The new house, a rational economic and energy choice over time

By factoring in all the financial parameters—construction costs, notary fees, financing, energy costs, and maintenance—a new house or apartment remains a rational and sustainable economic choice. Demonstration.

An increasing construction budget but optimized over time

While the average living area of ​​new homes in France remains stable at 106 m², the overall budget allocated to construction in 2024 increased by 7,5% year-on-year, reaching an average of €200.000 including tax, excluding land, notary fees, and related costs. This increase reflects both the general inflation of construction costs and a growing choice among buyers for quality services, guarantees of durability and comfort.

For Loïc Vandromme, General Manager of HEXAOM: "Building is more expensive than before, but the financial analysis must be done over the long term. A new, well-designed, energy-efficient house with an advantageous financing plan and reduced notary fees quickly becomes a winning investment. We must think in terms of overall cost and also take into account all the future savings on energy consumption that make new construction a lastingly advantageous option, both for households and for the community."

Reduced notary fees and a personal contribution often required is lower

One of the major advantages of purchasing a new home—that is, one completed less than 5 years ago and being sold for the first time—is the significantly lower notary fees: 2 to 3% of the sale price compared to 7 to 8% of the purchase price for an existing home due to high transfer taxes. This is mainly explained by the fact that, in the case of a new home sale, VAT is already included in the sale price. Thus, for a house worth €200.000, a buyer will have to pay around €14.000 in notary fees for an existing home, compared to only €4.500 for a new home. The savings, close to €10.000, represent an immediate and significant reduction in the acquisition cost. Furthermore, since banks most often require that notary fees be financed by the buyer, via a personal contribution, this differential constitutes a decisive advantage for households, particularly first-time buyers.

Please note: In France, the construction of a new home is subject to the standard VAT rate of 20%. However, in certain specific areas (priority urban policy districts – ANRU – and neighboring areas) and subject to income conditions, a reduced rate of 5,5% may apply. This system further reduces the cost of acquiring a new home and thus facilitates home ownership while encouraging construction in the areas concerned.

Specific financing conditions

Building a house entitles you to specific financing conditions, whether it be subsidized loans, preferential rate loans or even reductions on credit rates:

• The Zero Rate Loan (PTZ): available again since April 1, 2025, it allows financing up to 30% of the total amount of the construction project, subject to resource and geographic area conditions, with a repayment deferral of up to 15 years.
• The Action Logement Loan or Employer Loan: it allows you to finance up to €30.000 at 1% for the purchase of a new home.
• Additional loans: offered by certain banks to finance the purchase of a new or energy-efficient property (DPE A or B), for an amount of €10.000 to €30.000 (up to 10% of the main loan), at rates between 0% and 2%, they can be added to the zero-rate loan.
• Rate reductions for the purchase of a new home or one with a DPE A, B or C: these rate reductions can range from 0,10 to 0,20%, thus reducing the total cost of the loan.

For Loic Vandromme: "While credit rates seem to have reached a low, these various subsidized loans are a real boost for first-time buyers, and in particular the PTZ thanks to the deferred amortization it allows. By combining these different lines of credit, the average financing rate can decrease by 1 point, or even more, which leads to a significant reduction in the cost of credit and debt. As a result, some first-time buyers can become homeowners, while their financing would have been refused for a project to purchase an existing property."

Energy, a key factor for differentiation and long-term savings

Another significant source of savings when purchasing a new home is energy consumption, which has a significant impact on heating bills. A new home consumes much less energy because it is built according to current regulations (RE 2020) with efficient insulation, controlled sealing, and heating equipment using renewable energy (e.g., heat pumps).

Example of energy savings for a new 85 m2 house with a DPE A (heat pump, thermodynamic hot water tank + solar panel) versus an old house with a DPE D (electric heating):

• House DPE A
  • Annual electricity consumption: 3157 kWh, or €616 per year*
• DPE D house
  • Electricity consumption: 8329 KWH, or €1625 per year*

* at the regulated EDF electricity tariff including tax in September 2025: €0,1952/kWh in the BASE option. Excluding subscription

The potential annual savings thus reach €1.000 per year, or €10.000 over 10 years.

Added to this is the asset valuation linked to the good energy classification - with sale price differences of up to 18% between a DPE A and a DPE D, and 35% with a DPE F or G (source: Notaires de France) - but also a gain in comfort in summer and winter.

For Loïc Vandromme: “Energy for transportation and housing has become a strategic expense for households: it represents 10% of their annual budget, a large portion of which is dedicated to heating. Living in a new home not only offers comfort in both summer and winter, but also real savings on energy bills, which is a major advantage in a context of volatile prices. Not to mention the ecological impact linked to the low emissions of a new home…”

Budgetary visibility on medium and long-term maintenance

A new home also offers additional long-term financial security. Indeed, being new by definition, its purchase guarantees that there will be no major work required in the first few years (roof, windows, insulation, renovation), the cost of which can sometimes exceed several thousand euros. In the event of a problem, owners benefit from comprehensive protection thanks to builder's warranties: the perfect completion guarantee covers all defects reported during the first year, while the two-year guarantee protects the home's removable equipment for two years. The ten-year guarantee ensures the repair of damage compromising the solidity or use of the building for ten years. In addition, building damage insurance allows for rapid reimbursement of work, without waiting for a court decision. Together, these mechanisms offer enhanced legal and financial security, limiting unforeseen expenses and guaranteeing peace of mind for owners.

A sustainable investment for households and for society

Beyond the individual benefits, the development of new housing contributes to national energy transition and CO₂ emission reduction objectives. New construction allows for the direct integration of environmental standards, renewable energy, and energy-efficient equipment.

Example of the difference in CO2 emissions between a house A of 85 m2 (heat pump, thermodynamic hot water tank + solar panel) and an old DPE D house, heated by electricity.

• House with DPE A = 101 kg of CO₂ per year, or the equivalent of 524 km traveled by car
• House with DPE D = 2.000 kg of CO2, or the equivalent of 10.400 km/year by car.
• House with DPE F heated with fuel oil = 6.000 kg or 31.250 km/year by car.

For Loïc Vandromme: "Building a new home today not only protects your purchasing power in the medium and long term, but also contributes to a more sustainable, more energy-efficient, and more environmentally friendly housing stock. It is with this in mind that for over 100 years, HEXAOM has been innovating for housing focused on performance and sustainability, as well as comfort, both summer and winter."

Illustrative image of the article via Depositphotos.com.