Valbonne and Biot
While the reputation of the first has travelled well beyond the frontiers of France, the second is characterized by an elevated position, a profusion of sea views and more affordable property prices. Situated within easy reach of the main towns on the coast, these two Provençal villages have many devoted fans.
“Valbonne is definitely the flagship-village in this sector,” says Richard Wolf of Riviera Realty, an agency belonging to the Knight Frank network. “Its image on the international scene is now on a par with that of Mougins, which once had a length ahead.” Here more than elsewhere, the grape-vine functions well : buyers systematically follow up recommendations. There is an extensive Anglo-Saxon community. Every Friday, on market day, the language of Shakespeare rings out in this little town laid out like a checkerboard. For the first time, the primary school caters for more foreign children than French. In both Valbonne and Biot, houses are main residences. The British, Scandinavians and Dutch move in with wife and kids, the head of the family making business trips back and forth, facilitated by the flight network at Nice Airport, one of the widest in France. Valbonne lies at the centre of a pool of international schools. Between Mougins School, the CIV at Sophia-Antipolis and the Fénelon section inaugurated in Grasse two years ago, our young Europeans aren’t lacking in options. A 20-25 minute drive takes one to the airport and the coast, though with a wide choice of local amenities and shops one can easily forego the trip. The configuration of Biot is a little different. Here it’s rather hard to access the historic centres. The Place des Arcades is extremely popular, though the locals of Biot tend to opt more for the main road. Sprinkled with industrial zones, access to the village is less direct and attractive than that of its illustrious neighbour. In compensation, the medieval site benefits from views of the sea thanks to its elevated position, and property prices that are 20 % lower on average. Both communes offer a dense and varied cultural agenda. Together with their countrified settings, quality of life is their most convincing argument.
“In the 1.5 to 5 million euro range, 90 % of purchasers are foreigners pursuing their dream of a holiday home in Provence,” says Jeroen Zaat of Riviera Home Finders. Most are looking for a house within walking distance of the villages. But there’s a penury of properties for sale in Valbonne. Home-seekers have a preference for the Domaine de la Véronière, with grounds of 5,000 m2, surrounded by woodland and close to art-galleries, the only disadvantage being the absence of sweeping views. A defect that doesn’t apply to properties in Le Peyniblou or Le Val Cuberte. At Biot, popular neighbourhoods include the Domaine des Clausonnes, the Chemin de la Chèvre d’Or and, to a lesser extent, the Domaine du Bois Fleuri. In this village known for its glass-blowers, expect prices for a detached house to start at 500,000 € versus 700,000 € in Valbonne. A typical home of 250 m2 in grounds of 2,500 m2 with a swimming pool and a glimpse of the Mediterranean costs 2 million euros. Lovers of old stones will spend 500,000 € for living space of 80 m2 in good condition in immediate proximity to the Place des Arcades in Biot. The market here is mainly French. The success of the science and technology park of Sophia-Antipolis (5,750 acres, 1,276 companies and 26,000 employees), inevitably has an impact on demand. While buyers no longer take too kindly to neo-Provençal architecture, the ultra-contemporary style is having difficulty rearing its head, except for interior decoration.
Michaël Zingraf of the agency of the same name mentions some nuances in the disparity observed between the two localities. While he does not doubt the wide popularity of Valbonne, this specialist points to the Mas Julien, Manoir des Clausonnes and Domaine des Astres, comprising about 450 acres. “These estates on the commune of Biot furnish proof that choice sometimes depends on the houses themselves rather than on their postal codes.” All such estates in the region around Grasse, Roquefort-les-Pins, Le Bar-sur-Loup and Plascassier, situated at the same distance from the main centres of attraction, are potential rivals, just like the Alpilles or the Luberon, less expensive without the Côte d’Azur label. When people dare to compare Valbonne with Mougins, it is always pointed out that a location in the plain will never enjoy the same success as a hill-top village, and that the most prestigious neighbourhoods in Mougins win the day hands down. “The current feeling is that the market needs to become healthier,” adds our specialist. “All kinds of exaggeration are inevitably harmful and deserve to be corrected. Even so, real estate is still a safe investment and top-notch properties on the Côte d’Azur still escape from the tremors experienced elsewhere”.
By Laetitia Rossi
