm of the countryside". In reality: "Don't complain if the farm next door keeps a pile of dung next to your kitchen window"
chaudière boiler
chauffage heating
cheminée fireplace
cheminée avec insert glass-fronted/enclosed fireplace
clôturé fenced
coin corner
coin bureau Literally: "corner study". In reality: "In a corner of a landing, you can fit a foldable chair and a laptop". See also "bureau"
commerces shops
comprenant including
compris included
concierge gardian
congélateur freezer
contrat de bail tenancy agreement (lease)
convecteur convector (heater)
corps (main) body. Corps de ferme: Principal farm building
couloir corridor
cour yard, courtyard
cuisine kitchen (means simply the room used as kitchen - not any inventory. If nothing else is specified, then the kitchen may be a bare room without any built-in cupboards or electric units)
cuisine aménagée kitchen equipped with built-in cupboards but without electric units
cuisine américaine Literally: "American kitchen". Means: Open-plan kitchen
cuisine équipée kitchen equipped with built-in cupboards and some electric units
cuisine indépendante Literally: "Independent kitchen". Means: Not open-plan kitchen; kitchen separate from lounge or dining room.
cuisine séparée see "cuisine indépendante"
cuisinière cooker
de of
débarras junk room, boxroom, junk cupboard, junk closet
dépendence outbuilding, outhouse
dépot de garantie deposit (maximum deposit is 1 month's rent according to the law)
dernier last
disponible available
double vitrage double glazing
douche shower
dressing dressing room
école school
électroménager white goods
entièrement completely
entièrement renové Literally: "entirely renovated". In reality: "Most of the property has been repainted and all visible faults covered under a layer of paint"
entrée hallway
escalier staircase
est east
étage floor
état des lieux inventory (taken very seriously in France)
étendage washing line(s)
évier kitchen sink
exclusivité Literally: "a scoop". In reality: "This property would have been much more expensive if it had been in a good state of repair"
F1, F2, F3 etc. short way of denoting a 1-pièce flat/apartment/house, 2-pièce etc. See "pièce"
fa short for frais d'agence
fenêtre window
ferme farm
fermé closed
fioul, fuel heating oil
four oven
frais d'agence estate agent's (realtor's) fee
frigidaire (frigo) fridge
fuel, fioul heating oil
garage garage
gaz gas (not gasoline!)
gazinière gas cooker
grand large
grange barn
grenier loft, attic
habitation dwelling
habité inhabited
honoraires estate agent's (realtor's) fee
hors excluding
hotte extractor
immeuble block of flats (UK) apartment building (US)
insert see "cheminée avec insert"
jamais never
jardin garden
lavabo bathroom sink
lave linge washing machine
lave vaisselle dish washing machine
libre free, available
living living room
location letting (lease)
lot short for lotissement
lotissement (lot) housing estate
loft converted living space in a loft
louer (to) rent, (to) let
loyer (the) rent (that you pay)
maçonnerie masonry, stonework, brickwork
maison house
maison de campagne house in the country
maison de caractère Literally: "House of character". In reality: "No significant maintenance has been done since this house was built more than 100 years ago, and modern facilities have been kept at a strict minimum"
maison de maître mansion
maison de village house in a village
maison de ville town house
maison individuelle detached house
maisonette small house
mas farm house in Provence
mazet, maset Occitan word for a small house in southern France, built of stone or brick, originally intended for temporary accommodation for family weekends or farm workers. Due to its original purpose, a mazet may not be insulated.
MdV short for maison de village or maison de ville
mer sea
meuble furniture
meublé furnished
meubles bas lower kitchen cupboards with work surface
meubles hauts upper kitchen cupboards
mitoyenneté semi-detached
mois month
mur wall
neuf new
neuve new
niveau(x) level(s)
nombre (nb) number
nombreux numerous
non not, no
non meublé unfurnished
nord north
ouest west
oui yes
ouvert open
parlophone interphone
pavillon detached house
petit small
pièce (p) room. Each lounge or bedroom counts for 1 pièce. Large rooms count for 2 pièces. Example: A 3-bedroom house with standard lounge has 4 pièces. A 3-bedroom house with a large lounge has 5 pièces.
pied-à-terre pied-à-terre (Literally: "foot on earth")
pierre stone
piscine swimming pool
placard cupboard or wardrobe
plafond ceiling
plein-pied Literally: "full foot". What it means: "at street level"
poêle (à bois) (wood-burning) stove
porte door
potager vegetable garden
premier first
prêt immobilier mortgage
proche near
proximité near by
radiateur radiator (heater)
rafraichi(e) Literally: "refreshed". In reality: "We have sprayed some air freshener to cover the bad smell"
rangement storage space
refait à neuf Literally: "renovated to appear as new". In reality: "Repainted to cover visible faults"
renouvelable renewable
renové Literally: "renovated". In reality: "The dirtiest rooms have been repainted and the most serious faults covered under a layer of paint"
renseignement information
restauré Literally: "restored". In reality: "The dirtiest rooms have been repainted and the most serious faults covered under a layer of paint"
rez-de-chausse (rdc) ground floor
rez-de-jardin ground floor with direct exit to a garden
salle à manger dining room
salle de bains (SdB) bathroom
salle d'eau shower-room
salon lounge, living room
sans without
sèche linge tumble dryer
séjour lounge, living room
situé à situated at
sous under
sous-sol underground, basement
standing luxury
stationnement parking
sud south
sur on
surface area, surface
T1, T2, T3 etc. Type 1, Type 2 etc. See "F1"
taxe foncière Real estate tax that the owner pays on the value of the property. In fiscal terms, it is a wealth tax for funding the spending habits of local authorities. Waste collection is often billed together with this tax. If the owner lives in his/her house, the taxe d'habitation is paid in addition to the taxe foncière.
taxe d'habitation dwelling tax due for a year for any property you occupy the 1st January whether you are owner or tenant. It is a tax for funding the spending habits of local authorities.
terrasse terrace
terrain ground, terrain
toilettes toilet (plural even if there is only one)
toit roof
toujours always, still
tout all
toutes all
transport en commun public transport
travaux à prévoir Literally: "maintenance work to be expected". In reality: "the property is in a miserable state and we are hoping to find someone else to refurbish the property so we don't have to pay for it"
véhicule vehicle
vente sale
véranda veranda
verdure green area
verger orchard
vide unfurnished
vielle old
vieux old
villa bungalow, detached house
village village
ville town, city
voiture car
vue view
WC water closet

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