Amine invested in Thionville from Dubai

At first Amine was uneasy about borrowing: committing for 25 years felt like a “sword of Damocles”. He chose France for its fixed rates, whereas in Tunisia, his wife’s country, rates are variable and above 10%. The bank backed him without difficulty. Thanks to a works allowance, he has up to three years before he starts repaying the capital: he only pays the interest.

Thionville is right next to Luxembourg: many cross-border workers live there, as rents in Luxembourg are very high. Friends living in Luxembourg advised him to buy near the station, so a room is easy to re-let when it becomes free. Two rooms are let at €580 and the third at €540, €1,700 a month, for a 12.6% yield.

From Dubai, Amine has almost no works to oversee. The previous owner, an investor himself, had fitted it out for flatsharing: this 60 m² flat had two bedrooms, a living room and a kitchen; the kitchen became a third bedroom and moved into the living room. Whenever Amine had doubts, Frédéric followed up to see where he was.

Amine did not know where to invest: Paris and its region did not appeal to him. Frédéric suggested Thionville, which they studied together. The search took a few months, over the summer, in a small market with few listings. He eventually found a flat listed at around €155,000, negotiated down to €148,000, with no agency fees.