A first-time-buyer couple in their thirties were looking for a bright 3-room in the 19th arrondissement, near the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont. The Home Select property hunter found a 62 sqm flat on the 6th floor with a direct view of the park and negotiated it from 475,000 down to 445,000 euros, a saving of 30,000 euros (6.3%), in just 4 weeks.
Mission overview
- Property hunter: Home Select, property hunter at Home Select
- Area: Paris 19th arrondissement, Buttes-Chaumont, Botzaris, Mouzaia
- Property type: 3-room, 62 sqm, 6th floor with elevator, park view
- Initial budget: 490,000 euros
- Asking price: 475,000 euros
- Negotiated price: 445,000 euros
- Negotiation: -6.3% (30,000 euros)
- Search duration: 4 weeks
- Buyer profile: First-time buying couple, 32 and 34 years old, permanent contracts
The brief
Emile, a web developer, and Juliette, a speech therapist, were renting a 2-room on rue de Belleville. Four years of saving had built a deposit of 80,000 euros, and they wanted to buy their first flat: a proper 3-room with two separate bedrooms.
Their attachment to the 19th was not up for discussion. They had lived there for six years and knew the streets, the shops, the parks. Their first priority was to be near the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, where they ran three times a week.
Two months searching on their own had gone in circles: decent 3-rooms in the Buttes-Chaumont area sold in under two weeks, often above asking. They had missed three flats, one of them to a buyer who offered over asking at the first viewing.
The search strategy
The Home Select property hunter put speed at the centre of the search. In the Buttes-Chaumont area, supply is not the problem: flats come onto the market regularly. Speed is. The best 3-rooms between 55 and 65 sqm draw their first offers within 48 to 72 hours of going online.
The hunter set up a direct alert with six neighbourhood agencies and gave them a presentation file for the couple: validated financing, precise criteria, the ability to decide quickly. The aim was to hear about a flat before it reached the portals, or within the first hours.
The search also reached the wider area around the park: rue Manin, rue de Crimée on the park side, avenue Simon-Bolivar, and the Mouzaïa quarter, which has a particular charm with its little townhouses, though flats there are rarer.
The property
In the fourth week, a partner agency gave advance warning: a 62 sqm 3-room had just been listed on the 6th floor of a 1970s block on rue Manin. Its standout asset was a direct, unobstructed view of the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont from the living room and the main bedroom.
The flat had an efficient dual-aspect layout: a 24 sqm living room with a picture window and balcony facing the park, a 6 sqm open kitchen, a 14 sqm main bedroom also with a park view, an 11 sqm second bedroom on the courtyard side, and a bathroom with a bathtub. The condition was decent: tiled floors (to cover over to taste), clean paintwork, a working fitted kitchen.
Service charges were 180 euros a month (caretaker, lift, garden). A facade renovation was on the long-term schedule but not yet voted through. Energy rating C, good for a building of this era, thanks to insulation upgraded in 2019.
The negotiation
The asking price of 475,000 euros (7,661 euros per sqm) plainly carried a premium for the park view. The Home Select property hunter accepted that the premium was justified, since flats with park views always resell better, but judged it overstated by 4 to 6%.
The case for a lower price rested on two points: DVF sales within the block itself (three in the past 18 months, at 7,100, 7,300 and 7,450 euros per sqm, none reaching the asking price), and the coming facade renovation (an estimated share of 3,000 to 5,000 euros for this flat).
The offer of 440,000 euros was turned down, but the seller valued the speed of response, the offer landing less than 24 hours after the viewing. The hunter raised it to 445,000 euros with a commitment to sign within 10 days and pre-approved financing. The seller, who had a rival offer of 450,000 euros but with uncertain financing, chose the certainty. The preliminary contract was signed within a week.
What this mission illustrates
Speed is the first success factor in high-demand neighbourhoods. Emile and Juliette had missed three flats before engaging the property hunter. In four weeks, the hunter secured an advance look and put in an offer within 24 hours. In the 19th arrondissement, speed counts as much as the budget. This is what separates a solo search from a mandate with a property hunter.
A solid financing file weighs as much as the offer price. The couple’s offer was 5,000 euros below a rival’s, yet the validated financing and the commitment to sign quickly won the seller over. The certainty of closing often beats the headline price. A prepared mortgage turns a first-time buyer into a credible candidate.
View and location are measurable, durable values. The property hunter paid a premium for the Buttes-Chaumont view, but a measured one. DVF data shows that flats with park views in the 19th resell for 8 to 12% more on average than comparable flats without. It is an investment that pays off on resale, and one that market data can quantify.
Looking for a flat near the Buttes-Chaumont? Contact the Home Select team for a targeted search in the 19th arrondissement.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average price per sqm in the 19th arrondissement of Paris in 2026?
In 2026, the average price per sqm in the 19th arrondissement ranges between 7,000 and 9,500 euros depending on the micro-neighbourhood. The Buttes-Chaumont area (rues Botzaris, Simon-Bolivar, Manin) has the highest prices (8,500-9,500 euros per sqm). The Crimee, Flandre and Villette areas are more affordable (7,000-8,000 euros per sqm). The 19th remains one of the arrondissements with the best quality-of-life to price ratio in Paris.
Is the Buttes-Chaumont neighbourhood a good area to buy?
The Buttes-Chaumont neighbourhood is one of the most sought-after areas in the 19th arrondissement. It combines an exceptional living environment (the 25-hectare park), a village atmosphere (rues Botzaris, de la Mouzaia), and good transport links (Buttes-Chaumont and Botzaris metro stations, lines 7bis and 11). Prices have risen 22% in ten years, driven by the growing attractiveness of northeastern Paris.
What are the advantages of buying in the 19th arrondissement rather than a central arrondissement?
The 19th offers three major advantages: prices per sqm 30 to 40% lower than central arrondissements (6th, 7th, 8th), larger surface areas for the same budget, and a living environment with green spaces (Buttes-Chaumont, Parc de la Villette, Canal de l'Ourcq). For a couple with children or a first-time buyer, the 19th makes it possible to buy a real 3 or 4-room where central Paris only offers a studio or a small 2-room.
How was this 3-room with a Buttes-Chaumont view negotiated down by 30,000 euros?
Listed at 475,000 euros (7,661 euros/sqm), the flat was bought for 445,000 euros, a 30,000 euro saving of 6.3%. The Home Select buying agent accepted the park-view premium but judged it overstated by 4 to 6%, drawing on three DVF sales in the same block (7,100, 7,300 and 7,450 euros/sqm) and a coming facade renovation (a 3,000 to 5,000 euro share). An offer landing within 24 hours, with validated financing and a 10-day signing commitment, was preferred to a rival offer of 450,000 euros with uncertain financing. Home Select's average negotiation is 6% off the seller's price.
