propertynews - Caroline Laurent
Transcription
propertynews - Caroline Laurent
PROPERTYNEWS on sale 22nd FebruarY French Prcperty News, Archant House, Oriel Rd, Cheltenham, GL50 1 BB Tel: 0'1242 216050 To request a copy:020 8955 7066 www.french-ProPerty-news.com & '& Christophe Dutertre With extensive experience in conveyancing, Christophe advises on French private law and estate planning He ioined Blake Lapthorn in the IJK in 2001 after working in a large notaire's office in Normandy Editor: Karen Tait fel:01242264755 [email protected] Deputy Editor: Andy Duncan lel:01242 216083 andy.duncan6archant.co.uk Editorial Assistant: VickY Leigh Iel: Q1242216086 [email protected] Sub Editor: Debbie Curtis Editorial Designer: Craig Chiswell for six years. Christophe repotts on stamp duty ondVAT on p24 Vnnessa Couchntan Vanessa is a freelance vtriter and iournalist who writes regularly for magazines obout French life. She moved to rural south-west France in in an 1 Bth-century farmhouse' 1 997, where she ond her husband live She is fascinated by French customs ond traditions and enioys seeking out the reality behind the mYths. p46 Vanessa unravels the intricacies of French odministrotion on Sales Manager: Sue Crwys-Williams rel: 01242 265896 susan.crwys-williams@archant co.uk Display: Marianne Bainvel, Claire Forde, Neil Smith fel 01242 2647 50 [email protected] Classified: Emma Kestin lel: o1 242 265891 Sophia \,iose Tel: 0844 848 8045 or, for overseas, 0044 (0) I 858 438788 [email protected] www.subscriptionsave.co.uk Managing Director Archant Specialist: Miller Hogg Event Director: Debbie Macleod is o bilingual buyer\ agent in the south of France' She lives in Aix-en-Provence and uses her experience as a corporate lavvyer and her knowledge ofthe Provence property market to assist her clients Sophia from start to finish in the search for their dream property' Sophia explores the Aix-en-Provence area on p/U Digital Development Manager: James Parfitt DigitalTeam: Chris Scarle, Paul Upton, Jo Woodman He;d of Direct Customer Marketing: Fiona Penton-Voak Commercial Servi<es Manager: Sylvie Wheatley [email protected] @$ D..11*south Articles in FPN are of a general nature and do not apply to all situations, and do not necessarily reflect the magazine's views. @ Copyright French Property NewJ. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior permission. FPN does not accept responsibility for the safe return of manuscripts or photos. FPN ls part of Archant Community Media Limited, which is active in the fields of newspaper and magazine publishing, contract printing and internet communications The company's portfolio includes four daily newspapers, 85 weekly papers, around 80 monthly consumer, contract and 'l regional magazines and over 30 websites. Archant Community Media Limited is the UK's largest independently owned regional media business, with around 1,800 employees. bl"J,ifJJl#ff",, weeks, Living France is your essential guide to life in France and owning French proPertY, with inspiring real life stories. It is available in newsagents and on subscription. \ A,-E --a|*.r ffi,-ffi il ElI FRANCE The biqqest-selling ,ugazn" aoour France rfi Britain and North America, u"' :": :J,'J ;=J,lo1T,-.'"' i "' ;;;;u"i;;;;";il;;b, newsagents and on subscriPtion. ARcHAur) rirr . Provenqal house and rural Iandscape (o Andreas von Einsiedel/AlamY) March 2012 www.french-p ro P ertY- n ews.co m Aix-en-Provence SOPHIA MOSE GETS UNDER THE SKIN OF PROVENCE AND DISCOVERS THAT THERE ARE MANY FACES TO THIS EVER-POPULAR PART OF SOUTHERN FRANCE hen looking to buy a house in provence, quite often the difficult question isn,t,,Which property?,, but rather "lVhich provence?,' For some, Provence is the hills of the Alpilies and the Luberon; Peter Mayle's immortal landscape of steep, wild slopes dotted with picturesque villages. For others, it's the Mediterranean with its fishing ports, beaches and yacht harbours. Some are drawn to the classic bouillabaisse and excellent transport links of Marseille, while others tend more towards the chic boutiques of St-R6my-de-provence or the stunning architecture of Avignon. But for many Aix-en-provence stands out as the best-of-all-possible-worlds option. Nestled between the Luberon and the Vediterranean coast, Aix has been a highly desirable location ever since the Romani founded it in 123BC. Once the capital of 44 French Property News March 2012 Provence and still the cultural capital, Aix has it all. Basking ia the sun at the foot of Mont Ste-Victoire (loved by paul C6zanne), it is blessed rr-ith a n'onderful climate similar to that of southem Califomia; a seemingly endless supply of glorious 1 7thl1 Bth-cenlun' provenEal architecture, art galleries and museums, chic restaurants and upscale shopping streets. Unlike the Luberon, .{ir does not go quiet in winter. BASKI\-G /A/ THE SUA/ AT THE FOOT OF MO-\'r STE-VICTOIRE, A1X 15 BIESSED WITH _f r |Ol/D ERFUL CI1-\!