First-time buyers
First-time buyer in Lyon: the real budget of a first purchase, line by line
Transfer duties, notary fees, guarantee, down payment, works: the full cost of a first purchase in Lyon, item by item, with the cash flow schedule.
The real budget of a first purchase in Lyon is the price of the property plus a series of outflows that the loan generally does not finance: transfer duties, notary fees, real estate security contribution, disbursements, guarantee, file fees, works and initial charges. The temporary increase in transfer duties does not apply to a first property intended as the main residence.
By Sandy MASCART, mandataire d'intermédiaire en opérations de banque et en services de paiement ORIAS 26000541 sous le mandat de CDV PATRIMOINE & ASSURANCE (ORIAS 14005573)
Key points
- The loan finances the price of the property purchased, not the total sum required to buy it: this distinction dictates the entire budget.
- In “notary fees”, the bulk of the amount goes to the public treasury via transfer duties, not to the notary’s remuneration.
- The temporary increase in the departmental cap on transfer duties does not apply to a first purchase intended as the main residence.
- This regime depends neither on the level of income nor on the method of financing, but requires a first property intended as the main residence.
- A mortgage intermediary cannot receive any fee before the effective release of funds: this is a legal prohibition.
A first-time purchase in Lyon costs the price, plus a series of outgoings, each with its own date. The loan finances mainly the price: calculate the rest of your first-time purchase before the offer, not three weeks before the deed.
What does a first-time purchase in Lyon really cost?
The price, plus acquisition costs, the guarantee, bank fees, works and charges. The loan finances the price; the rest, rarely.
The bank finances what you buy, not what you pay to buy it. Seven items:
- Transfer duties: the tax on the sale.
- Notary’s fees, set by the State.
- Real estate security contribution: the publication of the deed.
- Disbursements, advanced by the notary.
- The guarantee: caution or mortgage.
- Bank application fees, and intermediary fees.
- Works, furnishing and charges, from the moment you receive the keys.
The first four make up the “notary fees”, the largest share of which goes to the public treasury.
Acquisition costs: who receives the money, and the rule that benefits you
Transfer duties, and the rule that changes everything for a first-time purchase
The department sets the rate within a legal range. The temporary increase in the ceiling does not apply to a first property intended as the main residence.
Taux supplétif : il ne s'applique que si le conseil départemental n'a pas délibéré. En pratique, la quasi-totalité des départements ont délibéré.
- En vigueur depuis le
- Source
- Article 1594 D du code général des impôts — Légifrance
The permanent ceiling is 4,50 % (). A finance law has opened, for a limited period, an increased ceiling of 5,00 % (). Yours, as a first-time buyer, remains:
La hausse temporaire est écartée : l'acquisition reste soumise au taux voté par la collectivité au titre du régime ordinaire, sans pouvoir dépasser ce plafond.
- En vigueur depuis le
- Source
- Légifrance
What this is worth, in euros, on a purchase in Lyon
The Lyon Metropolis has voted for the increase. Its rate for buyers who are not first-time buyers:
Taux issu de la hausse temporaire. Il ne s'applique pas à une première propriété destinée à la résidence principale, qui reste plafonnée au niveau rappelé ci-dessus. Le Rhône hors métropole délibère séparément.
- En vigueur depuis le
- Source
- impots.gouv.fr
The difference, applied to the price, is read in thousands of euros on the notary’s breakdown. Two conditions: first property, and main residence.
Durée appréciée avant l'acquisition. Des exceptions existent, notamment en situation d'invalidité ou lorsque la résidence principale a été rendue définitivement inhabitable.
- En vigueur depuis le
- Source
- BOFiP
- In co-ownership: co-owner by co-owner, pro rata.
- Married under the community property regime: both spouses must meet the condition.
There is no need for a zero-interest loan to benefit from it.
A municipal tax of
1,20 % ()is added, on the price, and assessment fees of
2,37 % (), on the departmental duty.
Notary: fee schedule, discount and disbursements
- The fee schedule is exclusive of taxes, VAT of 20,00 % () in addition.
