Camille invested in Montigny-lès-Metz from Switzerland
How do you finance a second property when you have just moved to Switzerland? Camille bought a studio in Montigny-lès-Metz turned into a furnished T1 bis for €82,500, with €20,000 of works. Let for €670 a month including charges, it breaks even, and a 36-month deferral rebuilds her down payment.
Camille tells the story
“That resilience, that perseverance, came from the community.”
Camille, who lives in Switzerland
What Camille had to overcome from Switzerland
FinancingA second loan, with a 36-month deferral
Recently settled in Neuchâtel, Camille was stuck on a second loan: she was wary of spending cash she might need. Her goal was the smallest possible deposit. She eventually borrowed €102,000 over 23 years, with a 36-month deferral. The mortgage and arrangement fees were financed. With the banks, it took perseverance.
LettingA first property saved by a new strategy
The tax on her first property had become “prohibitive”: Camille was on the verge of selling it. With advice from Frédéric and Baptiste, she changed her letting strategy, kept the property and even improved its yield. For the Montigny-lès-Metz studio, she found a tenant before the works were finished: moving in on 1 May, for €640 excluding charges.
Remote managementRunning several projects at once
From Switzerland, Camille and her partner ran several projects at the same time, with a second child on the way. Without the programme, she thinks she would have given up for lack of time. The workshops, three times a week, kept her going: other members’ questions unlocked her own, and seeing them get their loan offers pushed her on.
Renovation worksA long, narrow one-bedroom flat
The 31 m² studio, in good condition, needed a thorough refresh. Long and narrow, it did not lend itself to a separate bedroom: Camille and her partner racked their brains and opted for a wooden mezzanine bed and built-in storage, within a €20,000 budget. She admits she was “a bit too ambitious” on timing: running a renovation is not easy.
How Camille invested in Montigny-lès-Metz from Switzerland
Neuchâtel
A first property weighing her down
Camille, 33, has lived in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, for almost two years. She already owned a property in France, but the tax awaiting her was “prohibitive”: a lot of effort for little return. She was on the verge of selling it.
A convinced partner
Sceptical, she joins the programme
It was her partner who wanted to sign up with ImmoPourExpat. Camille was sceptical, but thought they would at least get advice on their first property. With Frédéric and Baptiste, she changed its letting strategy, kept it and improved its yield.
A second loan
Keeping their cash
Their goal: a second property that would not eat into their living budget, with positive or zero cash flow and the smallest possible deposit. Recently settled in Switzerland, they were reluctant to spend their cash. Their Swiss friends said they wanted “to have their cake and eat it”. Camille held on, followed the method and relied on the workshops.
15 March
A 31 m² studio in Montigny-lès-Metz
They bought a 31 m² studio in Montigny-lès-Metz, on the edge of Metz, for €82,500 including agency fees. For Camille, location is everything: it solves many problems in advance. They borrowed €102,000 over 23 years, with a 36-month deferral.
The works
A made-to-measure one-bedroom flat
The studio, in good condition, needed a refresh. They turned it into a one-bedroom “T1 bis”, with a separate sleeping area, a wooden mezzanine bed and made-to-measure built-in storage. Planned budget: €20,000. Once finished, the studio will need almost no furniture, which also adds resale value.
1 May
A tenant found during the works
Before the works were even finished, they found a tenant, who moved in on 1 May: almost no rent lost. The rent is €640 excluding charges, €670 including charges.
Today
“My tenant is rebuilding my deposit”
The monthly repayment is €580. After service charges and insurance, Camille reckons she is about €10 a month short of breaking even, with charges probably overestimated until sub-meters are fitted. Thanks to the 36-month deferral, her tenant is rebuilding her deposit. With a second child on the way, the couple plan a new project in 2026, and banks she approached earlier are ready to follow them.
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