Avignon extra-muros

Capital of the Christian world in the 16th century, the Prefecture of the Vaucluse boasts the finest and largest Gothic heritage in Europe. Listed as part of UNESCO’s World Heritage, the Popes’ Palace and the Saint-Bénézet bridge are two of the town’s most well-known monuments. 12,000 people live within the city walls, 82,800 share the surrounding area.

Benefitting from rail and air services, Avignon stands at the crossroads of highways heading north-south and east-west. Every year, 3 million passengers pass through one of its two train stations, and 4 million visitors wander through its streets. The town plays host to the world’s largest theatre festival, staging 800 performances attended by 570,000 spectators. The flagship town of Côtes du Rhône wines, 2 hours 40 by train from Paris, 1 hour from Lyon and 30 minutes from Marseille, is also home to 7,000 companies, 1,550 associations, 1,764 shops and 1,305 service suppliers. If the town inside the ramparts, which were built in the 1st century A.D., mostly features old buildings and narrow paved streets, the part of town beyond the walls offers modern architecture, comparable to other French localities. Between the Rhône and Durance rivers, Courtine accommodates a business centre known as “Gare TGV”, representing 115,000 m2 of building land to be developed over the medium term.

“Gradually expanding over the years, the “extra-muros” part of Avignon is particularly heterogeneous,” says Fabrice Mighali of Foncia Sud Immobilier. Just behind the ramparts, Les Sources, Saint-Ruf and Champfleury offer parking facilities and proximity to amenities. Not far from the historic centre, their relatively old apartment blocks cost on average 2,000-2,200 €/m2, with modest houses ranging from 2,400 to 2,600 €/m2. Further out, Saint-Jean and Pont-des-deux-Eaux propose estates with houses of 80 m2 in gardens of 350 m2 costing 210,000 €, and apartments at about 2,000 €/m2. “The boundary between Avignon and Le Pontet is hardly noticeable,” explains this estate-agent based in the town centre. In 2010 alone, five developments, consisting of about 30 apartments each, rose from the ground, selling for approx. 3,000 €/m2. While some people are buying for year-round occupancy, others are set on rental investments benefitting from the Scellier scheme. Recently, one tenant was paying 700 € a month in rent for a 2-bedroom apartment, for which its owner had paid 177,000 €. Neighbourhoods outside the walls, providing family services and all the amenities necessary for everyday life, are popular among 30 and 40 year-olds, as well as first-time buyers, capable of investing up to 100,000 €. At the start of 2011, the zero % loan seems to be giving a fresh boost to demand…

“Even though the market is struggling to regain the cruising speed we saw in 2007,” comments Philippe Gauthier of the Agence du Centre. “The first ring includes the neighbourhoods of Chamfleury, Saint-Ruf, Les Sources, Capdevila and Monclar, all within a radius of 300 metres around the city walls. They are an excellent fall-back choice for fans of the inner city, proposing slightly lower prices, gardens and parking facilities, whereas the sq. metre is pegged at 2,500-2,600 € and can attain 3,000 € intra-muros. The second belt, before one reaches the “rocade”, is not so densely built-up. Houses benefit from more space, and apartments are 20-30 % cheaper. The area immediately surrounding the motorway is largely devoted to council housing. The further out one goes, the more rural the scenery.” Among his most recent sales, our estate-agent cites a detached house of sound construction offering living space of 130 m2 in a mature garden of 480 m2, acquired by a couple with children who were already living in Champfleury, for 310,000 €. An investor from the Vaucluse spent 120,000 € on an apartment of 75 m2 in need of minor refurbishment. Finally, a native of Avignon returning to his home town forked out 210,000 € for a house of 117 m2 requiring some modernization, with a terrace and garage, also in the first ring around the city walls.

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