Home Select helped a couple relocating for work to purchase a 3-bedroom apartment of 62 sqm in the Oberkampf neighborhood of the 11th arrondissement. Frederic Girard, property hunter, found the property in 3 weeks. The price was negotiated from 580,000 to 555,000 euros, a saving of 25,000 euros (4.3%).
Mission summary
- Property hunter: Frederic Girard
- Area: 11th arrondissement, Oberkampf neighborhood
- Property type: 3-bedroom apartment, 62 sqm
- Initial budget: 600,000 euros
- Asking price: 580,000 euros
- Purchase price: 555,000 euros (-4.3%)
- Search duration: 3 weeks
- Buyer profile: Couple in their forties, relocating from Bordeaux
The project
Sebastien and Aurelie had been living in Bordeaux for ten years. Sebastien’s promotion to the Paris headquarters of his company meant relocating within three months. Rather than renting temporarily and then searching to buy, the couple wanted to purchase directly, a financially more rational decision given their substantial deposit and the cost of Parisian rents.
Their geographic criterion: the 11th arrondissement, midway between Sebastien’s office (boulevard Haussmann) and the school they had identified for their 7-year-old daughter. Time was pressing: the start date was set for September 1st.
The search strategy
Frederic Girard organized the search in fast-track mode. The mortgage file was completed in advance with the Home Select broker, so the couple had a financing certificate from day one of the search. This certificate, presented with every offer, immediately established the credibility of their application with sellers.
Frederic focused his efforts on the Oberkampf-Menilmontant-Parmentier triangle. Within three days, he had scheduled six viewings. Two properties were ruled out for non-compliance (actual surface area smaller than the Carrez measurement stated), and a third for noise disturbance from a bar on the ground floor.
The property found
The fourth property visited met the brief. A 3-bedroom apartment of 62 sqm on the 4th floor with elevator, in a renovated 1920s building on rue Oberkampf. The 24 sqm living room benefited from a dual east-west exposure, offering exceptional brightness for Paris. The kitchen had been redone in 2022 and opened onto the living room. The two bedrooms, of 13 and 11 sqm, overlooked the courtyard.
Co-ownership charges amounted to 220 euros per month. The facade had been restored in 2023, and the building was in excellent condition. The C-rated energy performance certificate placed the property in the upper range of energy efficiency for the neighborhood.
The seller, who had been transferred abroad, wanted a quick sale, a convergence of interest with the buyers that facilitated discussions.
The negotiation
Frederic structured the offer to appeal to a seller in a hurry. The main argument was not an aggressive discount but a tight timeline: the mortgage file was ready, the cooling-off period would be kept short, and there was a commitment to a fast signing at the notary.
The offer at 545,000 euros was accompanied by the financing certificate and a detailed projected timeline. The seller counter-offered at 560,000 euros. The final agreement at 555,000 euros (8,952 euros per sqm) satisfied both parties: a fair price for the seller, a 25,000 euro saving for the buyers.
The preliminary sale agreement was signed eight days after the first viewing. The final deed followed ten weeks later: the couple moved in two weeks before Sebastien’s start date.
What this mission illustrates
Preparing the mortgage file in advance is the number one accelerator for a search. Sebastien and Aurelie had a financing certificate from day 1. This document, often overlooked, establishes the credibility of the offer and reduces the perceived risk for the seller. It is a decisive advantage in professional relocations where time is limited.
Convergence of interest between seller and buyer creates the best transactions. Here, the seller in a hurry and the buyers in a hurry shared a common goal: to close quickly. Frederic built his offer around this convergence rather than on a purely financial negotiation.
Three weeks are enough when the specifications are precise. Sebastien and Aurelie had defined their criteria rigorously: neighborhood, surface area, budget, school. This precision allowed Frederic to quickly eliminate off-target properties and focus viewings on serious candidates.
Are you being relocated to Paris and want to buy quickly? Contact our team to organize your search.
Frequently asked questions
How do you buy an apartment in Paris quickly during a professional relocation?
A property hunter accelerates the search by immediately targeting available properties through professional networks. At Home Select, the average timeframe for an urgent mission is 4 weeks, compared to 3 to 6 months when searching independently. Having the mortgage file prepared in advance is essential.
Should you buy or rent when arriving in Paris on a job transfer?
Buying makes sense if the transfer lasts at least 4 to 5 years and if the personal deposit represents at least 15% of the price. In the 11th arrondissement, prices per sqm have remained stable over 5 years, which secures a purchase even in the event of an early resale.
What is the actual timeframe between the first viewing and signing at the notary in Paris?
Between the first viewing and the signing of the final deed, you should allow 3 to 4 months: 1 to 4 weeks for the search, 10 days of cooling-off period after the preliminary agreement, then 2 to 3 months for obtaining the mortgage and lifting the conditions precedent.
