To say the region's property market is expensive would be an understatement; it's
extortionate in places. That said, it is still possible to buy a reasonably priced
pad if you veer off the beaten track. For seafront properties or those in or around
the large tourist resorts, however, you won't get any change from €1m. And prices
are rising all the time – especially with regards to the top end of the market,
thanks in the main to foreign investors.
Alpes-Maritimes is the priciest department, with apartment prices hitting €4,000
per square metre and houses selling for an average of €622,200 – though this price
doesn't even begin to describe the upper limits of property in this area. Sprawling
Nice and its coastal neighbour Cannes are among the priciest districts – and no
wonder given their proximity to the bustling Nice Côte d'Azur airport and thriving,
year-round rental market. Temperatures here remain in the low 20s until late October
and conference centres keep demand for hotel rooms high during the winter months.
Nice is the fifth-largest city in France, population-wise. Italian immigration in
the 19th century and the influx of migrants from the surrounding countryside throughout
the 20th century added to Nice's weight, and now the city's population is swelling
once more, largely due no doubt to its favourable climate.
There is plenty to keep people occupied in Nice; its numerous squares are packed
with great restaurants, shops and cafés, and concerts are held in the pedestrianised
Place Masséna and Place du Palais during the long summer season.
Place Masséna is now pedestrianised thanks to the recent completion of Nice's tramline,
which has eased congestion throughout the city. Nice also has a busy central train
station, with satellite stations serving districts on the city's outskirts.
Despite Nice's popularity with tourists, it still manages to cling to its status
as a 'proper city'. Cannes, on the other hand, feels distinctly like a film set
in places.
Neighbouring Var has its fair share of glamour, with St Tropez's yachts bobbing
alongside the pastel-coloured houses. However, St Tropez doesn't tell the whole
tale of this charming department; over 50% is covered with forests and farmland,
offering those with a less padded wallet a chance to snatch a tiny slice of Provence-Alpes-
Côte d'Azur for themselves among Var's olive groves. Around Brignoles, apartment
prices drop as low as €1,800 per square metre, translating to an average house price
of €266,600. Unsurprisingly, property prices are rising fast in this region, up
19.7% in 2007, so it won't be affordable for long.
Along the coast, Bouches de Rhône is home to the regional capital, Marseille, the
third largest city in France and the oldest. The city boasts excellent transportation
and infrastructure, with the Marseille Provence airport key to the department's
tourist trade. The city's port is one of the main entry points into France, and
consequently the city has a large immigrant population. This works in its favour
to the extent that multi-culturalism has created a cosmopolitan vibe, with international
cuisine and a rich cultural life – though unemployment and culture clashes have
caused problems in the past.
Marseille is the centre of French hip-hop – groups IAM, 3ème Oeil and Fonky Family
were all formed here. Recent programmes of urban regeneration are nearing completion
and have helped property prices climb to €2,710 per square metre on average. The
more traditional Aix-en-Provence is a more manageable size and its cobbled streets
reveal a surprising number of international restaurants, cinemas and shops all fed
by its large student population. Apartments cost an average of €3,040 per square
metre.
Inland, Vaucluse is cheaper still, with prices averaging out to €258,500, though
its lack of coastline doesn't make it any less attractive to buyers drawn to traditional
Provençal farmhouses, or mas.
Prefecture Avignon keeps Vaucluse's population in entertainment, with markets, restaurants
and wine cellars, as well as its many medieval buildings and the UNESCO-listed Gothic
Pope's Palace.
As if its coastline wasn't popular enough, the region's slice of the southern Alps
includes renowned ski resorts Serre Chevalier, Montgenèvre, Isola 2000 and Vars
Risoul. Prices are relatively inexpensive by Alpine standards, thanks to the area's
lower altituides – the highest télésiège at Serre Chevalier terminates at 2,760m
above sea level. New apartments in the Hautes-Alpes department sell at an average
of €3,700 per square metre, €3,370 in Alpes de Haute-Provence. Prices in both departments
are still rising by over 10% annually. Briançon makes a good base for skiers who
want a taste of Provençal life after hours.
Source: French Property Buying Guide - French Property
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