AU COURANT
Keeping you up to date with the French property market, news, travel and events
SECOND LARGEST REGION IS FIRST FOR LIVING AND WORKING
Montpellier is one of the region’s most vibrant cities
Carcassonne’s property market has been “red hot” over the last year
an estimated 800,000 new inhabitants. It’s also a young and vibrant region with 30% of the population being under 25 years old; it’s home to 35 prestigious schools and universities. Plus there are strong winemaking and tourism industries, which often attract UK expats. While British buyers are
drawn by the sunny climate, historic towns, medieval villages and spectacular mountain, vineyard and coastal scenery, the region as a whole is no sleepy backwater. “Occitanie benefi ts from the
I
t may well be the second largest region in France but it is certainly number one for being the place where
people want to live and work.” The bold opening statement of the Occitanie Market Comment (winter 2022/spring 2023) from France-wide estate agency Leggett Immobilier is based on various factors, not least being the dynamic cities of Montpellier and Toulouse, which attract incomers from
On the market
the rest of France as well as northern Europe and further afi eld. With a €5.7bn state/ regional investment being injected into the region by 2027, its popularity is only set to increase. The super-sized region was previously the two regions of Midi-Pyrénées and Languedoc-Roussillon, which have long attracted British housebuyers. Notaires de France data show price rises for both apartments (6.3%)
and houses (4.6%) over the past 12 months, the report points out, going on to say that since the Covid pandemic, “there has been a clear shift in demand towards country property”. With a choice of 10 airports
and a superb motorway/ rail network, Occitanie is a gateway to the rest of Europe and beyond. It has the highest population growth in France; by 2030 it will have welcomed
FIND MORE OCCITANIE PROPERTIES ON
FRANCEPROPERTYSHOP.COM &
FRENCHENTREE.COM
strength of an economy that combines high technology with tradition,” the report states. “This is a region that leads the way in aeronautics, space, smart transport, artifi cial intelligence and robotics. It is committed to energy transition and the maritime economy. Yet it is known for its historic castles and citadels, its picturesque bastide towns and its glorious gastronomy. The future of the Occitanie property market looks rosy indeed”. The report goes on to look
at the departments and towns of Occitanie in more detail, including Carcassonne in Aude, where local Leggett agent Andrew Ruck has had a record year. “Carcassonne is a very popular spot for second- home owners and the property market has been red hot over the last 12 months,” he says. “One signifi cant trend is
€445,000, Lot: Five-bedroom house with two-bedroom gîte, swimming pool, stables and outbuildings in the heart of the countryside
€120,000, Aude: Just a two- minute walk from Carcassonne town centre, close to the citadel and Aude river, is this traditional three-bedroom terraced house
€275,000, Hérault: Bourgeoise house with fi ve bedrooms, courtyard, terrace and attic for conversion, in a village with bar, restaurants, shops, schools
that buyers here are getting younger,” comments Natasja Kovaks, who covers the Lot and Tarn-et-Garonne departments. “Often they are benefi ting from early retirement or are planning to do so... and are buying permanent homes or a second home to retire to later in life.”
leggettfrance.com
4 FRENCH PROPERTY NEWS: March/April 2023 11
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