{7-E SIMILAR TO TIl;: OF SOUZHERA/ CALIFORA/IA AII year round there are music festivals, ballet and opera performances, and the 40,000 students attending the excellent universities and world-renowned art schools create a lively and vibrant atmosphere. Only haI an hour from Marseille, three hours from paris via TGV, an easy driving distance to the C6te d'Azur and the Italian border, and a mere one and a half hours from the ski slopes, Aix is one of the most well-connected towns in France_ It therefore will come as no surprise that the Aix property market has hardly been affected by the economic crisis. Although demand might have slowed down a bit, it always outweighs supply. H6ldne Le Corre, of Immobilier & Financement on the Cours Mirabeau, tells me: ,,Very few people who move to this incredible town ever want to leavel" She explains that many parisians choose Aix as their home while commuting to Paris on the TGV and she even has British clients who commute to London, www.french-property-news.com with their children happiiv ensconced in one of the international schools at Luynes. H6lbne did not see a drop in prices in 2011 and does not predict one for 2012 either as investment in property in Aix is seen as a safe investment in this time of recession. H6lbne has seen the British returning after a short absence and confirms that the French, Belgians, Dutch and Americans have never stopped buying properties in Aix. For the wealthy, Aix is an embarrassment of riches. Rural estates, chdteaux and mcs provenqals dot the landscape around the town, often glimpsed only at a distance behind rows of tall cypresses Larger estates, particulariy if they are in good shape, command Prices weII into the millions and a stunning 17th-century chdteau in the north of Aix is currently on the market for €6,900,000. The statistlcs of FNAIM (French estate agents association) and the Notaires de France show that prices paid for such properties reach almost €9,000 per square metre. The other option for those with large budgets is an apartment in the historic centre. The old quarter includes the maze of streets and squares clinging to the north side of the wide, treelined boulevard of the Cours Mirabeau. It is a shopper's paradise and the Mus6e Granet, antique shops and galleries are just a few of its other attractions. Unsurprisingly' it is not easy to find a property here. Camilie Campana, of Caroline Laurent Estate Agents, tells me that the Quartier Mazarin remains the most sought-after part of the old town and that for apartments outside the centre, the Quartier de la Torse is the most PoPuIar. The elegant Quartier Mazarin is a residential area south of the Cours Mirabeau built in the late 17th century for the city's gentry. Large and small apartments in the area's h)tels particuliers are scarce on the market, and the most desirable properties are often snapped up at prices ranging well over €5'000 per square metre before even reaching estate ageny websites. For families with children, there are many options, depending on the budget. Within Aix itsetf, families with larger budgets tend to congregate in north Aix, particularly in the area near the hospital or the St-Donat district, where 1960s villas with gardens can be found for upwards of €700,000. Likewise, parts of the city to the west and south offer many opportunities for family homes, with Luynes property commanding higher prices due to its vicinity to the international schools, Better deals can be had either west towards Les Milles or east to Meyreuil. In general, prices are lower south of Aix, where villages such as Bouc-Bel-Air, Gardanne and Fuveau are essentially commuter villages for Marseille, but there are many micro-markets throughout the Pays d'Aix and prices vary enormousiy, Just to the north of Aix lies a constellation www.f rench-ProPertY'news.<om of smaller villages with attractrve apartments, family houses, and larger estates: Celony, Puyricard, Eguilles and Venelles. These villages are surrounded by countryside and vineyards and are ideal for families. Ceiony and Puyricard are part of the agglomeration of Aix and are therefore slightly more expensive than the other trvo and here it is hard to find a family home lrith three bedrooms or more for less than €500,000. SmaIIer houses start at €350,000, at which price they tend to still need some rvork, Laurence Anjubault, of LC Gestion estate agents in Puyricard, notes that there is always a shortage of houses in the €350'000 to €700,000 range. Although Prices increased quite a bit in 2010, she did not see an increase in 2011 and notes that, unless it concerns a very exceptional property, houses do now seII siightly below the asking price. She expects things to pick up this spring and is hoping that more properties will come onto the market to satisty the high demand. Most houses in these Aix neighbourhoods were built after the 1970s and it is the slightly older houses needing some refurbishment where Prices can be negotiated. The villages within the agglomeration ate served by Aix public transport, and Puyricard and Celony are only a 15-minute bus ride away from the Cours Mirabeau and Aix train station' To the east of the citY, gorgeous Le Tholonet huddles at the foot of Mont St-Victoire and is the starting point for the walking paths that criss-cross the mountain's famous sloPes The neighbourhoods here are very green and the houses very expensive and Le Tholonet feels more like a nature resetwe than a quartier of Aix. One of the great attractions of the Pays d'Aix is its biend of rural charm with a cosmopolitan population, and the city owes much of that diversity to its universities. Students make up nearly 30% of Aix's population of 146,000, and naturally they are accompanied by a diverse and highly educated army of teachers and professors. For investors, this means that small, affordable rental apartments near university facilities offer an almost guaranteed retum on their investment. \Mhile properlies close to the town centre are always in demand, studios and one-bedroom apartments in the Quartier des Facult6s to the south are idealiy placed for both student and faculty rentals. With an average square metre purchase price f or houses al €4,245 and apartments at €3,802, Aix is not a low-budget town But with prices hoiding steady in spite of the recession and its incredibly high standard of living, Aix-en-Provence is hard to beat as a place to invest, have a holiday house, or start a nei,t- Iife. ,,r.1,:.iii1: March 2012 45