Mougins : convincing attributes
Four estate agents invite us to widen this view.
One of the largest in France, the commune of Mougins is often considered as a countrified off-shoot of Cannes… Four estate agents invite us to widen this view.
Mougins and its various neighbourhoods
Beautiful properties in luxuriant settings, plus a village as authentic as they get ! A tour of the various areas with Michaël Choumali of the agency Mougins Prestige.
Le Redon tops the list : properties here range from 350 m2 in grounds of 5,000 m2 (2.5 million €) to 800 m2 in about 5 acres of grounds (over 5 million €). An address highly prized by the English and Saudi Arabians. Les Colles and Pigranel then play host to a majority of Anglo-Saxons, plus a few French, drawn by the views of the sea, village and Estérel hills. Villas of 250-300 m2 in grounds of 3,000-6,000 m2 cost from 2 to 3 million € : demand is higher here than supply. The neighbourhood of L’Étang, home to La Valmasque, Le Domaine de La Chapelle and Les Parcs de Mougins, offer, except for the latter, large residences from 2 to 2.5 M €. Les Parcs propose villas from 250 to 350 m2 in grounds of 2,500 m2 for the same price. Known for its views of the Med and within walking distance of the village, Courteline posts prices between 2 and 3 million €. At Camp Lauvas, houses are smaller and rarely offer a view. People who work locally live here in homes costing from 1 to 1.8 million €. Finally, the less expensive areas of Les Cabrières and Le Gylloue propose 200 m2 in grounds of 2,000 m2 for 1 million €. Fans of apartments, who often work in the region, set their sights on Tournamy. A flat of 50 m2 in a residence with pool and tennis court costs 180,000 € ; 80 m2 with a terrace of 40 m2 costs 350,000 € in the same area. Mougins promises a quality life-style, a countrified setting and nearby amenities. The only setback is the noise from the road network and the presence of high-tension cables.
Village houses
This market is definitely the most secret and closed in Mougins. Fabrice Bernerd from the Arthur Amilton agency leads the tour.
“We’re more than proud to have three village houses for sale on our books,” confides Fabrice Bernerd. Which just goes to show how rare the commodity actually is. Buyers hope for a view of the Bay of Cannes to the south, the countryside around Grasse to the north, and a terrace. Houses built in the 18th and 19th centuries rarely meet this last requirement. This type of property ranges from 7,000 to 10,000 € per sq. metre, whereas houses in the middle of the village cost 4,000 €. A house of 90 m2 on 3 floors facing towards Grasse is worth 680,000 €. For 260 m2, renovated throughout, the price tag is 1,360,000 €. Residents in the village, 60 % occupied by holiday homes, are north European, Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon. They appreciate local restaurants such as Le Moulin de Mougins and Le Mas Candille, and like being close to Cannes. Prices are so high that intra-muros properties often compete with villas just outside the village. A house of 480 m2 in perfect condition with sea view will sell for 2,100,000 €, ie. 4,200 €/m2. Valbonne, with no view of the Med yet prices between 4,000 and 5,500 €/m2, also attracts those who find Mougins too dear. Mostly with budgets of 500,000 €, they opt for this artsy village and hope for a sweeping view for the price. Unfortunately, it’s becoming ever more difficult. The coming months will tell whether the village will find takers at these levels, or whether owners will have to lower their prices.
The sirens' song
It can be heard in London, Dublin and other capitals of northern Europe. Pauline Challoner of Coast & Country explains the presence of so many foreigners in Mougins.
“90% of our clients are foreigners, 70% Anglo-Saxon,” declares this estate agent straight away. It’s not rare to see entire families settling in here. The many routes offered by Nice Côte d’Azur International Airport and low-cost flights make frequent trips more attractive, thus enabling some foreigners to pursue their professional activities while being based in France. Others look to work in the region. Mougins’ International School, which has 440 pupils and a curriculum adapted to their countries of origin, is a bonus for parents. The phenomenon naturally has an impact on the property market. Clients are younger and there is strong demand for homes under 1 million €. A house of 160 m2 with grounds of 1,100 m2 with a small pool in the direction towards Cannes costs 745,000 €. But the scarcity of this type of home makes it hard to accommodate this type of budget. Some buyers have recently sold homes in places where property is booming : they arrive with budgets in the 1.2-1.7 million € bracket. In this range, the choice is wider. The English and Irish, fond of stone “mas” or luxurious neo-Provençal villas, are ready to pay from 1.5 to 2 million €. Highly prized, the rare views of the sea are here often synonymous with noise. Foreign clients also appreciate the golf-courses : Cannes Mougins, Royal Mougins, Saint-Donat, La Grande Bastide and La Bégude are all within 10 minutes of each other. These buyers also adore the old village, its art galleries, exhibitions, local hotels and restaurants
Building plots, a rare commodity
The Côte d’Azur suffers from a real scarcity of building land. Many areas are affected and prices rise accordingly. Michel Brévier of the Keops agency describes the situation in Mougins.
There is little building land available in Mougins. Approval of the PLU (Local Urbanism Plan), scheduled for early 2007, should liberate a few more plots of 2,000 m2 at Les Bréguières and in the Vicaire neighbourhood, where mixed programmes of houses and apartments are in the pipeline. In keeping with the PPRI (Fire Prevention Plan), properties must be built within 150-200 metres of a fire hydrant. If this condition isn’t met, the buyer has to provide one. Another aim is to curb urban sprawl while grouping accommodation closer together. People in fact expect the PLU to be less lax than the COS (building ratio). All these factors explain the high prices. A plot of 1,500 m2 (COS 225 m2) with village view costs 360,000 €. 2,500 m2 (COS 250 m2) with a glimpse of the Med goes for 630,000 €. The same surface area with scenic sea view ranges from 800,000 to 1 million €. This sector draws developers, property dealers and French home-seekers : foreigners prefer homes ready to move in. The minimum budget (land and construction) is close on 1 million €. When choosing a spot, priority goes to accessibility, no noise and a residential, preferably secure, setting. Land is still in steady demand because it guarantees a profit of 20% and more once the property is re-offered for sale. Most buyers keep their property for 5 years on average, to avoid paying VAT on the profit margin.
By Laetitia Rossi - photos : press.
