VEFA Descriptive Notice and 3D Renderings: Aligning the Materials Shown

In an off-plan sale, buyers commit to a home they can neither visit nor touch. They discover the development through plans, 3D renderings and, at signing, a descriptive notice (notice descriptive) that details the materials and equipment to be delivered. These documents describe the same project, but they are produced by different teams at different times.

That is where discrepancies creep in. An interior view shows solid oak flooring when the VEFA descriptive notice specifies laminate; a glass balustrade is drawn out of habit while the building permit specifies metal railings; a fitted kitchen appears although none is included. None of this is intentional, yet every difference can turn into a question at handover.

This guide explains what the descriptive notice contains in a French off-plan sale (vente en l'état futur d'achèvement, or VEFA) and what the legal texts say, then sets out a practical method for aligning the materials shown in marketing visuals with those described in the contract documents. It is written for developers, sales teams and architects preparing the materials for a new-build scheme in France. It is not a substitute for advice from a notary or a lawyer, which remains essential for any legal question specific to a project.

What is the descriptive notice in a VEFA sale?

The descriptive notice is the document that sets out, item by item, the technical characteristics of the property being sold: structure, finishes, joinery, equipment, common areas and surroundings. It puts into words what the plans show in lines. If the VEFA mechanism itself is new to you, the glossary entry on the off-plan sale (VEFA) gives a short definition.

What the French Construction and Housing Code requires

Article L261-11 of the French Construction and Housing Code (Code de la construction et de l'habitation, CCH) requires the off-plan sale contract to be executed as a notarial deed (acte authentique) and to describe the property sold. The same article requires the deed to include, as an appendix or by reference to documents lodged with a notary, the relevant information on the composition and technical characteristics of the building.

Article R261-13 explains how this obligation is met. The composition of the building is shown by plans, sections and elevations, with the relevant dimensions and the floor area of each room. The technical characteristics come from "the descriptive specification used as the basis for the works contracts or a descriptive notice in line with a standard model approved by ministerial order". These documents cover the unit sold, the building it belongs to, and the related outdoor equipment and utility networks. A dimensioned plan of the unit and a notice listing its own equipment must be attached to the sale contract.

The French government portal Service Public confirms that the descriptive notice, presented as the specification of works, materials and equipment, is one of the documents attached to the deed of sale, alongside the plans.

Summary technical note and descriptive notice: two stages of the sale

The deed is often preceded by a reservation contract (contrat de réservation). Article L261-15 requires this preliminary contract to state the essential information on the composition of the building and the quality of construction. Under article R261-25, that quality is "sufficiently established by a summary technical note stating the nature and quality of the materials and equipment" (note technique sommaire), attached to the contract.

Between these two stages, the draft deed is sent to the buyer at least one month before signing. France's national housing information agency, the ANIL, points out that this period allows the buyer to check that the contract and its appendices match the reservation contract. The visuals handed over at reservation are therefore read, implicitly, in the light of the final notice.

The standard model of the order of 10 May 1968

The standard model referred to in article R261-13 was set by the order of 10 May 1968 on the descriptive notice (arrêté du 10 mai 1968). Notices drawn up on this model are generally organised into six main sections, as detailed in this guide to the structure of the descriptive notice (in French):

1. general technical characteristics of the building;
2. private units and their equipment;
3. private annexes;
4. interior common areas of the building;
5. general equipment of the building;
6. exterior common areas and their equipment, including utility networks.

This structure is valuable for visual work: it gives the developer, the architect and the 3D studio a shared reading grid.

Why 3D renderings must follow the descriptive notice

Renderings are often produced early, sometimes before the works contracts are awarded. The notice, by contrast, keeps evolving until the deed. Without a method, the two drift apart.

What the official sources say

The ANIL reminds buyers that advertising materials have no contractual value and that they should refer to the specification attached to the reservation contract, which must state in particular the nature and quality of the materials. Service Public adds that the conformity of the delivered home is assessed in particular against the deed of sale, the plans, the quotes, the descriptive notice and, in some cases, the marketing documents given to the buyer. Among its examples of non-conformity, it lists materials or equipment that do not match what was agreed.

Read together, these sources point to a cautious rule: a marketing visual should not show a material or piece of equipment that the contract documents do not provide for. An "artist's impression" disclaimer (image non contractuelle) has its uses, but it does not replace consistency between documents; its exact scope should be assessed with a legal professional.

