Puteaux: a 4-room flat with an open view for a couple on a professional transfer

A couple on a professional transfer from Lyon were looking for a 4-room flat in Puteaux, close to La Défense, with a budget of 530,000 euros. Frederic Girard, property hunter at Home Select, found an 82 sqm flat with an open view in the Republique neighbourhood, negotiated from 525,000 euros to 495,000 euros, a saving of 30,000 euros (5.7%), in 6 weeks.

Mission summary

• Property hunter: Frederic Girard, property hunter at Home Select
• Area: Puteaux: Republique, town hall and Vieux-Puteaux neighbourhoods
• Property type: 4-room, 82 sqm, 7th floor with elevator, open view
• Initial budget: 530,000 euros
• Asking price: 525,000 euros
• Negotiated price: 495,000 euros
• Negotiation: -5.7% (30,000 euros)
• Search duration: 6 weeks
• Buyer profile: couple in their forties, transferring from Lyon, one child

The project

Alexandre and Nadia, both finance executives, were leaving Lyon for La Défense after Alexandre’s transfer to an international group. They had six weeks before his start date to find a flat, and their ten-year-old daughter needed a place at secondary school before the new term.

They had settled on Puteaux for its walking distance to La Défense: after years of cycling in Lyon, Alexandre would not add a commute. A budget of 530,000 euros put a genuine 4-room within reach, a comfort the neighbouring 16th arrondissement would not have allowed.

The difficulty was that they did not know Puteaux at all and had no time for repeated trips between Lyon and Paris to view properties.

The search strategy

Frederic Girard ran the search as a remote purchase, a format Home Select handles routinely for clients in transition. It began with a 45-minute video call to refine the criteria and walk through the neighbourhoods of Puteaux, maps and photos included.

The hunter targeted three areas: Vieux-Puteaux, with charm and shops but higher prices; the Republique neighbourhood, a good balance of local life and budget; and the eastern sector towards the Pont de Neuilly, with recent developments and serviced residences.

Frederic filmed a pre-viewing of each shortlisted property, commenting as he went on condition, light, noise and common areas. Of twelve properties found in four weeks, seven were ruled out after the pre-viewing. The couple travelled from Lyon just once, viewing the five finalists in a single day.

The property found

The choice fell on a 4-room flat of 82 sqm on the seventh floor of a 1998 building in the Republique neighbourhood. The layout was practical: a 26 sqm living room with a balcony, three bedrooms of 13, 11 and 9 sqm, an open fitted kitchen, and separate bathroom and shower room.

Its main asset was an open view west, with no overlooking and the trees of the Square Leon-Blum in the foreground. The building had a concierge, underground parking with the space included, and reasonable charges of 220 euros a month, collective heating included.

The building had a facade renovation in 2022 and the roof terrace was redone in 2023, with no major works in the multi-year plan. The DPE rating of C matched a building of this generation.

The negotiation

The asking price of 525,000 euros put the flat at 6,402 euros/sqm, at the upper end for the Republique neighbourhood. Frederic Girard found two levers: laminate flooring in the bedrooms, to be replaced with parquet at an estimated 4,500 euros, and DVF comparables showing two recent sales in the same building at 6,050 and 6,180 euros/sqm.

The offer of 490,000 euros opened the discussion, and the parties settled at 495,000 euros. The seller valued the strength of the buyers’ file, two senior-executive permanent contracts and a deposit of 120,000 euros, and the promise of a quick completion. The preliminary agreement was signed by video conference with the notary, the couple having already returned to Lyon to prepare the move.

What this mission illustrates

Remote searching works when it is well organised. Alexandre and Nadia travelled only once. Frederic Girard’s filmed pre-viewings weeded out unsuitable properties without round trips. For a couple on a professional transfer, this saves considerable time and energy.

Towns bordering Paris offer an unbeatable surface-to-price ratio. At 495,000 euros, the couple got an 82 sqm flat with parking and an open view. The same budget in the neighbouring 16th arrondissement would have bought a 55 sqm flat with no outdoor space. A property hunter who knows both markets steers clients to the right option for their way of life.

A strong financial profile speeds up the negotiation. Two senior-executive permanent contracts and a 120,000-euro deposit: the seller knew the sale would close. In a market where deals fall through, that certainty weighed as much as the pricing arguments. A prepared financial file is worth as much as a good negotiating case.

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Are you on a professional transfer to Paris or La Défense? Contact Frederic Girard at Home Select for an efficient remote search.