A British family relocating to France bought a 95 sqm four-room flat with an 18 sqm terrace in Boulogne-Billancourt for 890,000 euros, negotiated at -5% from the listed price of 940,000 euros. The Home Select property hunter ran the search in 8 weeks, working Paris 16th and Boulogne in parallel.
Mission summary
- Property hunter: Home Select
- Area: Boulogne-Billancourt, Silly / Jean-Jaurès
- Property type: 4 rooms, 95 sqm + 18 sqm terrace, 6th floor with lift
- Initial budget: 1,000,000 euros (agency fees included)
- Listed price: 940,000 euros
- Negotiated price: 890,000 euros (-5%)
- Search duration: 8 weeks
- Buyer profile: British couple, 2 children (ages 5 and 8), relocating from London
The project
The couple worked in finance in London. The husband’s transfer to a post at La Défense brought them to the Paris area with one non-negotiable requirement: outdoor space. After eight years in a Victorian house with a garden in Richmond, they could not picture living in a flat without a terrace or balcony.
Their first search focused on the 16th arrondissement, a logical choice for La Défense. The early market signals were discouraging: four-room flats with terraces in the 16th consistently topped 1.3 million euros, beyond their budget. The Home Select property hunter then suggested widening the search to Boulogne-Billancourt, which borders the 16th and is served by the same métro lines.
The search strategy
The mission ran across two areas: Paris 16th (Auteuil, Passy) and Boulogne-Billancourt (Silly, Jean-Jaurès, Escudier). The terrace requirement made the search structurally hard: barely 5% of properties on the market have outdoor space over 15 sqm.
The property hunter worked two channels at once: a network of local agents specialising in properties with outdoor space, and daily monitoring of new listings. Portal alerts were backed up by direct calls to the managing agents of recent developments, where terraces are more common.
Over 8 weeks, 12 properties were viewed (7 in Boulogne, 5 in the 16th). Those in the 16th with terraces were all over budget or disappointing (a 6 sqm terrace billed as “large outdoor space”). The best options were in Boulogne, in buildings from the 2000s and 2010s with genuinely usable terraces.
The property found
A 95 sqm four-room flat on the 6th floor of a 2008 building, with an 18 sqm south-west-facing terrace and open views over the rooftops of Boulogne to the Eiffel Tower. The 32 sqm living room opened straight onto the terrace through a bay window. Three bedrooms of 14, 12 and 11 sqm, a bathroom and a shower room, a separate WC.
The building was in excellent order (façade, common areas, lift). The energy performance certificate showed a C rating, standard for a 2008 build to RT2005 standards. Charges came to 320 euros/month (concierge, lift, grounds). A basement garage was included in the price.
The Rue de Silly location offered access on foot to line 9 (Marcel Sembat, 7 minutes) and tramway T2 (Musée de Sèvres stop, 10 minutes). The Bois de Boulogne was 800 metres away.
The negotiation
The listed price of 940,000 euros worked out at 9,895 euros/sqm (excluding the terrace) or 8,319 euros/sqm (with the terrace weighted at 50%). The property hunter set this against recent DVF transactions in the area: 8,500 to 9,200 euros/sqm for recent four-room flats without outdoor space. The terrace justified a premium, but not one of 10%.
The offer of 870,000 euros was rejected. Agreement came at 890,000 euros, a saving of 50,000 euros that covered the notaire fees and the international move. The included garage added an estimated 25,000 to 30,000 euros in value.
What this mission illustrates
Widening the search to Boulogne-Billancourt can unlock a budget-constrained project. For a four-room flat with a terrace, the price gap between the 16th and Boulogne runs to 30 to 40% for equivalent quality. The extra commute is marginal: 5 minutes by métro.
Properties with terraces call for a specific, proactive search. They make up less than 5% of supply and sell on average twice as fast as standard properties. A property hunter who tracks recent builds and developments with terraces holds a decisive advantage, as set out in our guide to Paris terraces and rooftop views.
Support for expatriate families goes well beyond the property search. The Home Select property hunter also pointed this family towards bilingual schools in the area and the formalities for non-resident Europeans. The purchase is only one part of a wider relocation.
Preparing to relocate to the Paris area from abroad? Describe your project. Our property hunters cover Paris and the inner suburbs to find the best compromise for you. First consultation free, fees 100% on success.
Frequently asked questions
Why does Boulogne-Billancourt attract expatriate families?
Boulogne-Billancourt combines immediate proximity to Paris (métro lines 9 and 10, tramway T2), good schools (including bilingual ones), green space (Bois de Boulogne, Parc de Billancourt), and more generous flats than inner Paris for the same budget, around 8,000 to 9,500 euros/sqm against 10,000 to 12,000 euros in the neighbouring 16th.
Can a property hunter search in both Paris and the suburbs?
At Home Select, our property hunters cover inner Paris and the inner suburbs, including Boulogne-Billancourt, Neuilly-sur-Seine, Levallois-Perret and Saint-Mandé. This dual coverage allows an objective comparison of options and helps find the best value against the client's priorities.
What budget for a 4-room apartment with terrace in Boulogne-Billancourt?
A four-room flat of 85 to 100 sqm with a terrace in Boulogne-Billancourt sells for between 800,000 and 1,100,000 euros in 2025. Properties with terraces are rare, less than 5% of available supply, which justifies a premium of 10 to 15% over those without outdoor space.
