A couple of them I'd agree with:

"Peintures de Paris
Hiring painters costs a fortune in this town. If you want to DIY, best head to Peintures de Paris, a favorite of professionals and amateurs who want sound advice and … quality products. Professional, old-fashioned service, fair prices, and help matching any color. Several locations in Paris and the surrounding area.
Maison de Convertible
The Paris apartment is often a cramped affair, and the people at La Maison du Convertible have solved that problem by offering incredibly stylish, easy to use, and … quality armoire-lit that disappear when you don't need them and are a snap to summon when the need hits. Three locations in Paris.

To receive details of this report, contact Director Susie Hollands.

98.5 % of the 2 to 4 M€ transactions, and the almost all of > 4 M€ transactions in Paris and in Hauts-de-Seine were carried out in these residential areas.

There has been no drop in the number of transactions – or in prices – in the afore-mentioned luxury residential areas, contrary to the trend observed in the provinces and the greater Paris metropolitan region.

Just as I was writing about the Marais yesterday, I didn't mention the "Haut" Marais. it's the area that falls officially outside Ye Olde Marais but that in recent years has sneaked into the classification (much to the delight of those who have owned homes there since way back then). The last few years have seen an explosion in galleries, independent boutiques and the likelihood of being run down by skinny young graphic designers on scooters. For a slice of life, Melissa Unger has written a great piece for I V Y paris......

Last weekend, rushing from République, in an effort to get to the Marché des Enfants Rouges before the 15 euro orchid plants were sold out, I cut across the Carreau du Temple.

Because I am cheaper than day old bread, this type of bargain incites me to take perilous risks, like running in high heels and venturing down unknown streets. Despite nearly falling twice and being more focused on horticulture than culture 'tout court’, I still managed to notice that there were a whole slew of new art galleries and trendy shops on the criss-cross of streets just north of the rue de Bretagne (rue Charlot, rue de Saintonge, rue de Poitou and all around the Carreau itself.)

Read on.....

Through Bonapart’s sister site, I V Y Paris our clients interested in the Arts and entertainment stay informed of culturally enriching events taking place around the city.

"Plus the place is turning into a shopping mall. The worst I've seen is the new Lee store which has used the beautiful old facade of the building in a most heart rending manner to flog it's tawdry trousers."

Don't even think of going there on a Sunday for a quiet stroll, you'll be mown off the pavement.

That said, there are of course still charming pockets which you'll have all to yourself and it can't be beaten for being smack bang in the centre of town from where you can walk everywhere. Plus there are the hotel particuliers, the fun bars and Les Bain des Marais Hammam andit's good for spotting sexy young people of either sex. It's not all that bad.

The beautiful fin de siecle architecture scattered over the Butte and especially around Lamarck Caulincourt are on the hill where they originally got the stone for building Paris. The hill of Montmartre is just a thin veneer of rock over an underground quarry, a Swiss cheese of caverns and tunnels, and fortunes are spent pumping the caverns full of a mixture of concrete and clay. Initially the miners quarrymen left columns of stone to hold the whole thing up, but water has seeped in over the years, eroding away the columns, and surface subsidence has occurred.

Beware when you spot large fissures (cracks) in the buildings, it could mean the foundations are unsteady and the building is, well, moving......that can make for a big bill down the line when it comes time to steady the foundations. We'll be able to pick up issues like this during the time you are looking at the property with a view to buying and for more precise details, we'll see from the minutes of the co-ownership group if there are discussions about future works to come.

The international buyer is always active in Paris; Russians, Americans and those from the Middle East - and prices in the heart of Paris continue to rise between 5 and 10%. Prices for run-of-the-mill (or just plain ugly of which there are legion in Paris contrary to popular belief) properties have stagnated slightly in the second half of 2007 but good products in les beaux quartiers (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 16, South 17, Neuilly, Boulogne and Saint-Cloud) have continued to perform well.

Paris is still la plus belle ville du monde, with history, museums, ancient mansion houses (hôtels particuliers), and an incomparable heritage. Coupled with the fact that in terms of cost for a world capital, it's still comparing favourably to cities like London and New York City.

Exceptional products and areas (really prestigious addresses) at around 15 000 euros per m² would be double this in London and in Moscow around 40 000 euros per m². The best buys would be a classic Haussmannian property (until around 1930) or a prestigious apartment within or near a hôtel particulier where there is a history attached - the Marais is of course the place for these.

Good luck, and call us if you need some help to track these places down because once they are on sale, the good ones don't last long!

But not in Renova Grainy Pink. The preferred colour for toilet paper all over France.

n.b. - PQ, or papier cul - toilet paper in France.

In 2001 the Paris City Council set about their reconversion. The project should be finished in early 2008. The building on quai de Loire already houses a student residence with 165 rooms, 37 artists’ workshops, a restaurant and an exhibition space. Opposite, the exterior appearance of the building has been retained so as not to break the symmetry, and the reconstruction project is part of a High Quality Environmental (HQE) plan: use of renewable raw materials, highly-effective thermal insulation and sun protection standards, as well as a system to produce energy that associates solar captors and the recuperation of rainwater. This building will house an Express by Holiday Inn hotel, an accommodation centre for young people Christopher’s Inn, a car park and a restaurant.

The rehabilitation of the buildings is part of a wider project to develop and enhance the la Villette basin, and
includes notably the opening of MK2 cinemas, the restaurant 25°Est, the renovation of place de la Bataille-de-
Stalingrad, the reconversion of the rotonde de Ledoux, and the project for a marina. So, this once prosperous and subsequently run-down area is in the process of becoming an attractive and trendy place, for both residents and visitors.

The buyer borrows 100% of the purchase price and the bank requires 25% of the loan amount to be placed in a portfolio as a bond (the client can’t withdraw the funds while the mortgage is outstanding but keeps any gains on investment generated). If the buyer wishes to finance the notaire fees as well, the deposit needs to be 33% of the loan amount.

The big news is that this money can be placed in dollars or pounds (or any other currency) therefore NO exchange rate loss for the investor. The portfolio is required to have a minimum of 80% of the placement in money markets (to be sure money is not lost) and up to 20% in stocks, the expected annual return therefore not more than 5 to 6%.

Fees are:
- Entrance Fees (for the mutual funds) : 0,5 to 1,5 %
- Droits de garde : 0,25 % per annum
- Management fees : +/- 1 % per annum

The funds management bank is a very old respected bank that is affiliated with Credit Agricole therefore solid. The mortgage payments will of course be paid in euros but this could be covered by the rental payments coming in euros.

France Home Finance is an American, British and French team of former consumer and commercial finance bankers based in France. When it comes to dealing with risk-averse French banks, it pays to have experts on your side. They have relationships with a wide range of lending partners which ensures great rates. For Bonapart's clients, they have proved time and again that they can truly simplify this often complex process. From the approval "in principal" at the beginning of the project to supporting the buyer through until closing, they'll be in constant contact making certain everything is in order and delivered to the Notaire on time. We count on their experience to have your French mortgage processed correctly and efficiently.

Wednesday, December 5th at 7:30pm
7 avenue Albert de Mun - Paris 16e (back entrance of the pavillon)
Free entry within the limit of seats available.
Sign up here.

Cité de l'architecture et du patrimoine
1, place du Trocadéro - Paris 16e
Open Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat, Sun from 11am to 7pm
Thurs from 11 to 9pm, closed tuesdays.