The region's connections to the UK via its many ferry ports and its superb road
and rail links to Paris mean that Normandy is a popular choice among French holidaymakers
and British expatriates alike.
Normandy's property market has performed well over the last seven years, growing
an average of 8.5% between 2000-2007, according to FNAIM. Apartments are the driver
of Normandy's growth, hardly surprising given its popularity as a holiday destination.
Business from tourism keeps rental properties busy and Parisians are prone to purchasing
second homes here, not to mention the ever-growing number of Brits looking to relocate.
Normandy encompasses two separate administrative regions: Basse-Normandie and Haute-Normandie.
Property prices vary hugely throughout the two regions, but average out at around
€2,000 per square metre. As a general rule, property is cheaper the further west
you go, making Basse-Normandie the better value of the two.
In Calvados, for example, prices average out at €2,450/m2, an 11.1% rise over 2007.
Lisieux is the priciest district, commanding €2,960/m2, reflecting the popularity
of the top-end seaside resorts nearby such as Deauville and Trouville-sur-Mer. Deauville
is a glamorous resort playing host to swanky shops, ritzy restaurants and four-star
hotels that has proven to be consistently popular with Parisian holidaymakers –
a trend that has helped to keep property prices sky high as city dwellers invest
in second homes here.
The town was famously featured in the film Un Homme et un Femme and is fully kitted
out for a bustling, year-round tourism industry – and no wonder given that 90% of
its economy depends on this trade. Its transport links are well developed with an
airport and two ports.
Plans are afoot to make Deauville's St Gatien airport into a more heavyweight entrypoint
for the region. Currently Skysouth operates flights from Bournemouth and the region
is aiming to attract more frequent commercial flights between the UK and Normandy
in the future, meaning that property prices should remain buoyant.
For those with a more modest budget, nearby Vire is proving increasingly popular.
Vire is a lively town with plenty to do all year round. There is still room for
capital growth here compared to other parts of France. Property prices in and around
Vire are still well below Calvados' departmental average at €1,230/m2 and, although
Vire itself suffered heavy damage during the Second World War, it boasts a 13th-century
gateway and church among its historic monuments.
Basse-Normandie's other departments, Manche and Orne are cheaper still with prices
dropping as low as €1,010/m2 in and around modern St Lô. These two departments are
also experiencing the most dynamic growth at present, with property prices growing
11.1% and 11.9% respectively over 2007, compared to just 7.7% for Haute-Normandie's
Eure. It's no wonder as the local city councils for Cherbourg and St Lô are promising
considerable investment in their cities and surrounding countryside, encouraging
economic growth in the department as a whole.
It's not all over for Haute-Normandie's two departments, however. The property may
be more expensive, but geographically Haute-Normandie takes a lot of beating.
The Seine-Maritime department commands prices as high as €1,900/m2, with its main
towns, Dieppe, Le Havre and Rouen, pushing forward economic growth in this area.
Dieppe has benefited from substantial investment since 2000, meaning that its once
utilitarian port has been transformed into an attractive seafront, with waterside
shops, restaurants and gardens. The department has signed over tens of millions
of euros since 2004, with the result that several projects aimed at improving the
town are now completed or close to completion. The second generation of development
contracts has now been approved, so this regeneration project is far from finished.
Meanwhile, Rouen is a vibrant city and France's fifth largest port. The town boasts
several museums and monuments, including the impressive Gothic cathedral painted
more than 30 times by Monet. The medieval quarter is riddled with traditional Norman
architecture and cobbled streets, while shops and restaurants abound. Rouen also
benefits from a direct TGV link to Paris and motorway links to both Paris and the
port at Dieppe. More than €17m has just been signed over to transform this departmental
capital and its surrounding countryside into an attractive tourist destination.
Between 2008 and 2010, the territory will benefit from several schemes designed
to boost its economy, services and tourism.
To the east of Rouen, in the Eure department, lies Lyons-la-Forêt, a picture perfect
town appointed as one of France's Plus Beaux Villages. The town has a covered marketplace
and clusters of half-timbered houses set in a spiral formation around the fort.
Seine-Maritime's countryside also proves a popular draw for many holidaymakers and
househunters.
Brits will feel right at home here thanks to the abundance of thatched cottages
and pretty, peaceful villages. The marshland surrounding the Parc Naturel Régional
des Boucles de la Seine Normandie is particularly popular, with Le Marais Vernier
and Jumièges among the most well liked villages. Cormeilles, Lieurey and St Georges
du Vièvre are larger and more lively, with weekly markets and antique shops aplenty.
In contrast, Le Havre may not be traditionally thought of as one of Normandy's more
attractive towns, thanks to its almost complete destruction in World War II. However,
although Le Havre's beauty may not be immediately evident, the town was appointed
one of the few contemporary World Heritage Sites in 2005, thanks to its 'innovative
use of concrete's potential' during its post-war reconstruction by modernist architect
Auguste Perret.
The population is young (20% under 20 years old) and this makes for a vibrant atmosphere.
Its pedestranised centre, Halles Centrales, is lively, with cafés and shops lining
the streets and a covered market, offering local produce, was renovated in 2002.
A more village-like feel is evident in the Quartier St Vincent, with boutiques,
florists, epiceries and interior designers lining the streets.
The Quartier des Docks, meanwhile, has a more industrialised feel – this is a place
that comes alive at night, with cavernous warehouses transformed into nightclubs
and a commercial centre with cinema, and bowling alley due for completion this year.
The city has great transport links, with a TGV connection to Paris and regular ferry
services to Portsmouth.
Source: French Property Buying Guide - French Property
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