Yes — you absolutely can still arrange a mortgage in France even if your initial sales contract states that you will pay “cash”. At Bluesky Finance, we have structured transactions for internationally‑mobile buyers who chose to enter the contract without a loan contingency, and then elected to borrow either before completion or even up to a year after the purchase. Here’s how it works and what you must pay careful attention to.

The buyer’s choice of purchase method

When you sign a Compromis de Vente or Promesse de Vente, you are free to indicate that the purchase will be made in cash (i.e., without making the sale conditional on obtaining financing). This is entirely your decision and reflects your strategy, rather than a requirement of the French market. Choosing “cash” simply means you are opting not to include a mortgage‑condition (“clause suspensive d’obtention de prêt”) in the contract.

What you must understand:

• If your contract does not include a mortgage clause, you do not have the automatic protection of a financing condition. That means if you cannot secure a loan, the deposit you paid (commonly 5‑10 % of the purchase price) is at risk — you may forfeit it or be obligated to complete the purchase regardless.

• If you include a mortgage clause, the contract typically allows you to withdraw (without penalty) if you cannot obtain the financing within a specified period. Without that clause, you accept the risk.

Timing and the possibility of borrowing after purchase

Even if you contract for a cash purchase, you can still arrange a mortgage subsequently. In practice:

• Many French lenders allow you to apply for a mortgage after the Acte de Vente (completion) or after the property purchase has been settled.

• In fact, it is possible to secure the mortgage up to 12 months after the date of purchase, as long as the bank’s underwriting criteria are satisfied and the property remains unchanged and unencumbered by other debt.

• The benefit of this approach is flexibility: you may complete swiftly in “cash” from your own funds or foreign currency liquidation, and later choose to leverage the property with a euro‑mortgage under attractive terms.

Key considerations and how Bluesky Finance advises you

To proceed smoothly when borrowing after a “cash” purchase, keep these points front of mind:

• Ensure the property is mortgage‑eligible: The property must meet the lender’s criteria (location, use, condition, valuations) just as if you had applied beforehand.

• Check for encumbrances: A mortgage applied later must not conflict with another loan or second‑charge secured on the property unless arranged and approved by the lender.

• Timing of application: Submitting your mortgage application early — ideally before any significant changes to the asset or your financial profile — helps secure competitive terms.

• Currency of debt vs asset: If you borrow in euros and your income/assets are denominated in another currency, you still need to satisfy lender affordability tests and demonstrate capacity to service repayments in euros.

• Tax and registration consequences: Leveraging the property via a mortgage may alter certain tax or wealth‑tax positions; your adviser should check implications for your cross‑border structure.

• Deposit risk awareness: Remember, having no loan clause means your deposit is not protected. Proceed only if you are comfortable with the risk and have a clear plan for financing the acquisition.

Bluesky Finance’s verdict

Choosing to use your own funds for the purchase (i.e., “cash”) and subsequently arranging a mortgage is entirely viable — and for many HNW and internationally mobile buyers it is a strategic move. You may complete the acquisition swiftly without waiting for a loan approval, while preserving the option to borrow afterward in euros under favourable conditions.

However, it is essential to recognise that by foregoing a mortgage‑contingency clause you assume a higher contractual risk: failing to secure financing later will not automatically release you from the purchase contract or refund your deposit. With the right planning, documentation and lender‑alignment, this structure can serve your wider portfolio and liquidity goals.

If you like, we can review sample lender policies on post‑purchase borrowing and prepare a scenario based on your profile (purchase amount, asset location, timing) to show how this might work for you.