bonapartconsultingparis

Bonapart Client interview - Tim and Karen Nagle

Tim and Karen Nagle are now far more frequent visitors to Paris since buying their own apartment. Tim discovered the attractions of staying in an apartment rather than a hotel a few years ago and in November 2005 we launched his search for a centrally located two bedroom apartment. At the time, we were pleased with the apartment located in the heart of the Marais (story about the area) but it’s nothing can compare to the transformation that came after purchase! Each time they visit and we meet up, it seems like they are both learning about and enjoying more aspects of French life; from cuisine and cooking to nuances of the language and the funny bits and pieces that make being part of a different culture so fascinating!

How did you feel when you got the keys to your property?
It was exciting to know that we were now the owners of a Paris apartment, but in our case, since we were doing a complete renovation, the real thrill would come after we walked into the apartment and it was completely renovated and furnished. That took our breath away.

What happened after renovation, furnishings, and utilities?
Prior to finalizing the purchase we had met with a well known and extremely talented American artist and designer who has lived in Paris for 20 years and he had agreed to manage the reconstruction and refurbishment of the apartment. For prospective apartment buyers in Paris, I think it is a good idea to get advice and estimates on furnishing and upgrading the apartment prior to making your offer. A good designer/architect can turn an ordinary space into something extraordinary, if you are willing to invest the time and money. In our case, we gutted the apartment entirely, redesigned the living spaces somewhat, and installed a complete new kitchen and bathrooms and so forth. This took about 6 months. In addition to the technical issues, one also has to liaise with the building Syndic to ensure a smooth process.

How do you manage your apartment?
We employ a professional apartment management service the principal of which we met prior to conducting our search. The owner is extremely experienced in the Paris market, bilingual, and he has our total trust. They have done a great job. In my opinion, it would be difficult to manage all of the maintenance, Syndic, and rental aspects of an apartment in Paris without some professional on site help.

Michael Moorcock's Paris property search

Well-known British author Michael Moorcock has been in town since late September, on the trail of a new apartment where he can easily zip from Paris to London on the Eurostar.

It was John Baxter who introduced me to his work and he also introduced Michael himself at Shakespeare and Co on Monday night when he gave a reading from his new book The Metatemporal Detective. I bought and had him sign the first of the Colonel Pyat books, BYZANTIUM ENDURES. He wasn't performing with Hawkwind when I saw them in the early 90's at Glasgow Barrowlands I think they'd slightly passed their peak anyway.....but not that I would have remembered, I guess that's a common problem for most Hawkwind fans. I caught up with his wife Linda and she regaled me with their experiences of the Paris property hunt......Michael's version can be read in the Financial Times, a short excerpt is included....

"We’re looking for an apartment in Paris. In spite of reports informing us that the price of property has dropped or, at least, frozen, prices here seem to rise every few seconds. Hideous, dark, minuscule basement hovels in Montmartre might even inspire a romantic response, as you imagine a thrice-ruined character from Balzac spending his dying months picking at the thin coverlet on his bug-infested mattress, as he waits hopelessly for some uncaring offspring to knock on the rotting wood of the door."

C'est normale. The real life experiences of hunting down the perfect Parisian property are quite often stranger than fiction.

Bonapart Client interview - Ben Thompson

Ben and his parents, Ronnie and Esther Thompson.
Bangkok based lawyer, Ben Thompson engaged Bonapart to help buy his first Paris property in Bastille's most beautiful hidden courtyard, Cour Etoile d'Or two year's ago. He recently returned to purchase another on the bustling rue Montorgueil in the 2nd arrondissiment. During his very short 4 day stop-over in which we accomplished the second purchase, I found some time to ask a few questions about his experience.

How did you feel when you got the keys to your property?
A combination of excitement, relief and trepidation but overall it was a great feeling.

What happened after renovation, furnishings and utilities set-up?
After renovation Bonapart was quick to get the property on the market. In fact they had been marketing the property for some time before it was even finished. We had a tenant within about two weeks of furnishing the place which exceeded my initial hopes and expectations.

How do you manage your apartment?
Bonapart looks after all aspects of my apartment for me, leaving me free of worry.

Who stays at the apartment?
The target market (and one we have been successful with) has been medium-stay visitors (i.e. 3-6 months) - this allows me to strike a balance between peace of mind at having the apartment rented for reasonably long periods and being able to charge a premium rent (which may be more tricky with longer-stay tenants).

How much do you charge and how do you market the apartment?
We charge 1500 euros per month and the rental amount includes all bills (up to a reasonable monthly cap of 50 euros for electricity which has never been exceeded). Bonapart takes care of the marketing.

Have you had any disasters/funny stories?
No major disasters yet but trying to get a large Indonesian wardrobe up a narrow 18th century stairwell was horrendous at the time but funny in retrospect. We ended up having to completely dismantle then reassemble the whole thing.