- A discount is possible on the higher brackets: request it, without counting on it.
- The disbursements are reimbursed at the actual cost: a round figure is an estimate.
The real estate security contribution is worth
0,10 % ()of the price, with a floor of
15 € ()per published deed.
Loan guarantee: an additional cheque
It is deducted at the release of funds, in addition to the notary: the guarantees compared.
What sum must you raise for a first purchase in Lyon?
Not a percentage: add up the acquisition costs, the guarantee and the administrative fees for your property.
State this total before the loan offer: the personal contribution, buying without a contribution in Lyon.
Cash flow calendar: knowing when each euro leaves
| What leaves | When | To whom | Can the loan cover it? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deposit | At the signing of the preliminary sale agreement | Held in escrow by the notary or the agency | No — immediate cash, deducted from the price at the deed |
| Acquisition costs | Provisioned before the deed, settled afterwards | The notary | Rarely — this is the item covered by the contribution |
| Bank administrative fees | At the release of funds | The bank | Yes, often integrated into the funding plan |
| Guarantee fees | At the release of funds | Guarantee body or notary | Partially, depending on the bank |
| Agency fees | At the deed, according to the agreed burden | The agency | Included in the price if the burden is on the seller |
| Mortgage intermediary fees | After the effective release of funds | The intermediary | No |
| Works | After the deed, at the pace of the site | The contractors | Yes, if they are integrated from the outset |
| Co-ownership charges and council tax | Pro rata at the deed, then every year | The co-ownership manager, the municipality | No |
The deposit remains blocked until the deed: do not count it twice. The intermediary fees are paid only after the release of funds.
Surface, location, condition: the trade-off that truly decides
Prices: the price per square metre by district. Three sliders, you hold two:
- The surface area: easy to adjust, difficult to live with.
- The location: a district or a municipal boundary changes the price faster than a negotiation. The most common case.
- The condition: cheaper, but works on your cash reserves, unless they are quantified before the preliminary sale agreement and integrated into the loan.
What support can you mobilise as a first-time buyer in Lyon?
PTZ, Métropole support, Action Logement loan, social access loan. None of them exempts you from provisioning for the deed costs.
- The PTZ relies on another loan and does not finance the deed costs: the PTZ in zone A, the PTZ and the debt-to-income ratio.
- The Métropole: its support for home ownership.
- Action Logement, for the relevant private sector employees: who is eligible.
- The social access loan, to be compared: the PAS and the conventional loan.
Six errors that derail a first-time purchase budget
File errors: their article. These cost you in cash reserves:
- Rounding percentage costs.
- Forgetting the guarantee cheque.
- Forgetting the charges for the first quarter.
- Emptying all your savings: how much to keep.
- Postponing works not financed.
- Reasoning on the displayed price.
Should you buy now or wait?
Your intended holding period is the deciding factor, not forecasts: if it is too short, the costs cannot be amortised.
The market: read the displayed rates, their trajectory. Then ask three questions:
- How long will you keep this property?
- Will your professional situation remain stable for six months?
- How much cash will you have left after the deed?
Do you have a property in mind? Create your file or have your cash-flow calendar drawn up, by video call or in Lyon.
Sources
Read next
- How much can I borrow? Mortgage capacity in Lyon
- PTZ 2026 in Lyon: what you can actually finance in Zone A In Lyon, the PTZ finances new-build properties, not existing ones. Retained income, basis, proportion, deferral: what you can actually finance in Zone A.
- Homeownership assistance in the Lyon Metropolis: who provides it, and what it changes All homeownership schemes available in the Metropolis: who provides them, what they change in the financing plan, and the conditions required in return.
- Investing in rental property before your main residence: the right order in Lyon Rental first, main residence later? You stay a first-time buyer, but this first purchase affects your debt-to-income ratio, down payment and zero-interest loan.
- Price per square metre by district in Lyon: where to read the medians, and what your budget buys Price per square metre in Lyon: where to read the median of actual sales in each district, the caveats involved, and the floor area your budget can purchase.
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