Home Select found a couple an 85 sqm apartment with an 18 sqm terrace in the 12th arrondissement of Paris, on the top floor of a 1970s building. The property was acquired for 695,000 euros against the listed price of 739,000 euros, a negotiation of 6.0%. Catherine Ziegler, property hunter, conducted this search in 7 weeks.
Mission summary
- Property hunter: Catherine Ziegler
- Area: 12th arrondissement, Picpus / Nation neighbourhood
- Property type: 3-room, 85 sqm + 18 sqm terrace
- Initial budget: 750,000 euros
- Listed price: 739,000 euros
- Purchase price: 695,000 euros (-6.0%)
- Search duration: 7 weeks
- Buyer profile: Couple in their fifties, reselling owners in the 20th
The project
Marc and Nathalie were selling their 3-room in the 20th arrondissement, a flat with no outdoor space, to buy somewhere with a terrace. After thirty years in Paris, they wanted the open air without leaving the city. Their main requirement was a proper terrace, not a 2 sqm wraparound balcony: room for a table, plants and dining outside from April to October.
The couple had spent four months browsing listings without success. The few flats with terraces within their budget sold before a second viewing. They came to Home Select on the recommendation of friends who had used us two years earlier.
The search strategy
Catherine Ziegler set expectations from the outset. In Paris, terraces of more than 15 sqm account for less than 5% of supply. To widen the field, she extended the search to the top floors of 1960s-1980s buildings, which carry roof terraces more often than Haussmann blocks.
The search area covered the 11th, 12th and 20th arrondissements, where the price per sqm can absorb the premium that outdoor space commands. Catherine contacted 18 agencies across these arrondissements and drew on her contacts among managers of co-ownerships with rooftop terraces.
In five weeks she identified seven properties matching the brief and viewed four. The first three had deal-breaking faults: one needed its waterproofing redone in full, at an estimated 40,000 euros; another offered exclusive use rights only, not private ownership; the third was directly overlooked.
The property found
The fourth property met every criterion: an 85 sqm 3-room on the seventh and top floor of a 1972 building on rue du Rendez-Vous. The 18 sqm south-facing terrace was registered as a private area in the co-ownership rules, and the waterproofing had been redone in 2021, under a ten-year warranty running to 2031.
The interior needed refreshing, with its original kitchen and bathroom, but the structure was sound. The 30 sqm double living room opened straight onto the terrace through a wide bay window. The two bedrooms, 13 sqm and 11 sqm, gave onto the courtyard and were quiet. The DPE energy rating of D left room for improvement through window insulation, already planned by the co-ownership in the multi-year works programme.
The negotiation
The asking price of 739,000 euros placed the property at 8,694 euros/sqm excluding the terrace, or 7,175 euros/sqm counting the terrace weighted at 50%. Catherine structured the negotiation around three arguments: the cost of refreshing works (estimated at 30,000 euros), the DPE rating of D implying future insulation costs, and two comparable transactions in the same neighbourhood, a top floor without terrace sold at 8,200 euros/sqm and a property with terrace on the 4th floor sold at 7,400 euros/sqm weighted.
The initial offer at 680,000 euros was followed by a counter-proposal at 710,000 euros. The final agreement at 695,000 euros represents a saving of 44,000 euros. At a weighted price of 6,748 euros/sqm, this was a solid acquisition in a market where properties with terraces are becoming increasingly scarce.
What this mission illustrates
Searching for a terrace in Paris requires a specific methodology. The Haussmann building stock offers few terraces. Catherine targeted 1960s-1980s buildings, where flat roofs generate more accessible outdoor surfaces. This approach quadrupled the number of eligible properties.
The legal status of the terrace is a common trap. The difference between exclusive use rights and private ownership is fundamental. Of the seven properties identified, one offered only exclusive use rights, which the general assembly can revoke. Catherine checks this in the co-ownership rules before any viewing.
A rare property can still be negotiated when the case rests on data. Even on a terraced flat, a coveted type, a 6.0% reduction was secured through precise market data and an argument grounded in the works required. Scarcity is no reason to pay the asking price.
Looking for an apartment with outdoor space in Paris? Contact our team to define your search strategy together.
Frequently asked questions
What is the added value of a terrace on a Parisian apartment?
A terrace of more than 15 sqm adds an average of 10% to 20% to the price of an equivalent Parisian apartment without outdoor space. In the 12th arrondissement, this represents an additional cost of 800 to 1,500 euros per sqm of terrace.
How do you find an apartment with a terrace in Paris when supply is so limited?
Less than 5% of Parisian apartments have a genuine terrace. A property hunter accesses off-market networks and pre-publication sales, which triples the chances of finding this type of rare property.
What should you check before buying an apartment with a terrace in Paris?
You should check the co-ownership rules (use of the terrace, barbecue, planting), waterproofing (last renovation, ten-year warranty), orientation and wind exposure, and the cadastral classification (private area or exclusive use rights).
