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Haussmann-style buildings in Paris, France, with zinc metal roofing that makes them vulnerable to heat. / Im Yu-jeong, Paris Correspondent

As France endures increasingly extreme heat, the criteria people weigh when choosing a home appear to be shifting.

According to local outlet BFM Business on the 10th (local time), homebuyers increasingly view south-facing exposure and floor-to-ceiling windows — once prized features — as drawbacks to avoid.

With air conditioning still uncommon in France, certain home features have become critical for coping with the heat, including AC units, shutters that block sunlight, pools, cross-ventilation layouts, and insulated roofing.

Real estate industry insiders say that a home's ability to stay comfortable through summer is becoming an increasingly important factor in the market.

Paris-based real estate agent Joseph Dunk said south-facing listings — particularly top-floor units in Haussmann-style buildings — have lost popularity, since they can become nearly unlivable during heat waves, describing a shift in the market over the past several months.

Haussmann buildings refer to structures built during Paris's mid-19th-century redevelopment under Napoleon III, named after Georges-Eugène Haussmann, who led the redevelopment project. They're known for their light cream-colored facades lining the city's grand boulevards.

The zinc used in Haussmann buildings' roofs, being a metal, has high thermal conductivity, causing surface temperatures to rise sharply under direct sunlight. Attic spaces just beneath these poorly insulated roofs are especially prone to significant heat buildup indoors during the height of summer.

According to joint research by architectural consulting firm Pouget Consultants and building industry group Effinergie, one in every two homes in France effectively traps heat like "a boiling pot."

A June survey by Leboncoin, France's largest secondhand marketplace platform, found that roughly 8 in 10 respondents had experienced discomfort due to the heat, while a third said they would consider moving if heat waves continue to worsen.

Sophie Bourg, marketing director at Leboncoin's real estate division, said that for French people, extreme heat is no longer a temporary phenomenon but has become an essential factor in choosing where to live.

Yann Jeanneau, head of real estate chain Laforêt, said buyers are no longer satisfied with just checking a property's energy rating, and now ask specific questions — what the indoor temperature was like during the last heat wave, whether the home can be ventilated at night, and whether they could actually sleep in the bedroom.

Installing home air conditioning — long treated as something of a taboo in French society in the name of environmental protection and energy conservation — has also emerged as a sought-after feature in the real estate market.

Jeanneau said talking about air conditioning is no longer taboo, adding that a home already equipped with AC is now a major selling point for buyers.

                                                                                                             Lim Yu-jeong