A couple in the 17th arrondissement wanted to move from a 42 sqm 2-room to a 4-room in the same Batignolles neighbourhood, on a budget of 740,000 euros. The Home Select property hunter found an 82 sqm flat on the 3rd floor in 6 weeks and negotiated it to 715,000 euros, a saving of 25,000 euros.
Mission summary
- Property hunter: Home Select
- Search area: 17th arrondissement, Batignolles / Epinettes neighbourhood
- Property type: 4-room apartment, 75-90 sqm
- Budget: 740,000 euros
- Negotiated price: 715,000 euros (-3.4%)
- Search duration: 6 weeks
- Buyer profile: Couple in their thirties, one young child, owner-sellers
The project
Antoine and Clara had bought a 42 sqm 2-room on rue des Batignolles five years earlier for 390,000 euros. The arrival of their daughter a year ago and Antoine’s move to part-time remote work had made the space unworkable: the main bedroom turned into a nursery, a sofa bed in the living room, a desk wedged into the kitchen. They did not want to leave Batignolles, where they had built their social and working lives.
Their 2-room, sold for 470,000 euros in a market kind to small flats in the 17th, plus a further 270,000 euro mortgage, brought the budget to 740,000 euros. The challenge was to find a 4-room within a 15-minute walk of home, in an area where family demand runs high.
The search strategy
The property hunter set a precise area around the parc Martin-Luther-King and rue des Batignolles, taking in the Épinettes neighbourhood to the north. This part of the 17th arrondissement averages 8,500 to 9,500 euros/sqm for 4-rooms, more affordable than the Monceau or Ternes areas to the south.
There was a double urgency: the preliminary sale agreement on the 2-room had been signed with completion set at 4 months. The property hunter therefore had a tight timetable to find the new flat, sign the purchase agreement and line up both final deeds. Over 6 weeks, 16 flats were shortlisted, 6 viewed and 2 finalists put to the couple.
The property found
The chosen flat is on rue Nollet, an 8-minute walk from their old address. The 82 sqm 4-room takes the 3rd floor of a 1920 post-Haussmann building with lift. The layout: a 24 sqm living room with a decorative fireplace, a 10 sqm separate kitchen, two bedrooms of 13 and 11 sqm, an 8 sqm study and a bathroom.
The building, last renovated in 2020, has a planted courtyard and a concierge. The energy rating of C, excellent for a century-old building, reflects the insulation done during the renovation. Annual charges of 3,200 euros include communal gas heating, a cost the building keeps in hand.
The negotiation
The flat was listed at 740,000 euros, or 9,024 euros/sqm. The property hunter found two levers: the working but dated kitchen (an estimated 8,000 euros to modernise) and the four weeks the flat had spent on the market, slightly above the local median for its type.
The offer of 700,000 euros was rejected. The seller’s counter at 725,000 euros led to agreement at 715,000 euros (8,720 euros/sqm), the living room chandelier and curtain rods included. The property hunter then co-ordinated the two notaries so that the sale deed on the 2-room came 48 hours before the purchase deed on the 4-room, removing any need for a bridging loan.
What this mission illustrates
Staying in your neighbourhood while gaining 40 sqm. The 17th has enough price variation between its pockets to allow real upsizing without moving away. The property hunter works these gaps between neighbouring streets, as set out in our price analysis by arrondissement.
Lining up two transactions without a bridging loan. Co-ordinating a sale and a purchase is a technical exercise the property hunter knows well. By bringing the two completion dates within 48 hours of each other, Antoine and Clara avoided the cost of a bridging loan (2 to 4% interest) and the worry of a spell without a home. This arrangement is described in our article on the preliminary sale agreement.
A deadline as a spur. Unlike an open-ended search, a deadline focuses the effort. The property hunter steps up the contacts, the viewings and the pace of decisions. Far from a handicap, a fixed timetable often produces better results. See our case studies for other time-limited searches.
Want to upsize without leaving your neighbourhood? Contact Home Select: our property hunters manage the move from start to finish.
Frequently asked questions
Is it possible to sell and buy in the same neighbourhood without a bridging loan?
Yes, provided the transactions are well synchronized. The safest method is to sign a preliminary sale agreement on the current property with a completion date of 4 months, then actively search for the new property. The property hunter manages the calendar so that both notary signings follow each other within a few days.
How much additional space can you gain while staying in the 17th arrondissement?
In the 17th arrondissement in 2026, the equity from a well-located 2-room (450,000-500,000 euros) generally allows financing a 4-room apartment of 75-85 sqm in the same neighbourhood with an additional mortgage of 200,000 to 300,000 euros. The typical gain is 35 to 45 additional sqm.
Can the property hunter also manage the sale of the current property?
Home Select focuses on finding the new property. For the sale of the current property, the property hunter recommends trusted real estate agents in the neighbourhood and supervises the smooth progress of the calendar. The goal is seamless coordination between the two transactions.
