The first part of Guy de Maupassant’s self-penned epitaph “I have coveted everything” is certainly true of the region’s splendid property market. This spans seaside towns, country châteaux as well as more modern warehouse apartments.
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.
The highs and lows
Apartments are the driver of Normandy’s coastal property market, 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 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 €1,763 per square metre.
In Calvados, for example, prices average €2,016 per square metre. Deauville is the priciest town in the department, commanding €4,036 per square metre, reflecting the popularity of the top-end seaside resorts. 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 high as city dwellers invest in second homes here.
The town was famously featured in the film Un Homme et une 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.
Deauville’s St-Gatien airport has recently started operating flights to London City airport with low-cost carrier CityJet, which should help to keep those property prices 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 with other parts of France. Property prices in and around Vire are still below Calvados’ departmental average at €1,871 per square metre and, although Vire itself suffered heavy damage during World War II, 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 to €1,586 per square metre in Manche and with prices even lower in Orne at only €1,315.
On the up
Geographically, Haute- Normandie takes a lot of beating. Overall, property prices are marginally lower than in Basse-Normandie but the departments of Seine- Maritime and Eure still command competitive prices.
In Seine-Maritime average prices come in at €1,776 per square metre 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 pictureperfect 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.
Home sweet home 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 UNESCO 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 pedestrianised 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, épiceries and interior designers lining the streets.
The Quartier des Docks, meanwhile, has a more industrialised atmosphere – this is a place that comes alive at night, with cavernous warehouses transformed into nightclubs and a new commercial centre with cinema, and bowling alley. The city has great transport links, with a TGV connection to Paris and regular ferry services to Portsmouth.
Source: French Property Buying Guide 2010 / 2011
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