A couple with three children aged 4 to 11 had spent eight months searching, without success, for a five-room flat in central Paris. Properties over 100 m² are increasingly scarce, and competition is fierce. Catherine Ziegler, property hunter at Home Select, found a 110 m² flat in the 12th arrondissement in six weeks and negotiated the price down from 980,000 euros to 920,000 euros, a saving of 60,000 euros.
Mission overview
- Property hunter: Catherine Ziegler
- Area: 12th arrondissement, Daumesnil / Bel-Air neighbourhood
- Property type: Five-room flat, 110 m², 3rd floor with lift
- Initial budget: 950,000 euros
- Listed price: 980,000 euros
- Negotiated price: 920,000 euros (-6%)
- Search duration: 6 weeks
- Buyer profile: Couple, aged 42 and 40, three children (11, 8 and 4 years old)
The project
The clients owned an 82 m² four-room flat in the 11th arrondissement and had been short of space since the birth of their third child. The two older children were sharing a 10 m² bedroom, untenable as they neared their teens.
The brief was clear: at least five rooms (three separate bedrooms plus a living room and a study), a minimum of 100 m², in the 11th or 12th arrondissement, close to a school and the metro. Maximum budget: 950,000 euros, part-funded by the sale of their current flat.
The search strategy
Five-room flats over 100 m² make up less than 5% of available stock in these arrondissements. Catherine Ziegler worked on two fronts: close monitoring of listings with an immediate response, and direct approaches to the managing agents and caretakers of the larger buildings in the 12th. Residential blocks from the 1960s and 1970s tend to offer the most generous floor areas.
Over 6 weeks, Catherine found 11 possible properties, viewed 7, and put 3 to the couple. The one they chose was in a 1968 residential building, a segment often overlooked by buyers fixed on Haussmannian stock.
The property found
A five-room flat of 110 m² on the 3rd floor of a 1968 upmarket residential building with a caretaker, lift and underground parking. A 32 m² double living room with an 8 m² south-facing balcony, three separate bedrooms (15, 13 and 11 m²), a 12 m² closed kitchen, two shower rooms. Storage room and cellar.
The well-kept building had recently been refurbished, with planted areas in the inner courtyard. The nearest primary school was 300 metres away. Daumesnil metro station (lines 6 and 8) was a 5-minute walk.
The negotiation
The listed price of 980,000 euros came to 8,909 euros/m², above the median for the Daumesnil neighbourhood for this type of property (8,200-8,600 euros/m² according to DVF data). Catherine Ziegler built her case on three points:
- Refurbishment work: the kitchen and one shower room needed updating, with an estimated budget of 20,000 euros
- The gap with the market: five-room flats in 1960s and 1970s buildings sell 5 to 10% below Haussmannian prices for equivalent floor areas
- The linked sale: the clients were selling their flat in the 11th at the same time, which secured their financing
The opening offer of 900,000 euros drew a counter of 940,000 euros. Catherine kept up the pressure, noting that the flat had sat on the market for 10 weeks without an offer, a sign of overpricing. The two sides settled at 920,000 euros (8,364 euros/m²).
What this mission illustrates
1. Large flats in Paris call for an active search. With five-room properties making up less than 5% of stock, waiting for the perfect listing can take months. A property hunter in the 12th arrondissement like Catherine Ziegler canvasses residential buildings that offer family-sized floor areas.
2. Residential buildings from the 1960s and 1970s hide gems. Often passed over in favour of Haussmannian stock, these buildings offer sensible layouts, generous floor areas, balconies, parking and contained charges. For families, the segment is worth a look, and the Home Select buying service knows how to spot these opportunities.
3. A simultaneous sale is an asset in negotiation. A buyer who is selling their own property at the same time reassures the seller as to their means and resolve. Catherine Ziegler regularly coordinates buy-and-sell operations to align the timing.
Looking for a large family flat in Paris? Contact Home Select for a bespoke search.
Frequently asked questions
Where can you find a five-room flat in Paris for under one million euros?
The arrondissements offering five-room flats under one million euros in 2026 are mainly the 12th, 13th, 19th and 20th. The 12th arrondissement, with prices between 8,000 and 9,500 euros/m², gives access to properties of 100 to 120 m² within this budget range.
What criteria should you prioritise for a family flat in Paris?
Families with children should check: proximity to schools and green spaces, bedroom layout (avoid walk-through bedrooms), sound insulation between rooms, whether there is a lift for upper floors, and co-ownership charges, which are often higher for larger properties.
Is the 12th arrondissement suitable for families with children?
The 12th is one of the most family-friendly arrondissements in Paris: the Bois de Vincennes offers 995 hectares of green space, public schools are well regarded, the Aligre market brings life to the neighbourhood, and prices remain 20 to 30% lower than the Left Bank for equivalent floor areas.
Why favour a 1960s-1970s residence for a large apartment?
Often overlooked in favour of Haussmannian buildings, 1960s-1970s residences offer rational layouts, large floor areas, balconies, parking and controlled charges, at prices 5 to 10% lower for the same surface. In this mission, Home Select found for a family of five a 110 sqm five-room flat in a 1968 residence in the Daumesnil area, signed at 920,000 euros after a 6% negotiation, while five-room flats over 100 sqm make up less than 5% of stock in the 12th.
