Nicolas and Lucie, a French couple living in England, bought a 47 sqm two-room flat in the 8th arrondissement, a few steps from the Champs-Élysées, to grow their property portfolio. The purchase, handled by Catherine Ziegler, was concluded on photos: Nicolas and Lucie only saw the flat in person at the signing of the preliminary agreement.
Mission summary
- Property hunter: Catherine Ziegler
- Area: Wide scope: 1st (Louvre), 5th (Panthéon), 8th, 14th (Montparnasse), 7th
- Property type: 2 rooms, 47 sqm, bright, quiet, renovated 1960s residence
- Budget: Consistent with a renovation budget, without financing contingency
- Negotiated price: Offer very close to asking price, accepted within 48 hours
- Search duration: 2 months (including a brief change)
- Buyer profile: Expatriate couple, already owners of a studio in the 17th
The project
Nicolas and Lucie owned a studio in the 17th, near Parc Monceau. They wanted to invest in a second, slightly larger property for their future children. Living in England, they knew Paris well, having both studied there, and naturally turned to a property hunter to run the search remotely.
The initial brief: a two-room flat of about 25 sqm, quiet, bright, well laid out, on a high floor, in an upmarket building, with a bonus feature such as a balcony or a view. The couple wanted a prestigious address, Madeleine, École Militaire, Opéra or Montparnasse, without fixing a rigid zone. Their financing was solid, with no contingency.
The search strategy
Catherine Ziegler put out a wide call to her contacts, playing up the strengths of the file: a cash purchase, no contingency, a quick decision. The broad search area cut both ways: more choice, but harder to target.
The couple turned down the first listings one after another. Catherine soon read the unspoken criteria: light was decisive, the common areas had to be immaculate, and the price per square metre had to stay reasonable. A contact offered her an off-market property in the 7th, with a view of the dome of the Invalides near Avenue de La Motte-Picquet. Nicolas came over, confirmed the offer and brought in a contractor to quote for the works. Lucie signed off a few days later. Everything was in place, but the owner finally decided not to sell, without explanation.
The property found
A few weeks later, while on holiday abroad, Nicolas and Lucie sent Catherine the link to a listing. The property was above the initial budget and did not fit the brief: 1st floor, 1960s building, no period features. But it had an extraordinary view, and the couple were ready to stretch.
The flat stood a few steps from the Champs-Élysées, in a perfectly renovated 1960s residence: immaculate common areas, a recent lift. The 47 sqm two-room flat was bright, quiet and dual-aspect. The option of opening the kitchen onto the living space to make the most of the view gave it real layout potential.
Catherine was the first to view it, in mid-July, a quiet period that favours buyers. The agent told her the owner, herself living abroad in a different time zone, wanted to sell quickly.
The negotiation
On the strength of Catherine’s dozens of photos and videos, Nicolas and Lucie made an offer very close to the asking price, even before travelling. The lack of a financing contingency and the speed of their decision made the difference. The owner accepted within 48 hours.
Nicolas and Lucie only saw the flat in person at the signing of the preliminary agreement. There was no disappointment: Catherine’s thorough photographic coverage had already reassured them. The renovation was planned with several contractors put in competition during later visits.
What this mission illustrates
The brief shifts during the search. The final property matched almost none of the original criteria: floor, building era, budget, surface area, all had changed. It was Nicolas and Lucie who spotted the listing, not the property hunter. The case shows why clients should keep their own alerts running alongside the property hunter’s work. The interplay between professional on-the-ground knowledge and the client’s personal watch is a success factor we see again and again at Home Select.
Buying on photos as a structured method. Buying without having seen the property is no gamble when the pre-viewing is rigorous. Catherine produces reports with dozens of photos and videos, together with an honest assessment that includes the flaws. This level of documentation lets expatriates decide on a sound basis without travelling. We describe the method in our guide to buying property in Paris remotely.
The quiet season as a window of opportunity. Viewing in July, when the market slows, means less competition, more time to position an offer, and sellers keen to close before autumn. Catherine was the first, and possibly the only one, to view it, which let the couple bid in ideal conditions. It is a tactical edge our property hunters use as a matter of course.
Do you live abroad and want to invest in Paris? Contact us: our property hunters manage the entirety of your remote search.
Frequently asked questions
Can you buy an apartment in Paris without having physically visited it?
Yes. At Home Select, Catherine Ziegler sold a 47 sqm property in the 8th to a couple living in England on the strength of dozens of detailed photos and videos taken at the pre-viewing. Nicolas and Lucie only saw the flat in person at the signing of the preliminary agreement, with no disappointment. The method works when the property hunter provides thorough photographic coverage and an honest report that includes any flaws.
Why does a client sometimes send the winning listing to their property hunter?
Because the brief shifts during the search. Nicolas and Lucie spotted a property that met none of the initial criteria (1st floor, 1960s building, over budget) but offered an extraordinary view. The property hunter, bound by the mandate, would not have put it forward. It is the interplay between the client's own alerts and the property hunter's on-the-ground knowledge that produces the best result.
Is an offer without financing contingency enough to secure a sought-after property?
It is a major advantage, but not enough on its own. Speed matters too: making the offer within hours of the viewing, at a price in line with the market. For Nicolas and Lucie, it was the combination of all three (no contingency, a fast offer, a price very close to asking) that convinced a seller who was herself an expatriate and keen to close.
