Selling from abroad, how do I get the DPE and the surveys?
The surveys for a sale are the same for a seller living abroad, and none requires their presence. The energy performance certificate (DPE) is mandatory for every dwelling, except independent dwellings under 50 sq. m and historic monuments, it must be less than 10 years old at the preliminary contract or the deed, and those made between 1 January 2018 and 30 June 2021 are no longer valid since 1 January 2025. Its class appears in the listing, and a dwelling rated F or G carries the mention of excessive energy consumption. A certified surveyor visits, the BRIVEO agent opens, and the reports are uploaded to the online sale file.
The DPE, for every dwelling sold
Service-public writes it, the DPE concerns every dwelling, with two exceptions, independent dwellings whose floor area is under 50 sq. m and historic monuments. The seller must provide the buyer with one dated at most 10 years before the preliminary contract or the deed. DPEs made since 1 July 2021 are valid ten years; those made between 1 January 2018 and 30 June 2021 are no longer valid since 1 January 2025 and must be redone.
The listing shows the energy class and the climate class, legible and in colour online, and a dwelling rated F or G adds the mention of excessive energy consumption. For a house or a single-owner building rated E, F or G, an energy audit is added, delivered at the latest with the preliminary contract. BRIVEO for its part refuses any mandate without a valid DPE, the house rule since 23 September 2026, the class being read in the uploaded report.
The other surveys, and who opens the door
The technical survey file gathers, depending on the property and its age, asbestos, the CREP survey on old paint, electricity and gas beyond fifteen years of installation, termites in the areas concerned, the risks and pollution statement, non-collective sanitation, and the measurement of the private area for a co-ownership lot. A certified surveyor carries them out in one visit.
From abroad, the only difficulty is practical, someone has to open. The BRIVEO agent books the appointment, receives the surveyor, then adds the reports to the sale file where the seller sees them from the account. LAIA reads the DPE, notes its class and date, and warns when a report expires before the planned signing.
| DPE made | Valid for a sale? |
|---|---|
| Since 1 July 2021 | Yes, 10 years from its date |
| Between 1 January 2018 and 30 June 2021 | No, expired since 1 January 2025 |
| Before 2018 | No |
The DPE for a sale, what is valid and what is not
Frequently asked questions
My DPE dates from 2020, can I sell with it?
No. DPEs made between 1 January 2018 and 30 June 2021 are no longer valid since 1 January 2025. A new one is needed, and the surveyor travels, not you.
Who pays for the surveys?
The seller, who freely chooses a certified surveyor. The reports are handed to the buyer at the latest with the preliminary contract and attached to the deed.
Read next
- service-public.gouv.fr, Diagnostic de performance énergétique (vérifié le 1er janvier 2026)
- Légifrance, Code de la construction et de l'habitation, articles L. 126-26 à L. 126-33 et L. 271-4
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