Here is another
excellent article from Midi-Life
Languedoc Property Prices . Property Prices in French
Regions.
Languedoc has the fastest growing house prices in
France
Every year since 1995, the FNAIM, the French
National Association of Estate Agents, has conducted an
annual snapshot analysis of the price trends in French
real estate. The figures for 2003 make interesting
reading. Languedoc has on average the highest price
increase. However the explosive growth in and around
Montpellier has had a disproprtionate effect on
Languedoc prices and this should not be seen as a guide
for expected price increases in the Aude or other parts
of the Languedoc.
The market overall
On a national level French property has
seen a record increase of 14.2%. This compares with growth
of 9.2% for 2002 and 6.5% in 2001. The rate of increase
slowed a little towards the end of the year.
These figures
include apartments and houses with apartments rising more
strongly at +17.5% against +11.3% for houses. In fact, 2003
would have been a great year to buy into studio and 1
bedroom apartments as this sector of the market increased
by over 22% across France as a whole!
The regions - growth
So which regions are the most
expensive and are where should buyers look for bargains?
The following table, taken from the study, shows the
annual house price increases by region for the last 12
months and for the period 1995-2003. From this you can see
that the really big increases have come in the
Languedoc-Roussillon (+28.4%) , the Rhone-Alpes (+18.2%)
and Burgundy (+16.7%). It’s interesting to note that
although Burgundy has seen a big increase in prices it is
still the third least expensive region in which to buy a
house. Other regions popular with expats showing strong
growth include Midi-Pyrénées, Aquitaine and Provence Alpes
Côte d’Azur.
The regions - costs
Costs are measured in Euros per square
meter, with the national average for France for 2003
standing at €2267 per m2 . On this basis, as far as costs
are concerned, the cheapest regions of France are Limousin,
Auvergne and Bourgogne in that order. The Limousin stands
at about half the national average. No wonder bargain
hunters are heading for Limoges airport in greater and
greater numbers. Not surprisingly the most expensive areas
are Provence-Alpes Côtes d’Azur, Ile-de-France (including
Paris), Corsica, Alsace and Languedoc-Roussillon.
2004 -
increase to continue?
So what about 2004? The official
predictions are for continuing growth but on a less
dramatic level. However, for the expat buyer there are
quite a few factors which suggest prices are going to carry
on rising strongly:
- More and more families moving
full-time to live in France
- Continuing growth in
second-home ownership
- An increasing interest in France
for investment property purchase
- Availability and
affordability of mortgages for French domestic buyers
NB: This survey is for “logements anciens”, old property,
it does not include new build
developments.
The Ultimate Property Guide to the Aude
Home
|
About Us
|
Buying Process
|
Find Accommodation
|
Travel Page
|
Privacy Statement
|
FAQ's
|
Site Map
|
The Languedoc
|
Contact Us
|