Anaïs invested in Antibes from Switzerland
How do you convince a French bank when you live in Switzerland? After a refusal linked to her residence, Anaïs reworked her pitch and bought a two-room apartment of about 30 m² in Antibes, in a residence with a pool and tennis court, listed at €179,000 and secured for €171,000. Sold furnished, it was financed over 20 years at 3.95%.
Anaïs tells the story
“When it comes down to it, I also tell myself that if everything stops for me abroad tomorrow, I’ll always have something waiting for me.”
Anaïs, who lives in Switzerland
What Anaïs had to overcome from Switzerland
FinancingA bank that shut down at the word “Switzerland”
Anaïs already had a French bank, the one behind her first flat. As soon as it heard “Switzerland”, it said no without looking any further. Anaïs admits her pitch to the banker was “not the right one at all”. Everyone around her kept saying she needed a 30% deposit. The module on how to talk to banks was “a revelation”, and Frédéric put her in touch with a partner bank. She secured a 20-year mortgage at 3.95% with a three-month deferral.
LettingA holiday base turned rental investment
At first, Anaïs wanted a base in her home region, where she goes back very often. In the end she plans not to live there but to let it out to make the purchase pay. In Antibes, holiday lets are allowed without real restrictions and the Côte d’Azur is in high demand: she expects the flat to let easily.
Remote managementBuying in Antibes while living in Geneva
Anaïs has lived and worked in Geneva for four years. The property was suggested by a friend who is an estate agent in the Alpes-Maritimes. The previous owner left it fully furnished and equipped, down to the crockery: it was ready to move into on completion.
Finding the propertyA studio turned into a one-bedroom flat
The flat is a studio converted into a two-room flat of about 30 m², in a residence with a pool and tennis court, with a garage and a cellar. Listed at €179,000, it was bought for €171,000 plus €7,000 in agency fees, for a total cost of about €190,000. Anaïs plans some work to make it more to her taste.
How Anaïs invested in Antibes from Switzerland
From Antibes to Geneva
A Swiss salary and a first refusal
Anaïs, 36, grew up in Antibes and worked as a primary school teacher in the area, before teaching for three years at the school in Cape Town, South Africa. For the past four years she has worked in Geneva for a family and has been putting money aside. When a friend who is an estate agent offered her a property in the Alpes-Maritimes, she turned to her French bank, the one behind her first flat. As soon as it heard “Switzerland”, it said no. Everyone around her said she would need a 30% deposit.
An Instagram ad
She joins ImmoPourExpat in a rush
Anaïs found ImmoPourExpat through an ad on Instagram. She joined convinced she had already signed the preliminary contract and had only ten days left to find her loan: “I was panicking, total panic”. In fact she had only made an offer, which gave her about a month more. Frédéric spoke to her the next day or the day after: for her, a sign the programme was serious.
The loan
20 years at 3.95%
The module on how to talk to banks was “a revelation”: she finally knew what she was talking about in front of a banker. Frédéric put her in touch with a partner bank. She secured a 20-year mortgage at 3.95% with a three-month deferral.
Antibes
A studio turned into a one-bedroom flat
The property is a studio converted into a two-room flat of about 30 m², in a residence with a pool and tennis court, with a garage and a cellar. Listed at €179,000, it was bought for €171,000 plus €7,000 in agency fees. The previous owner left everything, down to the crockery: the flat was ready to live in on completion.
Holiday lets
A holiday base that has to pay its way
Anaïs first wanted a base in her home region. In the end she plans not to live there but to let it out to make the purchase pay, after some work to make it more to her taste. In Antibes holiday lets are allowed, and the Côte d’Azur is in high demand.
Today
Already looking for a third property
For Anaïs, French property is a safe asset and a safety net: if everything stops abroad, something is waiting for her. She is already looking at a third property, this time one to renovate, cheap to buy and generating cash flow.
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