Nearly 9 out of 10 French people consider the DPE to be an important criterion in the purchasing decision

The desire of the French to invest in stone has remained unchanged since the start of the year. First-time buyers and investors always want to embark on a real estate project, and owners wishing to sell to buy new real estate, find the desire to return to their project. As for the DPE, which has been the subject of a major overhaul recently, it constitutes a decisive choice criterion in the decision-making during a real estate purchase. These are some of the lessons learned from the 9th wave of the DRIMKI indicator, a specialist in real estate valuation, and BVA, a research and consultancy company, carried out at the end of November with the French, in order to find out about their real estate projects in the next 12 months.

1 in 6 French people involved in a real estate project

The proportion of French people involved in a real estate project remains stable, since 16% of them say they have a real estate project in the next 12 months. An ever more pronounced decision among executives (31%) and those under 35, a third of whom are planning such an approach in the next 12 months (32%). The Ile-de-France residents are still as many to declare having a real estate project in the coming year (21%).

The desire to acquire a first home and the desire to buy a new home are neck and neck

The desire of the French to become first-time buyers has dropped by 6 points compared to August. Indeed, 36% of respondents who have a real estate project in the next 12 months are motivated by the purchase of a first home. Among those considering the purchase of a first home, 68% are between 25 and 34 years old, 37% live in the provinces and 52% have incomes of less than € 2500.

Conversely, among people with a real estate project, 36% say they want to sell their home to buy another (+6 points compared to last August). Almost half of the respondents who want to buy a new home are between 35 and 49 years old and 47% have a monthly net income above € 3000. 35% and 36% of Ile-de-France and provincial residents want to sell their homes to buy a new one.

Some projects, which had perhaps been delayed by the health crisis, are therefore potentially back on the agenda among homeowners, which would explain why the desire to sell in order to buy a new home is becoming as important as the intention to purchase a first home.

Investment and purchase of a second home on the rise

The desire to invest continues to grow since 18% of respondents wish to buy a property with an investment perspective (+1 point compared to August). As for the desire to buy a second home, it had experienced a sharp drop in September but it rose again slightly in November (7%; +2 points).

Energy performance, an important criterion

Nearly 9 French people with a real estate project out of 10 consider the DPE (Energy Performance Diagnosis) as an important choice criterion and more than a third (34%) think that it constitutes a key element in their purchasing decision. Only 10% make it a secondary element in their decision making.

Among French people who consider the DPE to be an essential criterion in the decision to buy a property, 39% are between 25 and 34 years old. More than half (53%) of respondents who believe that the energy performance of a home is an important but not essential criterion have an income of less than € 2500 net per month and 58% live in Ile-de-France.

For Olivier Colcombet, Chairman of Digit RE Group and spokesperson for DRIMKI: “Throughout the year 2021, the desire of the French for stone has not weakened. This ambition is still shared by the youngest who continue to have the desire to embark on a real estate project but also by the French already owners who wish to sell to buy a new home. The health crisis must have slowed down the projects of the latter and it is also the first time since February 2020 that the intentions to buy a new home have progressed and become as important as the intentions to buy a new home. first accommodation. In addition, the new standards put in place to strengthen the DPE since July 2021 seem to echo a strong desire of the French to take this diagnosis into account in their real estate purchases since for 87% of French people with a real estate project, the energy performance of 'a home is a primordial or important criterion in the purchase decision. ”

* Study carried out by BVA for DRIMKI (available on request), from November 24 to 25, 2021 on a sample of 901 people aged 25 and over, from a global sample of 1003 people representative of the French population.