A couple from Bordeaux bought a 48 sqm two-room flat in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, on rue de Seine, for 620,000 euros after a 7% negotiation led by Marie Esmieu-Fournel, property hunter at Home Select. This pied-à-terre lets them enjoy Paris three to four days a week while keeping their main home in Bordeaux.
Mission summary
- Property hunter: Marie Esmieu-Fournel
- Area: Paris 6th, Saint-Germain-des-Prés / Odéon
- Property type: two-room flat, 48 sqm, 3rd floor without a lift
- Initial budget: 700,000 euros including fees
- Asking price: 670,000 euros
- Negotiated price: 620,000 euros (-7%)
- Search duration: 11 weeks
- Buyer profile: Couple aged 56 and 58, self-employed professionals based in Bordeaux
The project
This couple of consultant physicians, based in Bordeaux for 25 years, came to Paris regularly for medical conferences, exhibitions, the opera and time with Parisian friends. Until now they had alternated between hotels and short-term rentals, at an estimated 15,000 euros a year.
Buying a pied-à-terre had become a settled plan: at three to four stays a month, the sums favoured owning over hotels. Their wish came down to a single sentence: to live the Paris they had always loved, of art galleries, bookshops and Left Bank bistros. The 6th arrondissement was non-negotiable.
The search strategy
Marie Esmieu-Fournel built the search around three criteria specific to a pied-à-terre: a turnkey property needing no work, since the couple did not want to manage a renovation from afar; a walkable location, with no car in Paris and everything on foot or by metro; and enough space to host occasionally, meaning at least a proper living room separate from the bedroom.
The perimeter covered the golden triangle of the Left Bank: rue de Seine, rue Mazarine, rue Dauphine, rue de Buci and the streets around place Saint-Sulpice, a 500-metre radius where the properties for sale could be counted on one hand.
The search ran long, 11 weeks, not for want of effort but because supply was so scarce. In this micro-neighbourhood, an average of 3 to 4 two-room flats sell per quarter. Marie viewed 6 properties, 2 of them off-market, obtained through her network of building caretakers and notaries in the 6th.
The property found
A 48 sqm two-room flat on the 3rd floor of a 17th-century building on rue de Seine: a 22 sqm living room with two windows onto the street and a view of the art galleries, a 14 sqm bedroom on the inner courtyard, completely quiet at night, a 6 sqm fitted kitchen and a shower room with a walk-in shower.
The exposed oak beams, original terracotta tiles in the entrance and herringbone parquet gave the property an authentic Parisian character, exactly the atmosphere the couple was after. The energy performance certificate showed a D rating, respectable for a building of this era with double glazing.
There was no lift, but the 3rd floor stayed manageable for this active couple. Co-ownership charges were minimal, at 90 euros a month, the building having neither a caretaker nor a lift. The property tax was 850 euros a year.
The negotiation
The asking price of 670,000 euros worked out at 13,958 euros per sqm. Marie reviewed the DVF transactions in the area: the median for two-room flats on rue de Seine and the adjacent streets stood at 12,500 to 13,200 euros per sqm. Charming as it was, the property had neither an exceptional view nor outdoor space, the two factors that justify the highest prices in the neighbourhood.
The opening offer of 600,000 euros was rejected. The seller, a retiree leaving Paris, was in no hurry but wanted to sell before the end of the tax year. Agreement came at 620,000 euros, or 12,917 euros per sqm, squarely in line with the neighbourhood median. The 50,000 euro saving more than covered the housing tax surcharge over several years.
What this mission illustrates
Buying a pied-à-terre becomes financially justified from 40 to 50 nights per year in Paris. Beyond that threshold, the cost of ownership, property tax, housing tax surcharge and charges, falls below the hotel budget. Our detailed article on buying a pied-à-terre in Paris sets out a full 10-year simulation.
In the 6th arrondissement, patience and a network make the difference. Supply is structurally scarce: Saint-Germain owners rarely sell. A property hunter established in the neighbourhood reaches properties before they hit the public market, multiplying the chances of finding the right one.
The tax implications of a pied-à-terre must be factored in from the start. The 60% housing tax surcharge, property tax and the possible vacant property tax if the home is not occupied regularly all weigh on profitability. The mobility lease offers a way to earn income during absences, as our guide to the hidden costs of buying property explains.
Thinking about buying a pied-à-terre in Paris? Speak with our team. Our property hunters know the most sought-after neighbourhoods and reach properties ahead of the market. First consultation free, fees 100% on success.
Frequently asked questions
What budget is needed for a pied-à-terre in the 6th arrondissement of Paris?
A pied-à-terre in the 6th arrondissement, a studio or two-room flat of 30 to 50 sqm, sells for between 400,000 and 750,000 euros in 2026, depending on the street and the floor. The most sought-after areas, rue de Seine, rue Bonaparte and place Saint-Sulpice, show prices of 13,000 to 16,000 euros per sqm.
Can you rent out a pied-à-terre in Paris when you are not using it?
A pied-à-terre classified as a secondary residence cannot be let as a furnished tourist rental in Paris without a change-of-use authorisation and compensation. A mobility lease of 1 to 10 months, non-renewable, is permitted without formality, however, and can bring in 800 to 1,200 euros per month for a two-room flat in the 6th.
What is the housing tax surcharge for a pied-à-terre in Paris?
Secondary residences in Paris have been subject to a 60% surcharge on the housing tax since 2024. For a 48 sqm two-room flat in the 6th arrondissement, this surcharge comes to around 1,500 to 2,000 euros per year on top of the base housing tax.
