Nimes Property

With house prices now extremely high in Provence and Brittany, holidaymakers are looking to buy in other areas, with the Languedoc-Roussillon region becoming very popular. The region has a wonderful climate and excellent transport communication links with the high speed TGV train to Avignon and regular low-cost flights with Ryanair flying to Nîmes, Carcassonne, Montpellier and Perpignan, and British Airways operating to Montpellier and Toulouse.

Estate agents in Nimes are reporting that they show an average of six British couples around most days.  Most purchasers now want an income from their property and where it used to be people aged between 40-60 looking to retire, more and more are buying now for retirement at a later date.

The average price is £100,000; double that of five years ago with less property to sell because there is more demand. The population of the Languedoc-Roussillon region is growing by 1,000 a month which is the highest growth rate in Europe. Most purchasers are cash buyers, who have worked out what they can afford before viewing.
The average French purchaser tends to buy either an apartment in Nimes town centre or a recently constructed property in the suburbs or countryside. The average UK buyer tends to want an older, character property in a rural location.

It is important to decide how flexible you are prepared to be about your property requirements. Is a pretty stone house really essential? Houses in France  built during the last 50 years have not really increased in price at all since the third quarter of 2005.
Remember that a newer property is likely to have a lot less maintenance problems as well. It may be a bargain worth considering

UK buyers often think that the French lifestyle is a rural idyll, but nothing could be further from the truth with the average French person living in an apartment or modern house in an area where there are shops, bars and restaurants, and close to a variety of leisure activities. The reason the French choose these areas is not only because there is work there but also because all the normal things that are needed to enjoy life to the full.  So think hard about what you want from a home in France and what you really want to do when you are there. You could certainly get more for your money by buying an apartment or townhouse in Nimes rather than a rural retreat. If you are flexible and buy well, you will get a good French lifestyle and investment for the future.