A single mother with two children was looking for a three-room flat in the 18th arrondissement, near her children’s school. The Home Select property hunter found a 55 sqm three-room flat on the 3rd floor of a period building in Montmartre and negotiated it down to 454,000 euros from an asking price of 480,000 euros, a saving of 26,000 euros.
Mission overview
- Property hunter: Home Select
- Area: Paris 18th arrondissement (Montmartre, Abbesses)
- Property type: three-room flat, 55 sqm, 3rd floor
- Initial budget: 480,000 euros
- Asking price: 480,000 euros
- Negotiated price: 454,000 euros (minus 5.4%)
- Search duration: 6 weeks
- Buyer profile: Single mother, 39, two children aged 7 and 10
The project
Sandrine, a publishing executive, had been renting a three-room flat on rue Caulaincourt for four years. Her landlord wanted to sell, and she had six months to move out. Rather than find another rental, she decided to buy and secure her family’s home.
Her main constraint was geographical: her two children were at the primary school on rue Lepic, and she did not want to move them. The search was therefore confined to the Abbesses-Lamarck-Caulaincourt area, a micro-market where the supply of three-room flats is structurally thin.
The search strategy
Our property hunter mapped the area around the school: an 800-metre radius taking in the rues Lepic, Abbesses, Lamarck and Caulaincourt. Here, three-room flats over 50 sqm came up on average only two or three times a month.
The property hunter set up close monitoring across every platform and contacted the four estate agencies within the area to hear of listings before they went public. Regular walks through the neighbourhood also helped spot “For Sale” signs in windows and on façades.
The property found
The flat came through a local agency that had taken it on under sole mandate the day before. On rue Ravignan, 200 metres from the Place du Tertre, it sat on the 3rd floor of an 1895 building with no lift. Its 55 sqm broke down into a 22 sqm living room with open views over the Montmartre rooftops, two bedrooms of 11 and 9 sqm, a separate kitchen and a bathroom with a tub.
The flat kept its period character (solid parquet, simple mouldings, internal shutters) and had been replumbed and rewired five years earlier. The D energy rating reflected old but double-glazed windows. Monthly co-ownership charges ran to 170 euros in a well-run 12-unit building.
The negotiation
The asking price of 480,000 euros came to 8,727 euros per sqm, in line with the neighbourhood but at the top of the range for a flat with no lift and a D rating. Our property hunter studied recent sales within a 300-metre radius: three-room flats without a lift had changed hands between 8,000 and 8,500 euros per sqm.
The opening offer of 445,000 euros drew on this data and on the extra annual heating costs tied to the energy rating. The seller, who was moving to the provinces, accepted after a single counter-offer, at 454,000 euros (8,255 euros per sqm). Sandrine put the 26,000 euro saving towards new windows and insulating the living room, improving the family’s comfort.
What this mission illustrates
In a micro-market, speed beats volume. When the search is confined to a handful of streets, every new listing must be seized within 24 to 48 hours. A property hunter on the ground and plugged into local agencies cuts that window to a few hours. The 18th arrondissement page sets out the character of each neighbourhood.
The lack of a lift is a measurable lever in negotiation. Market studies show a discount of 3 to 5% per floor above the 2nd in a building with no lift. Combined with the energy rating, this lets you build a well-grounded offer well below the asking price. Our article on the 10 points to check at a viewing covers these criteria.
Buying in response to a notice to sell. When a landlord sells the occupied property, the tenant has a right of first refusal and statutory deadlines. If the flat does not suit, on price, condition or size, a property hunter lets you search in parallel and bid with confidence. Our preliminary contract guide explains the key stages of the transaction.
Looking for a family apartment in the 18th arrondissement? Tell us about your project: your property hunter will activate contacts in your target neighbourhood.
Frequently asked questions
Is Montmartre a family-friendly neighbourhood in the 18th arrondissement?
The Abbesses-Lamarck area, in the heart of Montmartre, offers a family-friendly environment with reputable schools (including the Lepic school and the Roland-Dorgeles college), squares and gardens (Willette, Nadar, vineyard of Montmartre) and a village atmosphere. The average price of 9,200 euros per sqm in this micro-neighbourhood is 15% lower than the neighbouring 9th arrondissement, while offering a unique setting.
How can a single-parent family finance a property purchase?
Banks evaluate the borrowing capacity of a single-parent family on the same criteria as for a couple: stable income, debt-to-income ratio below 35% and personal deposit. Alimony received can be counted as income at up to 70% depending on the lender. The zero-interest loan (PTZ) is accessible to first-time buyers subject to income thresholds.
What are the pitfalls to avoid when buying in the 18th arrondissement?
Three points to watch in the 18th: check the state of co-ownerships (some older buildings have high charges due to facade renovations or compliance upgrades), avoid ground-floor units on very busy streets (noise nuisance), and look into ongoing urban development projects (the 18th is undergoing significant renovations that are changing the neighbourhood fabric).
