Catherine Ziegler on a mission: 3-room Haussmann flat in Batignolles for a couple of doctors

A couple of hospital doctors was looking for a 3-room Haussmann flat in the Batignolles neighbourhood, close to Bichat hospital. Catherine Ziegler, property hunter at Home Select, found a 68 sqm flat with original parquet and mouldings on the 4th floor, negotiated at 590,000 euros, 30,000 euros below the asking price, in 6 weeks.

Mission summary

• Property hunter: Catherine Ziegler
• Area: Paris 17th, Batignolles
• Property type: 3-room Haussmann, 68 sqm, 4th floor without elevator
• Initial budget: 630,000 euros
• Negotiated price: 590,000 euros (-4.8% from the asking price of 620,000 euros)
• Search duration: 6 weeks
• Buyer profile: couple of hospital doctors, aged 33 and 35

Why did this couple of doctors from Bichat target Batignolles?

This couple of hospital doctors, aged 33 and 35, were looking for a 3-room flat in Batignolles, a 15-minute walk from Bichat hospital where they both worked. After five years renting in the 18th, they wanted somewhere close to the hospital yet more residential.

Their one aesthetic requirement was authentic Haussmann style. After years in functional buildings, they wanted mouldings, Hungarian herringbone parquet and marble fireplaces, and they wanted them original, not reproductions.

How did Catherine Ziegler search for a Haussmann 3-room in Batignolles?

Catherine Ziegler, who knows the neighbourhood street by street, targeted its Haussmann avenues, rue de Rome, rue Cardinet and boulevard des Batignolles, and buildings put up between 1860 and 1900, recognisable by their cut-stone facades and wrought-iron balconies. In 6 weeks, 7 properties were identified in those buildings, 4 visited and a single offer made.

This search had a particular difficulty: 3-room Haussmann flats in Batignolles are scarce, many having been carved into studios or two-bedroom units in the 1970s and 80s. Catherine checked the cadastral history of each shortlisted property to confirm the original layout survived.

Which 68 sqm 3-room was found on rue Legendre?

The 3-room flat chosen was a 68 sqm apartment on the 4th floor, without elevator, of an 1882 Haussmann building on rue Legendre, never “modernised”. It held a 22 sqm living room with a black marble fireplace and original trumeau mirror, a 15 sqm master bedroom with Hungarian herringbone parquet, an 11 sqm bedroom/office, an 8 sqm kitchen overlooking the courtyard, and a 6 sqm bathroom with a freestanding bathtub.

The ceiling mouldings at 3.10 m were intact, as were the original double doors with brass handles. That is a rare asset in a neighbourhood where many apartments have lost their character through ill-conceived renovations.

How were 30,000 euros gained on this lift-free 3-room?

The price went from 620,000 euros to 590,000 euros, a 30,000 euro saving and 4.8% below the seller’s price, within 72 hours. Catherine built her negotiation on two points: the absence of a lift on the fourth floor, which carries a standard discount of 4 to 6% per floor above the second, and the electrical installation, no longer up to standard, with rewiring estimated at 8,000 euros.

The asking price worked out at 9,118 euros/sqm, a little above the Batignolles average for a property without a lift; the deal was struck at 8,676 euros/sqm. The offer of 580,000 euros had been countered at 600,000 euros. The seller, an heir keen to settle the estate, valued Catherine’s speed and thoroughness; she had prepared every document in advance.

What can be learnt from buying a Haussmann flat in Batignolles without a lift?

Authentic Haussmann is growing scarce and gaining in value. This 68 sqm flat on rue Legendre was chosen for its intact period features, and flats that keep them, mouldings, parquet and fireplaces, resell at a premium of 10 to 15% over standardised renovations. Catherine Ziegler can spot these and judge the authenticity of the period detail.

Batignolles in the 17th arrondissement offers the best Haussmann value for money in Paris. At 8,700 euros/sqm on average, the neighbourhood provides access to authentic Haussmann features at 20 to 30% less than the 8th or 9th.

The absence of an elevator should not be a deal-breaker. For a couple in their thirties with no mobility constraints, accepting a 4th floor without an elevator saves 5 to 8% on the purchase price. It is an intelligent compromise that Catherine Ziegler regularly recommends to her younger clients.

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