Real estate hunter for an expatriate couple looking for a pied-a-terre in Paris

Found! Discover a search quickly conducted by Catherine Ziegler, our apartment hunter specialized in Paris 15th. Expatriates living in North America, Théodore and Carine can no longer afford to show up with their friends with their 2 children, for each school break: they therefore want to find an apartment to shelter them during their Parisian trips...

Why were Théodore and Carine looking for a Parisian base?

Théodore and Carine live in North America with their two children. Even if they do not plan to return to France in the coming years, they want to have a foothold in Paris, to welcome them to summer vacation and for Christmas festivities. Until now, the couple stayed with friends, but as children grow up, it becomes more and more difficult to invade their daily lives in this way.

Why did they need an apartment hunter?

Not being on site, Théodore and Carine naturally focused their search on an apartment hunter. A professional who is likely to be, at the same time, their eyes and their legs in Paris.

Did they contact HOME SELECT immediately?

Having heard about Catherine Ziegler through word of mouth, they decided to contact her directly to find out if she could take care of their case. Especially liking this customer profile, our Home Select expert accepted immediately!

What data conditioned Catherine's research?

During a WhatsApp conference call, Catherine Ziegler took a few minutes to explain how Home Select works and define the search criteria. The couple wanted to invest in a beautiful old building, with Parisian charm, character and a certain cachet. Ideally located in the 15th arrondissement of Paris, around the Pasteur sector. Not being on site, Théodore and Carine did not want to do any work, even if Catherine suggested helping them on this point. At worst, they agreed to a little paint job. In other words, the apartment, with at least two bedrooms, had to be redone in terms of bathrooms and kitchens.

In what state of mind did Catherine conduct her research?

Examining these criteria, if our apartment hunter estimated the couple's budget to be correct, the fact that they did not want work could make it barely enough... The search promised to be “sporty” but, as usual, Catherine therefore threw herself into the adventure with enthusiasm! She selected a few Haussmann-style properties and made 3-4 visits for her client couple: requiring too much work, she decided not to retain them.

First offer: didn't the couple get the property?

A few days before they arrive in France for Christmas, Catherine organizes her week of visits: by looking through the ads, she discovers a very interesting property, but 20,000€ above their budget. It is a beautiful Haussmannian apartment, whose only complaint is that it is on the 2nd floor (not very bright). Immediately, she presented it to her customers via WhatsApp, who decided to make an offer. Two days later, Théodore and Carine arrived in France and physically visited the apartment: they repeated their offer of €20,000 lower than the asking price. The real estate agent told Catherine that the owner was in a hurry to sell and could accept this proposal. Unfortunately, in the meantime, another person had positioned themselves at the asking price...

How did our hunter find a property on a major Monopoly street?

After the disappointment and Christmas holidays with the family, Catherine contacted Théodore and Carine again to present them with a property, with magnificent services, on a major Monopoly street! Indeed, our apartment hunter managed to find an ad, in a suburban agency that was in charge of selling this property in the 15th arrondissement for a friend... After a pre-visit, she decided to talk to her customers about it...

What surprise did our young couple have in store?

Slightly further south than their preferred area, the apartment offers a magnificent view of the Eiffel Tower. On the 6th floor of an Art Deco residence (a bit cheaper than the Haussmannian one), it makes it possible to integrate the few renovations to be planned into the couple's budget, while remaining within the initial envelope...

Did they think before positioning themselves?

During her pre-visit, Catherine takes photos and videos, which manage to convince the couple that this is the apartment they need. To avoid a second setback, Théodore and Carine immediately write an offer very close to the displayed price, which is immediately accepted by the owner. A few days later, they physically arrive and confirm their offer! Catherine then took advantage of their presence in France, to bring in a serious and reliable contractor, in order to define the scope of the work to be planned. In total, three professionals will intervene to allow the couple to compare quotes and redevelopment proposals. Forced to go back to North America, the young couple gives power to a member of their family, to sign the compromise and the act...

How did the work go?

The day after the signing of the official act, work began with the contractor recommended by Catherine. She was committed to monitoring the work and taking photos every week; our apartment hunter is particularly in demand on this file. Moreover, she does not hesitate to interrupt the work, because it is sometimes difficult to assess the good circulation in a space, on the sole basis of a plan! Thus, over the days, the kitchen takes the place of the current bathroom (and vice versa); the non-load-bearing partitions are knocked down, to open the kitchen to the living room and the magnificent view of the roofs of Paris and the Eiffel Tower; the parquet is sanded; cupboards appear in the bedrooms, etc. The contractor delivers the apartment within the allotted time, based on the agreed estimate.

Seduction and perseverance!

The main difficulty in this case was to coax the suburban agency, which had just been turned away by another real estate hunter... Fortunately, Catherine's professional qualities were enough to put the balance back on Théodore and Carine's side!

And the word-of-mouth continues...

Théodore and Carine are so happy with Catherine's services that they talked to friends — expatriates as well — who are looking for a main residence for their next return to France...