An array of assets offered by La Dracénie

Laid out around Draguignan and the TGV station in Les Arcs, this intercommunal entity playing host to about 100,000 residents is comprised of charming hill-top villages in the foothills of Le Verdon, forests, rivers flowing across the plain of Les Maures, prestigious vineyard estates, and secret gorges.

Located in the Middle Var, less than half-an-hour from the beaches, La Dracénie is still a well preserved area with very few tourists. Halfway between the airports of Nice and Marseille-Marignane, it is lively in all four seasons thanks to a solid fabric of cultural activities and associations. In elevated positions, Ampus, Châteaudouble, Callas, Bargemon, Montferrat and Claviers offer superb views of the eastern part of Le Var, while Lorgues, Flayosc, Figanières, Taradeau, La Motte-en-Provence and Trans-en-Provence focus on the cultivation of olive-trees and vines. Le Muy, Les Arcs and Vidauban lie in the plain of L’Argens, at the foot of the Massif des Maures and the Rock of Roquebrune. Home to 38,000 people, the region’s capital, Draguignan, is 12 km from the TGV station in Les Arcs, 30 km from Fréjus and 35 km from the Gulf of Saint-Tropez.

Based in Vidauban for the past 20 years, the agency Les Bastides Blanches specializes in the Central Var sector. Property expert Stéphanie Coursol covers a catchment area that includes Vidauban, with a 10-km perimeter around the commune. “3-bedroomed houses all on one floor with a garage and a garden of at least 800 m2 benefiting from a pool, priced from 200,000 to 300,000 €, are currently the most sought-after homes, though it is currently hard to meet this kind of request,” admits our specialist. Who are the clients ? “People working locally, drawn by the value for money offered by most of the communes, retirees from the Paris region, and a few from Belgium.” First-time buyers with more modest budgets are willing to consider building land. “A small plot can be acquired here for as little as 90,000 €. Following construction of a standard home, the operation will cost less than 250,000 € in all.” Apartments can be found on the larger communes such as Vidauban, Les Arcs and Draguignan, where 1-bedroomed apartments in older buildings start from 70,000 €. New properties offering the same living space (about 40 m2) require budgets of around 100,000 € if they come with a terrace.

One of the loveliest hill-top villages in La Dracénie, Flayosc is perched on a rocky spur, 7 km from Draguignan and Lorgues. Crossed by three streams, the commune is home to about 4,500 residents, attracted by its typically Provençal atmosphere, its amenities and schools, allowing for pleasant family life. “Except for a few apartments in the historic centre ranging from 1,500 to 1,700 € per sq. metre, the accommodation here consists of detached homes. Neo-Provençal villas built in the 1970’s, early 20th-C. houses and a few “mas” costing from 250,000 € for standard homes to 600,000 € for the most desirable properties, benefiting from vast grounds with swimming pools and annexes. Village houses range from 200,000 to 350,000 € depending on their living space, location and condition,” explains Bruno Sabatier, manager of the SOGIP agency opened in Flayosc in 1985. “Our clientele is mainly comprised of local families and a few retirees. Drawn by the commune’s charm, a few north Europeans also buy holiday homes here.” Throughout La Draconie, prices seem to be stabilizing after a constant

decline since 2011.