Buying a Paris apartment starts with a dream. For Americans Paul and Minché, it’s now very much a reality.
Kerstin Bachmann, founder and managing director of 56Paris, recently spoke to the couple about their buying journey.
The buying process with 56Paris
Hailing from California, Paul and Minché had dreamed of owning a property in Paris for years.
Using the buying services of 56Paris the search for their perfect apartment took a matter of days – and they made an offer in just one week!
Kerstin Bachmann: What was the main motivation for you to buy an apartment here in Paris?
Paul and Minché: We decided we wanted to become American-French expatriates, and to divide our time between Paris and California. So we started working on that.
Our main goal was to have our own place where we could fly in, get off the airplane, and immediately walk into our own apartment.
Kerstin Bachmann: Did you try searching for properties on your own?
Paul and Minché: We walked around the neighborhoods, the 5th and the 6th, looking in the windows at the real estate offices. We looked at the properties, the prices and the sizes, getting an idea of what was possible for us.
Not knowing where to begin, we got a trusted referral from a friend at our Sunday morning brunch group, who recommended 56Paris Real Estate.
We looked up your website and liked what we saw. It explained the processes involved, and greatly reduced any uncertainties we had.
Choosing the right property
Kerstin Bachmann: What made you decide to buy this apartment in particular?
Paul and Minché: We’ve rented over a dozen apartments in the past ten years, so we had a strong idea about what we liked. We started looking at the 5th and the neighborhood, which we really liked. Then we had a viewing booked for the same area, so thought if the apartment checks out on the inside, we would like to live there.
Kerstin Bachmann: How did you find the closing process in France compared to the US?
Paul and Minché: I actually like the closing process in France a little better. Probably because it’s a little slower!
Having your own realtor and notaire who is English speaking made us feel very safe with the entire process. You have somebody who is really advocating for your interests, which adds to your sense of security about the whole process.
