Buying real estate in 2024 means dealing with interest rates that remain higher than they were a few years ago, a regulatory timeline on energy performance that is tightening, and a market where negotiation margins vary significantly from one city to another. Successfully completing your real estate project requires mastering three concrete levers: the energy diagnosis of the targeted property, the financial setup suited to your situation, and a careful reading of the co-ownership documents.
EPC and energy timeline: what changes the game for your real estate purchase
Have you spotted an apartment rated G on its energy performance diagnosis? Since 2025, a property rated G no longer meets the energy decency criterion when signing a new lease, renewing, or tacitly extending in mainland France. Class F follows in 2028, and class E in 2034.
This timeline does not only concern rental investors. If you are buying to resell in the medium term, a poorly rated property on the EPC loses resale value as deadlines approach. Including the cost of energy renovation works in your purchase budget is no longer optional.
Another lesser-known point: an electrically heated property can achieve a better label without works, thanks to the decree of August 13, 2025, which modified the calculation method for the EPC. Before dismissing a property or estimating the cost of complete insulation, check if its EPC can be updated. Comparing listings on the Monde Immobilier website for your project allows you to filter properties by their energy label and refine your search.
Budget and financing: calculate your real capacity before searching
Most guides tell you to calculate your borrowing capacity. The real issue is to calculate your realistic overall budget, including additional costs. Too many buyers forget the notary fees, property tax for the first year, the cost of a potential move, and immediate works.
Borrowing capacity and debt ratio
The calculation is based on your stable net income, from which your recurring charges (ongoing loans, alimonies, residual rents) are subtracted. Banks apply a debt ratio ceiling. In practice, if your monthly net income is modest, even a significant down payment is not enough to offset excessively heavy monthly payments.
Before consulting a broker or a bank, do this calculation yourself. List your income and expenses over the last six months. A solid bank file relies on the regularity of your income, not just on its amount.
Assisted loans and schemes to check
Several schemes can complement your financing:
- The zero-interest loan (PTZ), subject to resource and property location conditions, which covers part of the price without interest to be repaid.
- MaPrimeRénov’ Copropriété, which finances part of the energy renovation works voted in the general assembly, thus reducing the burden for each co-owner.
- Action Logement loans, reserved for employees of contributing companies, with favorable conditions on the rate and duration.
Check your eligibility for each scheme before signing a preliminary agreement. Optimized financing is built before searching for the property, not after falling in love.
Co-ownership documents: what buyers systematically overlook
In co-ownership, your purchase project also depends on collective decisions. For co-ownerships of 50 lots or fewer, the collective EPC has become mandatory as of January 1, 2026. This document informs you about the overall energy performance of the building, not just your lot.
Why is this crucial? Because a mediocre collective EPC implies works voted on in the general assembly. These works result in calls for funds, sometimes amounting to several thousand euros, which you will have to bear as a co-owner.
Documents to request without fail
- The minutes of the last three general assemblies, to identify the works voted or upcoming and any disputes between co-owners.
- The maintenance log of the building and the multi-year work plan, which reveal the actual condition of the common areas (roof, facade, plumbing).
- The amount of the works fund and the current charges over the last two years, to anticipate your actual monthly expenses.
- The co-ownership regulations, which specify the permitted uses (seasonal rental, professional activity, facade modifications).
Reading the minutes of the general assembly reveals the actual condition of the building much better than a visit to the entrance hall. A voted but unfunded renovation, a roof awaiting a quote: this information changes your profitability calculation.
Negotiating the purchase price: the real margins according to the local context
In a market where transaction volumes remain lower than in previous years, sellers are more often willing to discuss the listed price. The negotiation margin depends on three concrete factors: the time on the market (a property listed for several months negotiates better), the energy label (an EPC F or G justifies a discount related to works), and the local context of supply and demand.
Before making a purchase offer, compare the price per square meter of recent sales in the same neighborhood. Notarial databases publish these references. A well-argued offer based on real sales data is more likely to succeed than a discount requested without justification.
Do not overlook the role of the notary in securing the sale deed. They check for easements, any mortgages, and the property’s compliance with urban planning regulations. Their intervention protects both parties, and their fees are regulated.
A successful real estate project in 2024 relies less on luck than on preparation. Checking the EPC and its possible update, setting up complete financing before visiting, scrutinizing the co-ownership documents, and negotiating based on concrete data: these four reflexes separate a forced purchase from a controlled one.
