Property Prices in Languedoc France
It was only four years ago that our family was featured in the UK television program “A Place in the Sun” (you can see us in the book and one day I will put the video online) - Properties were being shown in Languedoc selling for well under 100,000 euro - now there is nothing you could live in at that can be bought at that price. I get a lot of mail from people who are looking to buy a home here and believe these prices still exist - I wish they did
This is part of a mail exchange I had today…
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Good morn Tony,
….Some friends bought nice property in Languedoc at a cheap price - a 3 storied stone townhouse with a garage for under 50,000 US dollars a couple of years ago with a gite. We were hoping to obtain something in this price too.
Before we make the wrong jump into an expensive real estate investment perhaps we should do a mini tour of France and decide if it is a feasible relocation and determine a true financial package/plan.
I appreciate you sharing your wisdom and hope to meet up with you during our tour. Do you have a dog? I’ve read that the French take them to restaurants.
Enjoy some wine, bread, and cheese for us…
Beverley
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Hi Beverley,
As I said in my last note, you need a time machine for Languedoc - when we moved here 18 years ago old village houses could be bought for two thousand euro and farm land was given away. Luckily we bought our property with every penny we had.
Prices have risen fast over the last ten years, houses I saw sold for 20,000 euro are now selling for up to twenty times as much - the demand is for traditional stone houses with charm as all villages and towns are expanding at a logarithmic rate - the classic old houses are now a rarity.
The reason is that Languedoc was a quiet backwater for eight centuries, everyone went down the Rhone valley and turned left for the Cote d’Azur. But now with a massive investment in rail, road and air communications (the biggest communications investment in Europe) the Languedoc has opened up and the population will double in the next few years. This is not a problem, it will still be among the lowest population densities in France, but the combination of the demand and the best climate in France has had a dramatic affect on property prices.
Today all you can hope to find for 30,000 euro is a total ruin with no land, this will cost from 100,000 euro to renovate, stone built houses cost the earth to work on.
However, this does not mean that property is overpriced - far from it, compared to other regions Languedoc is still underpriced and prices are still rising steadily, in fact now is the time to buy as new-build on newly released, partially subsidised building land is absorbing the demand and this is making the shrinking pool of quality older properties even more attractive, yet they can still be bought for the same price as new houses.
The lowest cost property we have on our books is at 55,000 euro
http://www.coast-country-france.com/french-property/2956.html
Here are some internal photos of this house which I estimate will need at least 50,000 euro spending on it
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=5442&l=0dc1a&id=713410945
I must admit that my personal preferences and locations are dictated by climate, the Mediterranean climate is often chilly in winter and I would never consider living anywhere colder.
We have three dogs, yes you do see dogs (never ours) sitting at a table at lunchtime in a restaurant, you will find the evidence of dogs everywhere in France - the streets are famous for it.
Many thanks - I will certainly continue to enjoy my life here in the South of France, bread, wine, cheese and all.
Hope to see you when you make your trip
Best wishes
Tony
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