Lois invested near Lyon from the Netherlands
How do you buy near Lyon when you live in the Netherlands and the banks say no? Lois prepared a complete application in advance and bought a studio with a mezzanine next to the station, listed at €62,000. Let for €550 a month, it yields 8.5% gross with a slightly positive cash flow.
NetherlandsTestimonial published in March 2025
Lois’s studio near Lyon
BeforeAfter
BeforeAfterWhat Lois had to overcome from the Netherlands
FinancingFive or six banks, as many closed doors
On his own and without a plan, Lois called five or six banks. “We don’t work with expats,” they replied; one agreed, but with a 25 to 30% deposit. Using the method, he prepared everything in advance: the set-up, yields, works, passport, employment contracts, even those written in Dutch. Two banks agreed. He borrowed over 20 years, and the guarantee body accepted his file.
LettingA rent tested before going ahead
The studio is next to the station, in a small town about twenty minutes from Lyon by train: the demand is there. Lois is aiming for €550 a month. He tested this rent several times, following the course’s advice: a rather high rent helps select tenants.
Remote managementSearching a small town from Amsterdam
Lois chose a town of around 30,000 people where his family lives and can do viewings for him. But listings are scarce. From Amsterdam, he called every agency, to the point that they all knew him, and checked listings every day. After two and a half months of searching, he doubted his choice of town; Frédéric reassured him: keep going, and be quick when the opportunity comes.
Renovation worksFrom G towards D
The studio was listed with a G energy rating, a very poorly insulated home. Lois doubted the assessment and had a new one done, for €250: the property moved up to E. He then brought in tradespeople to replace the windows and install new heating and a heat-pump water heater. According to the estimates, the rating should reach D.
How Lois invested near Lyon from the Netherlands
Amsterdam
A property diploma, but no investment
Lois moved to Amsterdam three years ago, after meeting a Dutch woman while travelling. An entrepreneur at heart, he wanted more stability and became an SEO consultant for an English company. He studied for a two-year property qualification in Lyon, from 2017 to 2019, but had never invested.
The first calls
“We don’t work with expats”
He thought you just had to call a bank, borrow and buy. He contacted five or six banks: one refusal after another. The fourth agreed to lend, but with a 25 to 30% deposit. He realised that being an expat was an obstacle.
Social media
He joins ImmoPourExpat
He found Frédéric’s page and got in touch. Wary of courses, he waited for the first call to judge, and came out of it confident: there was a real community behind it. He studied the programme at the gym and at lunchtime, took notes, and finished the financing section in two to three weeks.
Two and a half months of searching
A small town with few listings
He had the bank’s approval, but his town of around 30,000 people, about twenty minutes from Lyon by train, offered few properties. He called every agency and began to lose hope. Frédéric reassured him: keep going, and be quick when the time comes.
The negotiation
An offer lost, then won back
He spotted a studio near the station, listed at €62,000, above market price and rated G. He offered €48,000 and negotiated, but the owner accepted another offer, at €54,000. Lois kept watching the listings. One morning, the ad reappeared on Le Bon Coin: the buyer had pulled out. He offered €52,000, and it was accepted.
The loan
20 years, two years deferred
His file was ready in advance, and both bankers told him they had not seen one like it in a long time. He borrowed over 20 years. Reviewing his loan simulation, Baptiste spotted something he had missed: two years of deferred repayments. The guarantee body accepted his file.
The works
From G to D
A new assessment, costing €250, rated the studio E. Lois brought in tradespeople to replace the windows and install new heating and a heat-pump water heater, aiming for a D rating. The studio has 24 m² of Carrez floor space, plus a 13 m² mezzanine.
Today
An 8.5% gross yield
Lois is aiming for a rent of €550 a month, for an 8.5% gross yield and slightly positive cash flow. Frédéric puts his unrealised capital gain at between €10,000 and €15,000. This year he wants to buy again, perhaps something bigger such as a small building, with estate agents who already know him.
Lois tells the story
“I had already presented the whole set-up, the yields, the works; all my documents were ready in advance.”
Lois, who lives in the Netherlands
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