12/08/2026 - 12:38 GMT+2
More than eight in ten French people say they feel discomfort from high temperatures in their homes, and one in three would now consider moving house because of heatwaves, according to a Leboncoin study, as buyers increasingly factor thermal comfort into property decisions.
Long seen as an asset, a property's orientation is now assessed according to how cool it keeps a home, and in Paris, full southern exposure is losing its appeal.
"South-facing properties are no longer as much in demand as before, because people are realising now that when you're facing south, the sun beats down very hard," says estate agent Joseph Denke of FredéLion.
At viewings, buyers now pay close attention to anything that can help keep a property cool: a through-layout, the possibility of airing the place at night, shutters, a terrace or shaded outdoor space. Some even factor in the presence of trees in the neighbourhood.
