The 8 Questions You Must Ask When Viewing an Apartment in Paris

A viewing of an apartment in Paris lasts 20 minutes on average. In 20 minutes, it is impossible to see everything, sense everything, assess everything.

But if you ask the 8 questions below to the agent or the owner, in just a few exchanges you will get information that would take you hours to find on your own.

Question 1: Why is the seller selling?

This is THE question nobody asks. And yet the answer tells you more than any survey report.

Reassuring answers:

• Relocating for work
• Separation / divorce
• Inheritance
• Buying a bigger property

Warning-sign answers:

• “I’m selling because the neighbourhood has changed a lot” (worth digging into)
• “I’m selling because the service charges are too high” (a major red flag)
• “I’m selling because the neighbours are difficult” (the problem will follow you)

Question 2: How long has the property been on the market?

If a property has been on the market for more than 3 months in Paris, there is a reason. The Paris market is tight: a good property at the right price sells within weeks.

A property that lingers means an overpriced asking price, a hidden problem, or a complicated legal situation. Either way: a negotiating opportunity.

Question 3: Have any works been voted at the general meeting (assemblée générale)?

If the property is part of a co-ownership (copropriété), you need to know whether any works have been voted recently. You will inherit the cost at signing. The agent is legally required to tell you — but will only volunteer it if you ask.

Question 4: How much are the service charges (charges de copropriété) and what do they cover?

Service charges can vary threefold for comparable properties. €300/month in a building with a caretaker, lift and communal heating is normal. €300/month in a small building with no services at all is suspicious.

Question 5: Are there any known sources of noise?

Ask directly: a bar downstairs, a restaurant, a school, a tram line, planned building works. The agent will not lie if you ask the question explicitly — doing so would expose them to a claim of misrepresentation (vice du consentement).

Follow up with a second viewing at a different time of day (midday, evening) if you are genuinely interested in the property.

Question 6: What is the actual orientation, and what time does the sun come in?

“Bright and sunny” in a listing means nothing. Ask for the precise orientation of the main rooms and what time the sun reaches them. A flat facing due west will be dark in the morning and blindingly bright in the late afternoon in summer.

Question 7: What are the immediate neighbours like (landing, building)?

You will not always get an honest answer. But the question itself forces the other party to choose between lying (a legal risk for them) or giving you useful information.

Question 8: What is the exact Carrez surface area, and how is it calculated?

The floor area shown in a listing can differ from the Carrez surface area (the legal measurement). In a co-ownership, the Carrez surface area is mandatory in the sale deed. Check that the two figures match.

If the listing shows 65m² and the Carrez measurement is 58m²: the remaining 7m² correspond to spaces under 1.80m in height, which are not counted (sloped ceilings, cellar, etc.).

⚠️ Golden rule: All of these questions should be asked out loud during the viewing. But the important answers (service charges, voted works, Carrez surface area) should always be verified against the official documents before the preliminary contract (compromis).

APPARTE views properties on your behalf and asks the right questions

Our property hunters carry out the first viewing for you and only present you with properties that pass our rigorous filter. Book a call to find out more.