If the Languedoc’s enviable position on the Mediterranean, within easy access of the Pyrenean ski resorts and across the border from Barcelona, isn’t reason enough to start phoning round estate agents now, then the relatively affordable houses that can be found in this region should be. Far from the pretensions of the Côte d’Azur, this region offers an altogether more down to earth take on Mediterranean living. In short, this is the best of the Côte d’Azur or Aquitaine without the high prices.
What’s more, the region boats an incredible array of transport options. Since the advent of low-cost airlines, Languedoc-Roussillon has become all the more accessible: airports at Montpellier, Béziers, Perpignan, Carcassonne and Nîmes all connect to the UK and there are TGV stations at Agde, Béziers, Carcassonne, Montpellier, Nîmes and Perpignan. The new A75 motorway added to the region’s already welldeveloped road network. This provides the region with a direct link to Paris via Clermont-Ferrand.
Land-locked Lozère is the region’s cheapest province, with property prices averaging €1,318 per square metre. The department is one of the least densely populated in France, prized for its landscape of vast mountain pastures, meadows and woods stretching to the Lot valley. A 600m gorge has been carved through the rock of the Sauveterre and Majean plateaux by the Tarn river, crossed by the Sublime bridge.
Cévennes offers househunters a unique opportunity to acquire a parcel of land in one of France’s national parks; it is the only inhabited national park in the country. Lozère’s most picturesque villages include the medieval St- Enimie and Ispagnac, known as the garden of Lozère.
Although Gard, to the south of Lozère, borders onto Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, prices here are demonstrably cheaper at €2,034 per square metre on average. Denim capital Nîmes is one of the highlights of the region, and boasts several Roman sites, including an amphitheatre, Gallo-Roman temple and Augustus gate, where the Via Domitia once entered the town.
Prices here rise to €2,246 per square metre. At Easter and in September, the city vibrates with Spanish fever, as bullfights are held in the bullrings, while the many cafés and concerts keep residents and tourists fully occupied for the rest of the year. On the outskirts of Nîmes, the pretty villages of Marguerittes and Poulx are sought after by househunters and tourists alike; the rental season being particularly buoyant in and around Nîmes.
In Hérault, the landscape changes, transforming from the beaches of the Cap d’Agde to garrigue (Mediterranean scrubland) through oak forests to the Cévennes mountains in the north. Direct access to the coast and the seaside resorts at Cap d’Agde, Bouziques and Balurac-les-Bains, not to mention the vibrant city of Montpellier, all contribute to make this department’s property prices the highest in the region with an average of €2,307 per square metre.
Prices hit their peak in and around Montpellier at €2,776 per square metre; and no wonder given that the city is one of the fastest growing in France. Montpellier has benefited from considerable investment and the city’s transport division is working hard to improve the already impressive network. A third tramline is due for completion in 2012, linking the Juvenac and Perols districts with Lattes over 32 stops. The rental market is strong here – thanks to a thriving student population, including a considerable contingent of foreign students studying through the Erasmus programme – and consequently up to 65% of purchases are investment related. Life in the city is vibrant, with the Radio France festival providing concerts throughout the summer and the many cafés on Place de la Comedie kept busy with locals and tourists alike.
In Aude, Narbonne and Carcassonne provide the highlights with prices per square metre at €2,067 and €1,547 respectively. Carcassonne’s medieval citadel is an impressive sight, attracting almost three million visitors every year, while the nearby Cavayère lake and Canal du Midi provide ample opportunities for watersports and boating. Narbonne, meanwhile, hosts one of the best markets in France and its many Roman ruins are testament to the town’s history.
Last, is border country Pyrénées-Orientales. This department certainly holds its own in the price stakes, with average house prices weighing in at €2,217 per square metre on average. Perpignan, the economic and cultural capital of the Roussillon province, pays homage to its Catalan routes with its distinctly Spanish architecture and palm trees. The coastal resorts of Banyuls-sur-Mer and Collioure were havens for the Fauvist artists, with Matisse and Picasso both setting up their easels here.
Source: French Property Buying Guide 2010 / 2011
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