The French single-family housing market is sending early signs of recovery that must be analyzed carefully

Charles Neuville, CFO of MATERRUP: " The French single-family housing market is sending early signs of recovery that must be analyzed carefully—without overexcitement, yet without underestimating the shift in momentum.

Data published on February 24 by​ FFB - Fédération Française du Bâtiment (Pôle Habitat FFB) confirm a strong rebound in single-family home sales in 2025, driven by the re-expansion of the zero-interest loan scheme #PTZ hashtag#PTZ : 67,800 units sold, up +33.5% compared with 2024. The federation nevertheless emphasizes that the market remains well below its long-term average (-42.1%).

In my view, the key point is that this recovery is taking place within a constrained economic environment, with very clear signals regarding household budgets. The Pôle Habitat FFB economic report indicates an average single-family home price of €198,000 in 2025 (down from €207,000 in 2024, i.e., -4.3%), alongside a decrease in average floor area to 112 m². We are therefore witnessing a genuine recovery, but in a market that is extremely sensitive to final price.

On the supply side, the upturn is also beginning to materialize: housing starts for single-family homes are rising again, albeit from historically low levels.

Another structural factor is that financing has once again become central. As of April 1, 2025, the zero-interest loan (PTZ) has been extended to all new housing (both single-family and multi-family) nationwide through December 31, 2027, fundamentally improving first-time buyers’ purchasing power dynamics.

At the same time, lending conditions have improved compared with the peak tensions of 2024. The Banque de France reports a decline in the average interest rate on new housing loans by the end of 2025.

What this sequence tells us is clear: single-family housing is rebounding, but under strict cost constraints. Decarbonization, therefore, cannot be positioned as a “premium” option. It must be embedded, readily available, and economically neutral at the project level.

And this is precisely what is now possible with MATERRUP Low carbon & circular cements’ cold-activated clay cement..

In practical terms, a full range of low-carbon solutions for single-family housing is already available—foundations, slabs, blocks, mortars, and more broadly conventional concrete and civil engineering applications—based on industrially available cold-activated clay cement, supported by operational partners (ready-mix concrete plants and distributors) and an established nationwide network across France.

A practical note from the field: yes, a single-family home can now be significantly decarbonized at the same cost, with #MCC1 solutions already available in ready-mix concrete, concrete blocks, and mortars.”