Buyer's Guide
91
Property tax in Paris: calculation and amounts in 2026
Paris property tax applies to 50% of the cadastral rental value at the 2026 municipal rate of 20.5%, or €1,200 to €3,500 a year.
Second-time buyer: purchasing while already owning a property
Buying before selling remains possible with a bridge loan: it covers 60 to 70% of the value of the property being sold, at 3.5 to 4.2% in 2026.
First-Time Buyer Assistance Programs in Paris in 2026
In 2026, a Paris first-time buyer can stack the PTZ, the Prêt Paris Logement (up to €39,600) and Action Logement: up to €170,000 in assisted loans.
Group or Individual Borrower Insurance: Comparison
Individual borrower insurance costs 40 to 60% less than the bank's group contract: on a €600,000 mortgage, that is €12,000 to €25,000 saved.
Paris
19
The 15th arrondissement: the secret of Parisian families
The 15th is one of the most affordable family districts on the Left Bank: a median €9,600/m² in 2026 (average €10,400) and six metro lines.
Vincennes and Saint-Mandé: Quality of Life at the Gates of Paris
Saint-Mandé stays dearer at €8,500/sqm in 2026 against €8,200 in Vincennes, being smaller and scarcer. Vincennes is 10 minutes from Châtelet on the RER A.
Boulogne-Billancourt: The Inner Suburb Playing in the Premier League
Boulogne-Billancourt averages 8,900 euros/sqm in 2026: 10,000 to 11,000 in the north near the 16th, 7,500 to 8,500 in the south by Pont de Sevres.
The 5th arrondissement: Quartier Latin, Mouffetard and accessible prices
The 5th has a median price of 12,000 euros/m² in 2026 (average 13,400), from 10,500 around Gobelins to 14,500 near the Panthéon.
Real Estate Market
18
Paris Real Estate Autumn 2026: Trends to Watch
In autumn 2026, Paris trades at 10,650 to 10,700 euros/sqm, up about 3% since January, while 20-year mortgage rates ease towards 2.90 to 3.20%.
Energy Renovation and Property: Impact in 2026
In Paris in 2026, a G-rated flat sells at a 15 to 25% discount to a comparable C or D property, and has been banned from letting since January 2025.
Holidays and Property: Why Summer Is a Strategic Time to Buy in Paris
Yes: in July and August the negotiation margin reaches 7 to 8%, against 5 to 6% the rest of the year, over five years of Home Select data in Paris.
Apartments with Outdoor Space in Paris: The Post-Covid Impact on Prices
In Paris in 2026, a balcony adds 10 to 20% to the price, a terrace over 15 sqm 20 to 30%, and a private garden 30 to 50%, found in under 2% of homes.
Property Hunter
18
Do you need a buying agent to buy property in Paris?
No, it is never compulsory. It pays off when buying from abroad or against a deadline: 45 days and 3 viewings, against 6 months and 40+ on your own.
The Property Search Brief: The Tool That Accelerates Your Search
A useful search brief caps absolute criteria at 3 or 4 and weights the rest. It cuts a Paris search from six months to 45 days, says Home Select.
Apartment Hunter and Developer: Can You Access New-Build Properties?
Yes: a property hunter also searches off-plan (VEFA), where notaire fees drop to 2-3% against 7-8% on resale, at 10,000 to 16,000 euros/sqm in Paris.
Property Search in Paris: How Many Properties Do You Need to See?
A buyer searching alone views over 40 flats in six months in Paris, some 150 hours. With Home Select they view 3, in 45 days and 15 hours.
Lifestyle
33
The bridges of Paris: addresses along the water
A front-row quayside address costs 20 to 30% more than one street back: €16,000 per sq m on Quai Voltaire, €18,000 on Quai d'Orléans, €9,500 by the canal.
Paris Markets: When the Neighbourhood Reveals Itself on Sunday Morning
Yes: a market next door adds 5 to 8% to the price. Flats near rue Cler (7th) trade at 13,000 to 15,000 euros/sqm, 14,000 to 16,000 by Raspail bio.
The most beautiful squares in Paris (and the apartments overlooking them)
A direct view over Place des Vosges or Vendôme costs €15,000 to €20,000 per sq m in 2026, and almost every sale closes off-market, through Home Select.