A concern from the reservation stage

Article R261-31 provides that the reservation deposit is returned in full, with no deduction or penalty, in particular if one of the items of equipment provided for in the preliminary contract is not to be built, or if the composition of the home or the quality of the planned works shows a loss of value of more than 10%. The specifications presented at reservation, in writing and in images alike, therefore need to be achievable.

What a rendering shows, section by section

Each section of the notice has a visible counterpart in the visuals. The table below can serve as a review grid before anything is released.

Interiors are the most exposed. A living-room view shows the flooring, the joinery, any built-in storage and a kitchen all at once. Buyers see an overall promise, while only part of it belongs to the delivered specification. The guide to interior 3D rendering for property marketing covers the staging options for this type of image.

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Method: building a notice-to-visuals cross-reference table

The simplest tool is a cross-reference table kept by the developer and shared with the 3D studio. It links each visible material to a line of the notice.

1. List the planned views: exterior and interior renderings, hall views, 3D sales plans.
2. For each view, record the visible materials and equipment: floor, walls, joinery, railings, facades, surroundings.
3. Link each item to the matching section and line of the current descriptive notice.
4. Flag items with no matching line: they are decoration and must remain identifiable as such, or be removed.
5. Send the studio the useful references: colours, formats, finishes, and possibly photos of samples.
6. Approve the images by checking the table line by line, with the project architect or site manager where possible.
7. Date each visual with the revision of the notice and plans used, and keep that record with the sales file.

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Handling "or equivalent" clauses and options

The ANIL notes that sale contracts often include clauses providing, for materials or equipment, a brand or quality equivalent to the one stated in the contract (ou équivalent). A visual does not need to display a specific commercial product: it is better to show the characteristics described, such as the type of flooring, the colour or the finish, rather than an identifiable product.

Options and buyer-requested changes (travaux modificatifs acquéreurs, or TMA) raise a similar question. If a rendering shows a finish offered as an option, its caption should say so clearly. Otherwise, the image suggests it is part of the standard specification.

Tracking notice revisions

A notice evolves between reservation and deed: cost trade-offs, a change of supplier, technical adjustments. Every change affecting a visible material should trigger a review of the visuals concerned. With the cross-reference table, the images to update are identified in minutes and replaced before any new release.

Captions, furniture and atmosphere: separating what is delivered from what is suggested

A rendering sells a lifestyle, and furniture, light and planting all contribute to it. The aim is not to produce cold images, but to make the line between what is delivered and what illustrates a use easy to read. A few practices help:

• a factual caption, for example "two-bedroom apartment staged for illustration, furniture and decoration not included";
• delivered materials shown faithfully, with the staging carried by movable items;
• planting drawn at a reasonable stage of growth, consistent with the landscaping plan;
• a hall view that reflects the finishes described in the interior common areas section.

The checklist to review and approve 3D renderings completes this review: it helps check architecture, framing, materials and light before release.

Preparing the brief for the 3D studio

Alignment starts with the order. A complete brief avoids back-and-forth and limits the risk of discrepancies. The file sent to the studio can include:

• the up-to-date project plans, or the architect's up-to-date 3D model, with their revision index;
• the current descriptive notice or, failing that, the summary technical note;
• the materials schedule or the facade colour references approved in the permit;
• the list of views required and the features to highlight;
• the developer's position on furniture, options and captions.

The 3D team can work from plans as well as from the client's up-to-date 3D model. Either way, the descriptive notice remains the reference document for materials. To place this work in the overall sales process, the guide to VEFA off-plan sales in France sets out the timeline from reservation to handover.

Faithful visuals, a smoother sale

The VEFA descriptive notice describes what the buyer is purchasing; 3D renderings let them see it. When both tell the same story, the sales relationship gains clarity, from reservation to the handing over of the keys. An up-to-date cross-reference table, precise captions and a joint review with the project architect are often enough to prevent discrepancies, subject to advice from a notary or a lawyer on the legal points specific to each project.

To present a French off-plan development with images that match the described specification, VIZION STUDIO's team hand-builds exterior and interior 3D renderings in 3D software, working from the project plans or from the up-to-date 3D model supplied by the developer, and following the descriptive notice provided: discover the 3D rendering service and send the documents you have to receive a tailored proposal.