Remi and Pauline, parents of three children, live in Rouen and want to buy a Paris apartment to rent out and later pass on to their children. Sophie Riviere, property hunter at Home Select, finds them an art deco 2-bedroom apartment of 33 m² on the 8th and top floor with a panoramic balcony in the 9th arrondissement. The property was found and the offer signed on the same day.
Mission overview
- Property hunter: Sophie Riviere
- Area: Central Paris, from the 6th to the 9th arrondissement
- Property type: 2-bedroom, 33 m², 8th floor, lift, balcony, art deco
- Offer accepted: on the day of the viewing
- Buyer profile: Rouen-based couple, 3 children, buy-to-let wealth-building investment
- Objective: rent out then pass on to each child (3 properties in total)
The project: 3 Paris apartments for 3 children
Remi and Pauline own their main residence in Rouen. Their plan is ambitious: buy three apartments in Paris for immediate rental, then give them to their three children when they are grown up. The priority is not just yield: it is also neighbourhood quality, since these properties will one day become homes.
Remi’s preferred area: the 6th arrondissement, where he studied. The couple remains open to central Paris, provided the neighbourhood is pleasant to live in.
The constraint: buying in Paris from Rouen
With three young children and two demanding jobs, Remi and Pauline cannot make frequent trips between Paris and Rouen. Remi visits during his business trips and Sophie Riviere organises viewings around these windows.
First attempt: a 2-bedroom apartment in the 6th, on the 1st floor of a busy street, requiring complete renovation. Remi is not convinced. The search continues.
Second attempt: a dual-aspect 2-bedroom, full of charm, right in the pedestrian Montorgueil neighbourhood of the 2nd. Remi drafts an offer at the asking price immediately. Too late: another buyer beat him by a few minutes.
The property found: art deco on the 8th floor
The same day, Sophie spots a just-published listing and secures a viewing before Remi catches his train back to Rouen. The property is in the upper part of the 9th arrondissement, in the Nouvelle-Athenes area, slightly beyond the defined zone. But Sophie knows the neighbourhood and senses that the charm of the place will win her clients over.
A 33 m² 2-bedroom apartment on the 8th and top floor of an art deco building. Lift. Original oak parquet. Generous ceiling height. Windows everywhere. Well laid out with no wasted space, giving an impression of much more than the listed 33 m². And above all: a balcony with a panoramic view over the Paris rooftops and landmarks.
The property was back on the market. Sophie knew the price at which it had initially gone under offer.
The offer signed that same afternoon
Remi does not hesitate. After the disappointment at Montorgueil that morning, he will not let this one slip. He drafts an offer set at the price of the aborted transaction, an amount he knows is acceptable to the owner. His file, solid and with no suspensive condition, secures the decision quickly.
The works are limited to a bathroom renovation, entrusted to a contractor recommended by Home Select.
What comes next: two more apartments to find
Remi and Pauline are so satisfied that they immediately entrust Sophie with the search for two more apartments to complete their three-property plan for three children.
What this mission illustrates
Acting on the same day makes the difference. In the morning, Remi lost a property in Montorgueil by a matter of minutes. In the afternoon, he secured a property in the 9th thanks to Sophie’s responsiveness in arranging the viewing at short notice. On the Parisian market for small properties, hesitation costs you the deal.
The property hunter broadens horizons. Remi was targeting the 6th. Sophie took him to the 9th, a neighbourhood he did not know. The result: an art deco property with a panoramic view, rarer and more charming than anything he would have found within his original perimeter.
Client loyalty is built in one mission. A successful first purchase immediately generates two additional mandates. At Home Select, this is a frequent pattern.
Planning a buy-to-let wealth-building investment in Paris? Entrust your search to our property hunters. 1,200+ buyers supported since 2011.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 9th arrondissement attractive for rental investment?
The 9th arrondissement offers a hybrid profile: reasonable rental yield (3.5 to 4.5% gross on small properties) and strong capital appreciation. The Nouvelle-Athenes neighbourhood and the Blanche-Pigalle area attract a young, active clientele, ensuring a very low vacancy rate. Art deco buildings, rarer than Haussmannian, benefit from a premium at resale.
Can you buy an apartment in Paris without living there?
Yes. At Home Select, around 20% of our clients live outside Paris or abroad. The property hunter carries out all pre-viewings and only arranges the buyer's travel for properties that perfectly match the brief. Offers can be drafted and submitted on the same day as the viewing.
What does a buy-to-let wealth-building investment mean?
A wealth-building investment prioritises the quality of the property and its long-term capital appreciation rather than immediate rental yield. The idea is to buy in a sought-after neighbourhood, a property with character, which can be passed on to children or resold at a profit. The gross yield is often lower (3 to 4%) but the security and capital growth compensate.