Paris Left Bank vs Right Bank: Two Philosophies of Living
Left Bank, a median 11,500 euros/sqm, for quiet residential streets and heritage; Right Bank, 10,600, more mixed and more spacious for the same budget.
Investment
20
IFI: guide to the French real estate wealth tax
The main home carries an automatic 30% allowance, mortgage debt cuts the taxable base and split ownership takes the asset out of the bare owner's IFI.
Second Home in Paris: A Smart Investment
A Paris pied-a-terre yields 2 to 4% gross and gains 2 to 3% in value a year: a 45 sqm flat in the Marais lets for 1,800 to 2,200 euros a month furnished.
Bare ownership in Paris: the patient investment that pays off
A 40 sqm two-room flat in the 13th worth €344,000 in full ownership costs €220,000 in bare ownership, with no management, running charges or property tax.
Pinel Law in Paris in 2026: Game Over or Last Opportunities?
No: the Pinel scheme ended on 31 December 2024, so no new purchase qualifies in 2026. Earlier commitments still run their 6, 9 or 12 year term.
Expats
17
Buying Property in France as an American: The Complete 2026 Guide
Yes, an American can buy in France with no nationality or visa condition. Owning grants no right to stay: the 90-days-in-180 Schengen rule applies.
Returning to France After Expatriation: How to Succeed in Buying Property in Paris
Yes, with a 20 to 30% deposit and a 0.2 to 0.5 point rate premium: banks treat returning expats as foreign buyers. Start searching 4 to 6 months ahead.
SCI and foreign buyers: the complete guide to structuring your purchase in Paris
A foreign buyer can hold a Paris property through an SCI: two partners minimum, set up entirely remotely in 3 to 6 weeks for 1,500 to 3,000 euros.
Inheritance and property in France: what expatriates need to plan for
No: forced heirship reserves 50% of the estate for one child, 66% for two, 75% for three, unless you elect your national law under EU Regulation 650/2012.
Successful missions
124
Urgent purchase after a quick sale: a 2-room apartment secured in 18 days in the 10th
A replacement purchase can close in 18 days: this 42 sqm two-room on the Canal Saint-Martin (Paris 10th) was negotiated to €402,000.
Single-parent family: a bright three-room flat found in Montmartre in the 18th
On the Abbesses-Lamarck micro-market, where 2 to 3 flats come up a month, a 55 sqm three-room flat found in 6 weeks and signed at 454,000 euros.
Buy-to-let: a profitable 22 sqm studio in the 17th arrondissement
No: a 22 sqm studio in Batignolles bought for 215,000 euros and let at 840 a month within rent control still returns a 4.7% gross yield.
Young couple: a 3-room flat with character found near Place Voltaire in the 11th
Yes: two first-time buyers bought a 52 sqm Haussmann 3-room near Place Voltaire (Paris 11th), negotiated at €500,000 instead of €520,000.
Latest articles
340 Paris Real Estate Autumn 2026: Trends to Watch
In autumn 2026, Paris trades at 10,650 to 10,700 euros/sqm, up about 3% since January, while 20-year mortgage rates ease towards 2.90 to 3.20%.
Do you need a buying agent to buy property in Paris?
No, it is never compulsory. It pays off when buying from abroad or against a deadline: 45 days and 3 viewings, against 6 months and 40+ on your own.
The 15th arrondissement: the secret of Parisian families
The 15th is one of the most affordable family districts on the Left Bank: a median €9,600/m² in 2026 (average €10,400) and six metro lines.
Second Home in Paris: A Smart Investment
A Paris pied-a-terre yields 2 to 4% gross and gains 2 to 3% in value a year: a 45 sqm flat in the Marais lets for 1,800 to 2,200 euros a month furnished.
Buying Property in France as an American: The Complete 2026 Guide
Yes, an American can buy in France with no nationality or visa condition. Owning grants no right to stay: the 90-days-in-180 Schengen rule applies.
Energy Renovation and Property: Impact in 2026
In Paris in 2026, a G-rated flat sells at a 15 to 25% discount to a comparable C or D property, and has been banned from letting since January 2025.
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