Where to buy real estate in France: for living or for investment? | Real estate from SeLoger

Real estate projects can take various forms. This can involve purchasing a primary residence and becoming an owner, or investing in real estate to generate rental income. We invite you to learn about the locations in France where it is advantageous to buy, depending on your project: living or investing. Rennes is one of the cities where it is profitable to invest.

Where to buy primary housing in France?

Before the crisis, the choice of primary housing was primarily determined by proximity to the workplace. However, advancements in telecommunications have opened up new possibilities. Potential buyers can now choose a better quality of life and take advantage of favorable real estate prices that allow them to become homeowners.

Buying a house in the countryside. If you are looking for a house, you increase your chances of realizing your project by choosing a rural area. The three French departments with the lowest average cost per square meter for houses are:

• Krez - the cost per square meter in Krez is estimated at 1,217 euros.
• In Indra, the average cost of a square meter is 958 euros.
• Upper Marne - the cost of real estate in Upper Marne is 835 euros.

Buying real estate in the city. If you want to buy property in the city, note that Saint-Étienne remains the cheapest large city in France, with an average house price of €1,908 per square meter and €1,380 for apartments. Baduier, Hypercenter, Cours Fauriel, Châteauneuf, and Bergson are among the best neighborhoods in the city.

Top 3 most profitable cities for rental investments.

When you want to make rental investments, you need to acquire property in geographical areas with high rental yields. We have compiled a top 10 list of cities where it is profitable to invest in France. Three of them stand out for their net profitability (after deducting costs and taxes), which is among the highest in the French real estate market:

• Rennes - the net profitability rate is 8.2%. This administrative capital of Brittany is also a student city, which is of interest to buyers looking to invest in small properties. The cost per square meter in Rennes for apartments is estimated at €4,164, while for houses it is around €4,711.
• Le Mans is a city with a net profitability rating of 7.1%. Located between the Paris Basin and the Atlantic coast, Le Mans is the largest administrative city in Sarthe.

Our tips on how to make the right choice in the real estate sector.

The first piece of advice is to pay attention to the real estate prices in the geographic area you are interested in. It often happens that properties are overpriced, which gives buyers the opportunity to negotiate the sale price down. Get informed about the local price per square meter, and then multiply it by the area of the property that caught your attention. This will allow you to quickly determine if the property is within the desired price range. It is advisable to think about the resale potential when purchasing real estate. Ask yourself whether the location is attractive: the neighborhood, access to public transport, road networks, availability of open spaces, views, proximity to the sea, mountains, etc. If the property is in an apartment building, be mindful of the annual maintenance fees. Note that smaller spaces are often easier to rent out, whether as student housing or seasonal rentals. If you plan to buy a small apartment, choose a city that is both student-friendly and tourist-friendly, such as La Rochelle, Cannes, Strasbourg, or Toulouse.

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