Bernard, a young retiree living in Aix-en-Provence, bought a 43 m² two-room flat near Nation in the 12th arrondissement for 345,000 euros, with 12,000 euros of renovation, bringing the total to 388,000 euros, below his initial 400,000 euro budget. His Home Select property hunter found the property in three weeks.
Mission summary
- Property hunter: Home Select
- Area: Paris 12th and 11th (Gare de Lyon to République to Nation to Daumesnil square)
- Property type: two-room flat, 43 m², dual-aspect west/east, 1st floor, open kitchen
- Budget: 400,000 euros all-in
- Purchase price: 345,000 euros including fees + 12,000 euros of works
- Search duration: 3 weeks
- Buyer profile: Retiree, living outside Paris, purchase through family SCI
The project
Bernard runs a guest house in Saumur and visits Paris regularly for its cultural life: theatres, museums, shops. He wanted a pied-à-terre so as no longer to depend on friends or hotels. The purchase was structured through an SCI in his children’s name, a wealth investment as much as a home for personal use.
His brief was surgically precise. A star-shaped layout was mandatory: every room reachable from the entrance, without passing through another. Open kitchen. Shower room and WC separate, accessible from both the living room and the bedroom. No ground floor; a lift required above the 3rd floor. No beams, no fireplace, no central heating or concierge, to keep charges low. Bright, quiet, 35 m² minimum. Budget: 400,000 euros all-in. Area: the 12th and 11th, twenty minutes at most from Gare de Lyon with one change at most.
The search strategy
The property hunter saw the main difficulty at once: the star-shaped layout. In small Parisian flats, the bedroom is almost always reached through the living room, and the shower room only through the bedroom. The pool of eligible properties shrank accordingly. The strategy was therefore one of absolute speed: being the first to view the moment a matching property appeared.
The search bore this out. Plenty of properties, but most ruled out on a single point: unsuitable layout, poorly kept co-ownership, lack of light, or noise. The hunter carried out systematic pre-viewings, bringing Bernard to Paris only for confirmed options.
The property found
The hunter found a flat near place Félix Éboué, facing the former Reuilly station, in a small, very well-kept co-ownership. Works were needed, but the scope for reconfiguration was real. He also recalled another flat seen two weeks earlier, ruled out over ceiling cracks; an architect confirmed the cracks were superficial and of no structural significance. He decided to show Bernard both properties on a single trip.
It was the second that won him over. A 43 m² two-room flat, dual-aspect west/east, no overlooking, bright, with an open kitchen and the WC off the entrance, exactly the star-shaped layout requested. First floor without lift in a small, well-kept co-ownership. An ideal location: Nation neighbourhood, shops, metro. Habitable as it stood, with works planned to renovate the bathroom and modernise the kitchen.
The negotiation
Two hours after the viewing, Bernard made an offer. It was accepted the following day. The price of 345,000 euros including fees left a comfortable envelope for works (12,000 euros) and charges, all staying within the initial 400,000 euro budget.
The bathroom and kitchen renovation was entrusted to a contractor recommended by Home Select. Bernard was fully satisfied, praising the quality of the finishes and the contractor’s attentiveness.
What this mission illustrates
An ultra-precise brief as an accelerator. When a client knows exactly what they want, a star-shaped layout, no central heating, no concierge, the hunter can eliminate 90% of properties in pre-viewings and only invite the client to see confirmed matches. This precision, far from complicating the search, makes it more efficient. That is the whole point of the search mandate definition phase.
The advantage of a local hunter for a remote client. Bernard, in Aix-en-Provence, received the same alerts as everyone else. What he lacked was a professional on the ground who could view within the hour, assess actual light, building maintenance, noise levels, and make a decision. As we explain in our article on buying in Paris from the provinces, the property hunter is the remote client’s eyes and legs.
The ability to reconsider a property already ruled out. The hunter had set the flat aside two weeks earlier over ceiling cracks. After an architect’s check, he chose to put it forward again. This informed change of mind, grounded in expert opinion rather than vague doubt, led to the ideal property. It is the reflex of an experienced professional that makes the difference in a property search in Paris.
Do you live outside Paris and want a pied-à-terre? Contact us: our property hunters handle everything on the ground, from viewings to the handover of keys.
Frequently asked questions
How can you buy a pied-à-terre in Paris when you live outside the city?
The main obstacle is speed of response: small flats in Paris go within hours. A locally based property hunter carries out pre-viewings, sends detailed reports and only asks the client to travel for validated properties. Bernard, living in Aix-en-Provence, came to Paris only once, to view two shortlisted properties, and signed straight away.
Is a two-room flat with a star-shaped layout rare in Paris?
Yes. A star-shaped layout, where every room opens directly onto an entrance hall without passing through another, is uncommon in small Parisian flats. It sharply reduces the number of eligible properties and demands an immediate response the moment a matching property appears. This is a criterion only a locally based property hunter can monitor effectively.
Can you buy a pied-à-terre in Paris through a family SCI?
Yes, it is a common strategy for parents wishing to build a property portfolio in their children's name. The SCI (Société Civile Immobilière) allows shares to be transferred gradually while retaining use of the property. Bernard structured his purchase this way, combining personal use (regular stays in Paris) with wealth transfer.
