Gardens of eden at the heart of Paris
When nature is given a place in the city, it brings a breath of fresh air that totally transforms our experience of living in Paris. When the sun begins to shine, homes with gardens are highly coveted. Today’s market offers buyers some fine opportunites, though these corners of paradise are inevitably worth their weight in gold in the most sought-after arrondissements.
Acquiring a house with a garden is a dream, that of having a peaceful spot in the midst of a city where everything hurtles along at breakneck speed. “For Parisians, the ideal is a house hidden away at the end of a courtyard of a building in a lively part of the city. The feeling of being protected, in a house that is totally unsuspected from the street,” explains Laurent Robert, negotiator with the agency Mobilis Paris 8e. “Clients looking for houses with gardens are really in search of a patch of the country at the heart of town. They are, in fact, quite demanding with regard to details : the quality of the building, the actual advantages offered by the garden (directly accessible from the lounge, sunny, not overlooked, possibility of doing some gardening…), and the quality of the surrounding area. Noise, a lack of light, windows giving onto the street, a poorly oriented garden, are all negative factors which put off potential buyers. Far-reaching demands are increasingly common : for instance, since quite recently, the need for a lift in houses on several floors. The N°1 requirement is still, however, communication between the garden and the house, which must be easy and flowing. If you manage to add a swimming pool, they’re in paradise ! All these characteristics will determine the price and, for this type of property whose value is based on rarity, calculations are complicated : speaking metaphorically, it involves setting a price on something priceless !”
Behind its façades either contemporary or designed by Haussmann, on its roads, narrow streets or avenues, Paris boasts a few gems of houses with enchanting gardens, now more widely available on the market. These oases in the city have been abandoned by their owners as a result of the financial crunch, as explained by William Azoulay, director of the DWM Immobilier agency : “In the context of economic gloom, this market is seeing a significant slowdown. Due to many Frenchmen moving abroad, the number of houses with gardens up for sale in Paris has risen over the past few years. Unconvincing growth prospects and mass unemployment do not inspire buyers, who envisage the acquisition of such properties with the utmost care. They no longer hesitate to make offers 10 to 15% below the prices posted, which was unthinkable three years ago. For example, for outstanding properties such as a house on a private road at the very heart of the 9th arrondissement which we are currently offering for sale, demand is real but negotiations are tough. Today, most demand involves budgets ranging from 2.5 to 4 M €, with a mainly Parisian or French clientele targetting this market segment. In the 20th arrondissement, appealing properties can be found at enticing prices between 1.2 and 2 M €. On the other hand, a house with a garden in the 6th or 7th arrondissement is always very expensive and as rare as ever. In these neighbourhoods, very desirable properties can soar to 50 M €”.
A market currently struggling, in which demanding buyers and experts tend to hold the reins, except in the case of faultless luxury properties which maintain their prices and are still highly sought-after. For many Frenchmen and especially for families, houses are still the ideal home, though they are rare in Paris, as emphasized by Françoise Koops, manageress of the Emile Garcin Paris Rive Droite agency : “Currently on the Right Bank, we have about ten houses for sale which represents 10% of our portfolio. They are mostly large houses with gardens, mainly in the 16th and 8th arrondissements. Their living space ranges from 350 to 800 m2, with gardens from 200 to 500 m2. The majority are houses built in the 19th century or else designed by architects, like one beautiful home on the Rue Mallet Stevens with a vast leafy garden, which we are currently offering for sale. Buying a house is often a dream come true, with personal emotion playing an important role. When we put Bernard Buffet’s house up for sale in 2006, at the foot of the Butte Montmartre in the 18th arrondissement, a splendid residence offering a magnificent view of Paris and overlooking the vines, its buyer was abroad. He saw the photos and took the first plane to come to Paris and acquire the house. He had spent his entire childhood in Montmartre, and had always dreamt of coming back”.
