Holiday homes in the var
The Var is a perfect synthesis between the luminous Côte d’Azur and an authentic Provence. With a coastline over 400 km long, 600 km of rivers, 60 % of its total area dedicated to woodland and 300 days of sunshine per year, this “département” exercises considerable appeal.
The scenery in the Var is both diversified and colourful. Its hill-top villages compete for popularity with its untamed islands. Seaside resorts share the limelight with medieval sites. All facets that justify a heterogeneous tourist market. Of the 10 million visitors recorded last year, 84.2 % were French. Great Britain, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg seem to account for the most foreign visitors. While many choose “Département 83” for its fine sandy beaches, others prefer areas further inland. Some literally sell their souls for the glamorous, festive Saint-Tropez, others opt for the family resort of Sainte-Maxime, the more secluded Cavalaire-sur-Mer, La Croix-Valmer and Le Rayol Canadel, or La Dracénie, an appealing address in the back-country.
“Saint-Tropez is really a world apart from the neighbouring communes,” says Peggy Bancquart of the Guy Hoquet agency. “The former fishing village, an essential port-of-call for celebrities, is still of interest to a wealthy, international clientele. Only 10 % of villas are acquired by French buyers who, on the other hand, account for 25 % of apartment acquisitions The English currently top the bill, even though a few Russian clients have left an indelible impression thanks to the fabulous sums they are ready to pay. The well-off set their sights on Les Parcs de Saint-Tropez, Les Treilles de la Moutte, Les Canoubiers, Tahiti, Sainte-Anne, Le Capon or Le Pinet. With budgets ranging from 3 to 5 M € for a property, they won’t necessarily get a sea view or extensive grounds, assets which cost much more than that. The average transaction in Les Parcs lies between 8 and 15 M €. Apartments at the entrance to the town fetch from 7,000 to 8,500 €/m2. One product, close to the Place des Lices, facing the Mediterranean and prolong-ed by a roof-terrace, is tagged at close on 13,000 €/m2. Without such attributes, smaller apartments rarely drop below the bar of 10,000 €/m2. Combined with irreproachable prestige, an address on the yacht harbour may find a taker at around 20,000 €/m2.
“Sheltered from the wind, Sainte-Maxime is right opposite Saint-Tropez,” says our estate-agent. “Unlike the latter, it is lively year round. 70 % of clients are certainly looking for holiday homes, but a good half of them intend to settle there permanently over the short or medium term. Representing 50 %, the French co-habit with English and Italians. Those who favour the Croisette for its view of the sea and proximity to the town centre are confronted by a penury of properties for sale. Le Sémaphore, a real balcony overlooking the Med, proposes properties that are old and expensive. Le Domaine du Golf, however, offers excellent value for money. Living space of 120 m2 in grounds of 1,000 m2 with the sea right before your eyes costs 1.1 million €. For 240 m2 in 2,500 m2, you’ll need 1,7 million €. La Nartelle adds a natural environment of good quality to its beach. 20 days and 1,150,000 € have sufficed to see a change of ownership for a villa of 180 m2 in 2,500 m2 of grounds. Beauvallon is known for its residential character and lovely elevated views of the Gulf of Saint-Tropez. Its only drawback is the traffic, inevitably too dense in spring and summer. A house of 200 m2 in good condition with grounds of 4,500 m2, plus a panoramic view of the Med, will change hands at 2 million €. Those wanting an apart-ment insist on being in the town centre and within walking distance of long stretches of sand, not forgetting a terrace, preferably with sea view. Which means they have a very limited choice. Furthermore, appointments prove to be well beneath their expectations. The price per sq. metre is 6,000 €, or from 7,000 to 10,000 € in a recently-built residence facing the sea. Prices at Sainte-Maxime are, in fact, hardly any higher than those of Saint-Raphaël. They compete with the price of bricks and mortar one finds at Cavalaire and La Croix-Valmer.”
Cavalaire stretches out at the end of a bay beneath the Massif des Maures. The 3 km of beaches draw more interest than the creeks. Fans of sailing get to know motorboat enthusiasts, drawn by the harbour with 1,230 moorings. Mother Nature is bountiful at La Croix-Valmer. Six km long, the coast is home to magnificent spots such as Gigaro. The 550 acres of the nature park are an invitation to enjoy long walks. 80 % covered by the forest, Le Rayol-Canadel, whose name has been borrowed by an estate, plays host to some sumptuous properties. Philippe Simon of the Goy estate agency sings the praises of the west side of the peninsula, which he describes as “countryside at the water’s edge, far from any hustle and bustle”. “95 % of transactions concern the market for holiday homes. Divided equally between French and foreign, investors are looking for a quality life-style. Highly demanding, they want a pleasant place where they can get together as a family, with 3 to 4 bedrooms at most, attractively laid-out gardens and a pool. The environment here is still well-preserved and residential. Luxury is unostentatious. Apart from exceptions, seafront properties range from 2 to 6 million €. A bracket that will bring a surface area of 300 m2 in grounds ranging from 1,500 to 3,000 m2. A villa surveying the Mediterranean will cost 1.2 to 5 million €. Without a view, a detached house will start at 600,000 €, a good one at 1 million. Priced from 150,000 to 600,000 €, apartments are few and far between and often pretty small.”
The specialist for La Dracénie, Eric Hottinger of Terre de Rêve Immobilier points to the advantages of the Middle Var. Famous for its Côtes de Provence wines, its 16 vineyards, its olive-oil and honey, Lorgues with its 10,000 inhabitants is home to the Château de Berne and the no less illustrious restaurant run by Bruno, king of truffles. Chapels, vines and olive-groves add their enchantment to this undulating region. The locals benefit from all the infrastructures needed for year-round living. The coast and the Gorges du Verdon are 30 mins. away, the motorway and TGV train station 15 mins. In the 550,000-750,000 € range, Provençal villas offer grounds of 4,000 m2. Here, 40 % of buyers come from the Lille-Paris-Lyon axis or the Alpes-Maritimes. The rest are English, Belgian, Dutch or Scandinavian. Le Thoronet has an identical clientele and the same type of accommodation at slightly lower prices, and Les Arcs-sur-Argens bears the same comparison from all points of view. Surrounded by the Maures forest, it boasts a medieval town crowned by a fortress built in the 13th century, but most importantly a hi-speed train. Set on a rock, the listed village of Cotignac attracts the British and Dutch, fond of the classiness of ancient stones. They love the cliff 400 m wide and 80 m tall, the cascading Cassole and the story about Anne of Austria and Louis XIV passing through. Tyical properties can be found from 800,000 to 1 million €. Still availabale in La Dracénie, building plots are drawing the interest of more and more buyers ready to tackle construction. They usually pay about 230,000 € for 4,000 m2.
Estate agents down on the coast say they are satisfied with the business generated by holiday homes. Further inland, Eric Hottinger notes lower prices and a rising number of pre-transaction visits which, however, hasn’t resulted in a drop in the number of transactions.
