Brittany’s property market is extremely popular with British expatriates, not only for its historical connection with the British isles, but also because of its long-established transport links with the UK.
The British love of old, country properties for restoration means there is little competition between them and the local population, who as a general rule prefer the convenience of suburban properties with all mod cons.
However, it is true that, thanks to its many ferry links and historical connection with the UK, the property market is more developed than that of the more central and southern regions, which have only recently become accessible via low-cost airlines, and the eastern regions, which have become decidedly more popular since the combination of the high-speed Eurostar and TGV Est cut journey times considerably.
This means that ruins going for a song are few and far between and keen DIY-ers looking for a steal would be better off seeking out a building plot, or looking further afield.
Brittany’s architecture is characterised by its grey slate roofs and granite walls in coastal areas as well as an abundance of half-timbered houses and medieval citadels further inland. The area also boasts many magnificent stately homes. The region is split into four departments: Finistère, Morbihan, Côtesd’Armor and Ille-et-Vilaine.
Finistère, which literally translates as ‘land’s end’, is Brittany’s most western department, home to the city of Brest and towns of Quimper, Morlaix and Carhaix. The average price stands at €1,577 per square metre for old apartments and €1,645 per square metre for new houses. The coastal town of Fouesnant is the priciest district, with prices topping €2,267 per square metre. The pretty town is a popular holiday destination thanks to its proximity to long sandy beaches off the south coast. Fouesnant comes to life to celebrate the Fête des Pommiers every July, which salutes the Breton speciality of cider.
Meanwhile, university city Brest offers better value at €1,645, although following its almost complete destruction during World War II, the city is not renowned for its architecture and can appear somewhat bleak in places. For this reason, coupled with the fact that Brest is lumbered with the heaviest rainfall in France, the tourist industry is less advanced and the rental market less developed. To the north of Brest, Morlaix is cheaper still, with houses valued at an average of €1,324 per square metre.
Easily accessible by the ferry routes from Plymouth, Cork and Rosslare, which sweep into nearby Roscoff, this small town is surrounded by châteaux on all sides and the sand marshes along the nearby Baie de Morlaix, which together with its many satellite islands, boast several nature reserves, parks and gardens. The megaliths at Cairn de Barnenez are another popular tourist attraction.
Love at first sight
East of Finistère, sitting on Brittany’s northern coast is the department of Côtes-d’Armor. Thanks to its proximity to St-Malo, it has benefited from the several ferry routes that deliver passengers from Weymouth, Portsmouth, Poole, Guernsey and Jersey into St-Malo’s port, and coupled with the airport at Dinard, this has contributed to the department’s property market with average prices at €1,672 per square metre.
Naturally, this area is popular with Brits, not only for its superb transport links, but also because its key town, Dinan, is one of Brittany’s most picturesque. Dinan is renowned for its halftimbered houses and enjoys a bustling tourist trade and therefore a strong rental market.
Property prices are highest in Perros-Guirec, a popular seaside town on the pink granite coast, reaching €2,482 per square metre. Towards Guingamp, despite its pretty cobbled streets and pedestrianised centre and the area’s popularity with tourists, prices drop to around €1,319 per square metre.
Costly coast
Morbihan and Ille-et-Vilaine, Brittany’s southernmost departments, are also its priciest, with an average of €1,825 a piece – although Illeet- Vilaine is the more dynamic of the two markets. Both can lay claim to particular advantages – in Ille-et- Vilaine’s case it houses the region’s capital, Rennes, and bustling port St-Malo, while Morbihan’s coastline enjoys its own micro-climate and its clusters of small islands therefore boast sub-tropical vegetation and the longest rental season in all of Brittany.
Rennes is a cosmopolitan city, with a similar air to Paris – due in part to its destruction by fire in 1720 and subsequent redesign. St-Malo, however, is the department’s most expensive district in terms of apartment prices, which hit an average of €2,902 per square metre thanks to its medieval citadel and well-developed transport routes. House prices in the town are cheaper – an average of €2,450 per square metre compared with the more expensive average price in Rennes at €2,684.
Source: French Property Buying Guide 2010 / 2011
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