Expatriate couple with 3 children: a 110 sqm 5-room apartment found in the 16th through a remote purchase

A Franco-American family of five, expatriated in Singapore for four years, purchased a 110 sqm 5-room apartment in the Auteuil neighbourhood of the 16th arrondissement of Paris for 1,280,000 euros, or 11,636 euros/sqm. Catherine Ziegler, property hunter at Home Select, managed the entire mission remotely and negotiated the property 4.4% below the listed price of 1,340,000 euros. The search lasted ten weeks.

Mission summary

• Property hunter: Catherine Ziegler
• Area: Paris 16th, Auteuil neighbourhood
• Property type: 5-room Haussmann apartment, 3rd floor with elevator
• Budget: 1,400,000 euros
• Negotiated price: 1,280,000 euros (listed at 1,340,000 euros)
• Surface area: 110 sqm (Loi Carrez)
• Search duration: 10 weeks
• Buyer profile: Franco-American couple, 3 children (ages 5, 8, and 11), expatriates in Singapore

The project

Nathalie and David were planning a return to Paris within the following 18 months. Nathalie, French, had grown up in the 16th arrondissement. David, American, worked in finance and would be based at La Defense. With three children enrolled in an international school in Singapore, they wanted to register the two eldest at the Lycee International or the EIB Victor Hugo in the 16th. The choice of Auteuil was therefore driven by both practical and sentimental reasons.

The couple needed a minimum of 4 bedrooms, a spacious living room to host both their families during visits from the United States, and a safe, quiet neighbourhood for the children. Their budget of 1,400,000 euros included the proceeds from selling a property they owned in Singapore.

Buying from abroad without being able to visit was the main constraint. Nathalie and David needed a property hunter who could fully substitute for them on the ground, while involving them at every stage via video conference.

The search strategy

Catherine Ziegler set up a search protocol adapted to remote purchasing. Each shortlisted property was the subject of a complete file sent to the couple before any viewing: dimensioned floor plans, detailed photographs, minutes from the last three general assemblies, diagnostics, and a summary note written by Catherine including strengths, weaknesses, and an estimate of the true value.

Viewings were conducted via live WhatsApp video, with Catherine commenting on each room, opening cupboards, checking the condition of woodwork, and answering questions in real time. The 6-hour time difference with Singapore required early morning slots on the Paris side, which Catherine organised with agents and sellers.

The search targeted the Auteuil-Passy perimeter, between Rue d’Auteuil, Rue de Passy, and the area around the Jardin du Ranelagh. Catherine contacted her network of agents in the 16th, reached out to building managers of upmarket properties, and monitored exclusive mandates from high-end local agencies.

The property found

The selected apartment is located on the 3rd floor of a Haussmann building from 1890 with elevator, on a quiet street in the Auteuil neighbourhood, 5 minutes on foot from the EIB Victor Hugo school. It offers 110 sqm comprising an entrance with storage, a 32 sqm double living room with marble fireplace and two French doors opening onto a 3 sqm balcony, a 12 sqm separate kitchen, four bedrooms (15, 13, 11, and 9 sqm), a bathroom, a shower room, and a separate WC. Hungarian-point parquet, mouldings, and a ceiling height of 3.20m.

The property had been renovated by the seller in 2021: new fitted kitchen, bathroom and shower room refurbished, recent paintwork. No works required upon moving in, which was a decisive criterion for a family relocating from abroad. An 8 sqm cellar completed the lot.

The negotiation

The listed price of 1,340,000 euros corresponded to 12,182 euros/sqm, at the upper end of the range for the Auteuil neighbourhood for a 3rd floor with elevator. Catherine submitted an offer at 1,250,000 euros based on recent DVF transactions in the same perimeter, the fact that the fourth bedroom at 9 sqm was small for a child’s room, and the absence of parking in the building.

The sellers, a retired couple moving to the south of France, initially refused, then came back to Catherine after ten days with no other offer. The final agreement was reached at 1,280,000 euros, a saving of 60,000 euros. The preliminary agreement was signed by video conference with the notaries of both parties, a procedure that Catherine handles expertly for expatriates.

What this mission illustrates

Remote purchasing requires a trusted property hunter acting as proxy. Nathalie and David never set foot in the apartment before signing the final deed. The entire mission relied on Catherine’s ability to evaluate, document, and transmit information comprehensively. This is the level of commitment we offer to expatriate clients, detailed in our guide on buying property in Paris remotely.

School proximity shapes the neighbourhood choice for expatriate families. For a family with three school-age children, the choice of arrondissement is dictated by the international school offering. The 16th arrondissement concentrates Paris’s main bilingual and international establishments. Our property hunters know the international schools in each neighbourhood and integrate this criterion from the very start of the brief.

A turnkey property reduces the stress of relocating from abroad. Returning from Singapore with three children and having to manage renovations in an apartment would be a logistical nightmare. Catherine prioritised recently renovated properties, even if it meant accepting a slightly higher price per square metre. This pragmatic approach is the hallmark of a property hunter who understands the specific constraints of expatriates buying in Paris.

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Are you an expatriate preparing your return to Paris with your family? Catherine Ziegler and the Home Select team manage your search remotely, from A to Z. Contact us to arrange a first video conference call.