How often do you come to Paris?
I don't come to Paris nearly as often as I'd like, living in Asia makes it difficult. About once or twice a year.

What advice would you give to others thinking about investing in Paris property?
By all means go for it but hold out for something wonderful and if you don't find it then have the patience to come back and try again. There are too many beautiful properties in Paris to "settle" for one you haven't fallen in love with. When you do find that one though, do not hesitate.

Bonapart client interviewed for the New York Times

Photo - Lee Hoagland for The New York Times
When I met Laurie Pike in Los Angeles in 2005 I was at the show LA:PARIS at Cache Contemporary gallery in Los Angeles where I was showing my work along with 11 other artists from my first I V Y paris gallery in the Bastille. I had ran into her at the opening and had been told to seek her out by mutual friend Matthew Rose. It wasn't until I got back to Paris that she called me up to ask for Bonapart's help to invest in her first Parisian property......
Ariane Bernard writing for the New York Times : On paper, the story of Laurie Pike would make anybody envious. A style director for Los Angeles Magazine, she jets four times a year from Los Angeles to Paris, where she has not one, but three, pieds-à-terre, in three very different parts of the city.

But hers is not the story of a silver-spoon life. Rather, it is about learning to turn difficult situations into opportunities.

“In 2001, my business went under — a magazine in L.A. called Glue — and I was $100,000 in debt,” said Ms. Pike, 44, sitting on a blue pullout couch in her studio in Montmartre. Yet, four years after entering a debt-management program, Ms. Pike suddenly found herself receiving her paycheck as supervisor of fashion coverage at the influential Los Angeles monthly magazine — much more money than she had learned to rely on — and decided to invest.

John Agee Paris on rue Jacob

I visited friend and Bonapart client John Agee on Friday evening. Suffice to say it was a satisfying experience to see him living his dream and not least because he has a secret cache of champagne in a minute fridge hidden behind his desk.

Texan (with a smidgen of French heritage) John Agee has touched down in Paris' most exclusive shopping area, rue Jacob in St Germain des Prés. His brand new (well 17th century structurally but brand new interior) jewelbox-like premises nestles alongside world-class antiques boutiques on this discreet street for those in the know.

John is a talented jewellery designer hailing from McAllen, Texas, although he could pass as an Edwardian englishman. Design and production in the US were going swimmingly but he'd felt the lure of Paris from an early age.

Cole Porter and Billie Holiday play on the stereo, he thinks the French do in-store décor well but can't abide the silence that greets the shopper. He proudly showed me the fabulous renovation, (handled by Marc Berri architects who also did Loulou de la Falaise's boutique - contact via Olivier des Clers SO2 design based NYC/Paris).

He also showed me his brand new residence permit, grinning like a Cheshire Cat. Not for the light-hearted - he and his partner Luis Fernandez sold their home in LA, moved half-way across the world, set up a French company to complement the US base and started a renovation project on a listed building. NB: The French reputation for bureaucracy is not conducive to these types of plans.

As well as his signature jewellery line he'll be showcasing talented handbag designers as well as local artists such as sculptor Thierry Breton who is nestling amongst the necklaces right now

It's at dream location at no.11, rue Jacob and they're still coming down to earth!

Bonapart Client interview - Laurie Pike

At the housewarming party in rue Nobel, 75018

Los Angeles based Fashion Editor, Laurie Pike engaged Bonapart to help buy her first Paris property in Lamarck Caulaincourt. Almost a year later, I asked the Montmartroise par l'adoption some questions about the experience.

How did you feel when you got the keys to your property?
Like a grown up.

What happened after renovation, furnishings, utilities?
Five Magnums of champagne at the crémaillère and Paris Blog party.

How do you manage your apartment?
Using a great manager who is based in Paris.

Who stays at the apartment?
Americans who already know the city and the language. True Francophiles who prefer Montmartre to the Marais.

How much do you charge and how do you market the apartment?
450 euros a week. The apartment is listed with Bonapart Consulting's portfolio Craigslist and word of mouth is also a factor.

Have you had any disasters/funny stories?
The first tenant on the first day got the key stuck in the lock and had to be rescued. Another tenant couldn't understand why the manager wouldn't drop watching the World Cup when France was winning to show her how the microwave works.

How often do you come to Paris?
Four times a year.

What advice would you give to others thinking about investing in Paris property?
It's all about having a great manager. Use Yves!

Your favourite.....:
Restaurant
Lena et Mimile, 32, rue de Tournefort 75005.
Boutique
La Reve, rue Francoeur 75018 - Designer clothing re-sale.
Secret Paris Place
Delicieux for the best view and a cheap lunch.