Article updated on 20/10/2026
Should you invest in new-build or older property in France? This is the question many investors ask themselves. Buying a new-build property offers numerous advantages, whether you plan to rent it out or buy it as your main residence. In this article, Capifrance explains the good reasons to invest in new-build real estate! Browse our property listings of new houses and apartments, and remember to create an alert so you don't miss any investment opportunity.
In summary
- Notary fees are lower for new-build property (2 to 3% of the price versus 7 to 8% for older property), notably thanks to a land registration tax (taxe de publicité foncière) of 0.71% instead of 5.81%.
- Buying new-build comes with assistance and tax schemes: the interest-free loan (Prêt à taux zéro) extended until 2027, a 27-year loan for off-plan purchases, the Pinel law until 31 December 2024, VAT reimbursement and a 2-year exemption from property tax (taxe foncière).
- A new-build home complies with the RE 2020 standard, offers better energy performance, avoids issues related to the DPE (energy performance diagnostic) and benefits from the guarantees of perfect completion (parfait achèvement), two-year (biennale) and ten-year (décennale) warranties.
- New-build allows you to personalise your home, enjoy facilities suited to current lifestyles as well as home automation, and invest in up-and-coming neighbourhoods offering potential capital gains on resale.
Update of Tuesday 20 October:
The Pinel scheme ended on 31 December 2024. The 2026 Finance Act creates the private landlord status (statut du bailleur privé): depreciation of 3.5% to 5.5% in new-build multi-unit housing depending on the rent, with a cap of €8,000 to €12,000 per year, and a 12-year rental commitment. Source: Lefebvre Dalloz; FPI France.
Investing in new-build to save money
For equal surface areas, the purchase price of a new-build property appears higher than that of an older home, but a property investment should be assessed over time and as a whole. With a new-build purchase, you save on several items: notary fees, taxes thanks to dedicated tax schemes, and the purchase price thanks to state aid.
Assistance for an advantageous mortgage
As a central element of any purchase, the mortgage has received a great deal of attention aimed at strengthening the appeal of the new-build property market:
Assisted loans such as the interest-free loan (Prêt à taux zéro, PTZ) extended until 2027 and currently focused on new-build.
The option of taking out a 27-year mortgage instead of 25 years for off-plan purchases (Vente en l'État Futur d'Achèvement, or VEFA) or for the construction of a detached house.
To find out whether your project is feasible, use a mortgage calculator! It is the first step towards making your property dream a reality.
Reduced notary fees
Acquisition costs are lower for new-build property. You should expect 2 to 3% of the property price versus 7 to 8% of the price for a purchase of older property. The savings are indeed immediate and tangible: for example, on a property worth €100,000, the difference is €5,000 compared with the notary fees for the purchase of an older house.
When you buy new-build, it is the taxes levied by the State and local authorities that are lower, in particular the land registration tax (taxe de publicité foncière) (0.71% for new-build versus 5.81% for older property). The notary's work and fees remain the same.
Tax schemes dedicated to new-build purchases
The Pinel law is in force until 31 December 2024. It offers a tax reduction for rental investment in new-build property, subject to numerous conditions:
- purchase in multi-unit housing (a building) located in a high-demand area (zone tendue) A or B1,
- tenant's income,
- capped rent amount,
- rental commitment for 6, 9 or 12 years
Other schemes apply to any investment in new-build real estate, such as the possibility of VAT reimbursement or the exemption from property tax (taxe foncière) for 2 years, which allows you to make additional savings.
Investing in a new-build home for its energy performance
Another definite advantage of new-build housing: your home meets the latest environmental and technological standards (the RE 2020 standard, which succeeded the RT 2012 standard). The aim of the RE 2020 standard is the construction of passive houses, which produce as much energy as they consume!
With rising energy costs since 2022, a home's energy performance has become a genuine concern for the French. High-performance insulation and heating lower the bills of your tenant or your family. In addition, they mean that much less work to carry out in the short and medium term. On top of that, you reduce your carbon footprint, a criterion that is increasingly sought after by buyers and tenants.
When renting out the property, the owner does not have to worry about the result of the DPE (diagnostic de performance énergétique, or energy performance assessment). The rental bans on thermal sieves ("passoires thermiques", poorly insulated, energy-inefficient homes), which account for 15% of the housing stock in France, will not apply to you.
Investing in new-build property to benefit from construction warranties
A new-build home benefits from several construction warranties, which is another undeniable strength. Investing in a new-build property means buying peace of mind for many years, with no renovation work to plan.
Compared with buying property that is older, buying new gives you the benefit of multiple warranties on the quality of the construction:
- The garantie de parfait achèvement (completion warranty), which requires the builder to deliver a home in accordance with the specifications.
- The garantie biennale (two-year warranty) on equipment and elements that are not separable from the structure.
- The garantie décennale (ten-year warranty) against any risk of a defect affecting the solidity of the building or making it unfit for its intended purpose.
Investing in the home you want
In addition to the warranties, buying new also lets you choose from many finishing options, such as the elements of your fitted kitchen or the layout of the rooms. Painting the walls of a bedroom blue, laying a floating wood floor in the living room: from the planning stage, you can choose certain decorative elements. You can thus personalise your family's future home or adapt the property to the widest possible audience with a rental investment in mind.
Construction suited to contemporary lifestyles
The icing on the cake: new-build homes meet the current needs of the French. For example, since the pandemic, demand for a home with a balcony or terrace has been strong. Developers adapt their projects to current tastes and ways of living: a kitchen open to the living room, a walk-in wardrobe, openness to the outdoors, a bike or stroller storage room in the city, a remote-working space and other details that match contemporary lifestyles.
Home automation and built-in innovations
In addition, a new-build property programme offers you innovative features for greater comfort and security: automatic gate, smart lock, connected switch, roller shutters, home automation. Everything is designed to make life simple and comfortable, controlled from your smartphone!
Gaining access to new neighbourhoods
Last but not least, new-build programmes often make it possible to invest in neighbourhoods undergoing regeneration or on the rise. And location remains the key to a successful investment. The result: a property that gains value over time, as the neighbourhood becomes fashionable and sought after. The key benefit is a fine opportunity for a capital gain on resale. The ideal investment for buying your first property!
Conclusion: invest in new-build with Capifrance
As you will have understood, the advantages of investing in new-build property are numerous, whether you want to become the owner of your main residence or invest in rental property. A real estate network of excellence since 2002, Capifrance opens the doors to many new-build properties for sale in France, all year round: browse our listings and don't forget to create an alert matching your criteria so you can position yourself for the best investment opportunities. The Capifrance advisers who are experts in new-build property will be able to support you in your search for the new-build property that matches your expectations and guide you towards a successful purchase.
To make your project a reality, discover our properties for sale.
To go further, watch our video Capifrance x Otaree – New-build property.
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Author
Frédéric Rémy – Director of Sales Performance
A real estate professional with several years of experience within the Capifrance network, I would like to share essential advice with you to help you successfully complete your property project with our advisors.
