A house in Béziers

With 72,500 inhabitants, the second largest town in L’Hérault lies in a plain in an area largely devoted to wine production, overlooking the Orb and the Canal du Midi, just 10 km from the Mediterranean. Less than half of Béziers’ territory is built-up, leaving a generous share to cultivated land and natural open spaces.

With 2,700 years of history to its credit, the fourth largest commune in the Languedoc-Roussillon region has benefitted since the ’sixties from the booming tourist trade explained by the sandy beaches of the Gulf of Lion. The town itself is home to the nine locks of Fonsérannes (Canal du Midi), part of UNESCO’s World Heritage. The IUT (Institute of Technology) was founded in 1992 and the university in 1996. The opening of the A75, which crosses the A9, is giving the town a fresh boost, just like the TGV express train, which puts Paris only 4 hours 10 minutes away. The historic heart of the town is being treated to a makeover, while several large urban projects are on the drawing-board, even though more efforts are still needed, particularly in the centre. The quality of life offered by Béziers leaves no-one in any doubt. Today, everyone is working to strengthen the local economy, encouraged by improved means of access.

“Les Arènes unquestionably tops the bill,” introduces Frédéric Peramo of the I.C.I. agency. Ultra-central, this quiet, leafy and well-frequented neighbourhood features desirable houses built in the 1930’s, 1960’s and 1970’s. A property of 100 m2 with a garden of 500 m2 - ie. the most modest example - starts at 200,000 €, while a château can exceed 1 million euros. Residents appreciate the immediate proximity of shops and amenities. Les Peintres, set back slightly further from the centre, is also very quiet, though its architecture, in “pavillonnaire” style, has much less character. Here, the sq. metre ranges from 1,500 to 2,000 €. A 5 minute walk away, La Crouzette, posting prices from 1,200 to 1,800 €/m2, offers smaller gardens. Prices remain stable in the first ring around the town, areas to the taste of fans of gardening : they then drop significantly around the second ring (15 km or more from the centre). Recently, a house of 100 m2 with a garden of 500 m2 and a swimming pool in Colombiers found a taker for 250,000 €. Over in Maraussan, a home of 130 m2 built in 2007 is up for sale at 290,000 €. The market for houses is currently more active than that for apartments, presented in the same ratios. Retirees from outside the region routinely insist on a garden. If the market is currently steady, the crisis seems to be living its last hours. Frédéric Peramo nevertheless admits to having some reservations about the outcome of new estates in Le Val de la Reille and Bonaval. The coming years will reveal the potential of this type of densely concentrated housing.

“The popularity of Les Arènes and La Sainte-Famille did not start yesterday : the site is an excellent compromise between the hyper-centre and the first ring. Development is focused on vacant land in the area bounded by the eastern and northern bypass and the town, which comes up against the river, to the west, and the motorway to the south,” says Jean-Louis Dreuille of the family-based agency Via Sud. In terms of building land, there are still many opportunities. This geographical feature explains attractive prices for a locality just a 10-minute drive from the sea. Within a listed area, the Paul Riquet and Cathédrale neighbourhoods boast medieval, 18th-century and Haussmann buildings, bearing witness to the prosperity of former vineyard owners. In need of total renovation, the sq. metre ranges from 700 to 1,000 € : once modernized, it fetches 1,200 to 1,500 €. A local family with two children would pay 318,000 € for a home of 240 m2 in excellent condition facing Le Biterrois, with a small garden of 30 m2, a terrace of 60 m2, a vaulted cellar of 100 m2 and a garage of 80 m2. Which gives 1,300 €/m2, or a weighted 1,100 €/m2, a good market price for the centre, with excellent potential for appreciation over the medium term. Béziers is in fact sitting on an outstanding heritage in terms of real estate, which is gradually being revealed by the town’s current revamping projects.

“The sale of houses accounts for 95 % of turnover. Most are intended as main residences, some are acquired in anticipation of retirement. These fans of the sun and a pleasant life-style come from northern, central and eastern France,” adds Michaël Canaveira of Belon Immobilier. Recent villas with 3 or 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a garden of 500-600 m2, with a pool or a garden large enough to build one, are extremely popular. A property’s condition and age then influence the price. All potential buyers attach great importance to layout and volumes, light and interior decor. The recovery in the market is naturally explained by a drop in prices of 10-15 %. Particularly well-informed, owners are waiting until they have sold their homes before embarking on new acquisitions they intend to be both reasonable and rational. If sellers indeed play their part in regulating the market, their decision-making is slow, but in fact crucial, if activity is to resume a smoother flow and a satisfactory cruising speed.