French property renovation grants closed to second-home owners

From January 1st 2022, people who own second homes in France can no longer benefit from the MaPrimeRenov’ scheme.

But if you live in a property in France as your primary residence, you can still access significant amounts of financing - up to €10,000 - to perform renovations on your home to make it more energy efficient. 

Here's what you need to know. 

What is MaPrimeRenov?

Launched by the French government back in January 2020, the MaPrimeRenov’ scheme lets homeowners apply for financial help to renovate their homes.

These grants can be used for insulation, heating, ventilation and energy audits of homes. 

From September, some homeowners will need to pay for an energy audit if they want to sell their property. The average cost of one of these assessments is estimated at €700-800.

READ MORE The new rules for selling houses in France

The amount of money you will receive through MaPrimeRenov’ depends on where you live, your household income and the number of people living in your household - this will place you in the bleu, jaune, violet or rose category. 

Those in the bleu category are eligible to receive the highest level of financing - up to €10,000 in total.

In the greater Paris Île-de-France region, you will be allocated into a category according to the following income limits (which change in accordance with the number of people living in your household - composition au foyer). 

Credit: linternaute.fr

Outside of Île-de-France, the earning limits are as follows:

Credit: linternaute.fr

If you are in any doubt, there is also an online simulator which allows you to calculate how much money you could get through the MaPrimeRénov scheme. 

You can use MaPrimeRénov with other financial aid for renovation works such as the Certificats d'économie d'énergie and the Action Logement initiative. If you are eligible for support through MaPrimeRénov, you will often be eligible to receive money from these other schemes too. 

If you access a MaPrimeRénov grant, you can also benefit from a VAT reduction of 5.5 percent of any renovation works carried out. 

People renting property are not eligible to receive money under this scheme. 

What has changed in 2022? 

New legislation that came into effect on January 1st has changed a number of the criteria for accessing MaPrimeRénov grants. 

You can only apply for funding if the building is more than 15 years old and occupied for at least eight months per year. However, the exception to this is that you can apply for funding to a replace an oil-powered boiler if your property is more than two years old - which was previously the limit for all renovation works covered by the scheme. 

Within one year of asking for finance, the homeowner must be living in the property as their primary residence. This means that you cannot access MaPrimeRénov grants if you are planning to use the property as a second home. 

The works must be carried out within two years of applying for financing. If you receive an advance payment, the work must be carried out within one year. 

The earning limits detailed in the section above are slightly changed from previous years. 

How do I apply?

First you must create an account on maprimerenov.gouv.fr

In order to do so, you must have an electronic copy of your most recent tax return, an email address and the names and dates of birth for everyone living in your household.

Once you have created an account, you can submit a quote for the works that will be completed and disclose any other financial aid that you are receiving. You can find detailed instructions for what must be included in the quote under the Vérifier son devis et sa facture section of this page. 

The works must be carried out by a professional building company certified to carry out energy-efficient works - you can find a list here. 

READ ALSO: How to convert a rustic barn into your dream home

Do not begin building works until you have confirmation that your request for financing has been accepted. Once it has, renovations can begin. 

Collect the bill from the builders once the work is completed and send it to MaPrimeRénov via your account. You do not need to pay the builder up front - you can wait until you have received your money from the government. 

Where can I get more information?

For more information and to access the grant, go to MaPrimeRénov’. You can also call +33 (0) 8 08 800 700 if you have specific questions on the scheme.

It is possible to set up a free meeting with an advisor to get further information specific to your personal project - you can find your nearest advisor here. It is worth doing this before sending an application for financing. 

Other financial support for energy-saving renovations 

France has a number of other state-backed schemes to help you finance ecological renovations of your home. 

You could access a zero percent interest loan, known as an éco-PTZ, for example. These loans of up to €50,000 will be maintained at least until the end of 2023. They are issued by regular banks, but backed by the government. 

One of the benefits of taking out a loan rather than a grant is that there are no earnings limits. You must simply be the property owner - if you don't live at the home yourself, you must be renting it or commit to renting it once the works are complete. 

The property must be at least two years old.

Works that can be paid for with an éco-PTZ include: roof, wall, window and door insulation; and installation of renewable-powered heating. 

You can use the same helpline listed for MaPrimeRénov' if you have any questions. 

The government advice for all energy efficiency related renovations is to begin by isolating your property, before installing new heating systems.