Bandol, an enviable second address

Marcel Pagnol, Mistinguett, Raimu, Fernandel… They all helped to make this little commune on the coast of the western Var a fashionable place for holidays, well before Brigitte Bardot created the legend of Saint-Tropez.

Sandy beaches, a sailing harbour, a seabed renowned among fans of diving, famous AOC vineyards, a golf-course, casino… All the ingredients are there to make this commune with 8,000 residents, ideally located on a shoreline 9 km long between Marseille (50 km) and Toulon (20 km), a highly sought-after address for a charming holiday home or a permanant residence when one retires. In fact, 51% of the population here is aged over 55. With 73 % of apartments, 27 % houses, Bandol’s living accommodation consists of a wide array of properties whose prices per sq. metre vary considerably depending on their location.

”Most of our enquiries relate to holiday homes in the case of pre-senior clients,” explains Thierry Salvan of Les Agences Boyer, a family-run agency opened in Bandol in the 1960’s which, in its capacity as “syndic”, manages almost 40 % of the commune’s housing. “Mostly from Paris, Grenoble and Saint-Etienne, they are looking for appealing apartments on upper floors, offering a view of the sea and ideally located near the beaches in residences with parking facilities. These clients are confronted by a limited supply of availabilities, and as soon as a property meets all the above criteria, it sells very quickly.” Even though Bandol posts an average price of 4,000- 4,700 € per sqm, properties in ideal locations can rise to 6,500-9,000 € per sqm. Those boasting the very best locations soar to 12,000 € per sqm. By way of example, Thierry Salvan mentions an apartment of 30 m2 in the “Eden Roc” residence, which just sold for 265,000 €, ie. 8,830 € per sqm. On the other hand, residences with out-dated architecture, far from the seafront, contain apartments at much lower prices. As demonstrated by a 2 bedroomed apartment of 60 m2 in need of renovation, which just found a taker at 237,000 €, ie. about 3,900 € per sqm. “Buyers looking for houses need a budget of around 650,000 €, or over 1 million euros for villas offering sweeping views and immediate proximity to the beaches.”

The few new properties for sale in Bandol meet with real success, such as the “Leccinô” development, a pleasant residence comprised of 11 apartments ranging from 1 bedroom to the penthouse. On Rue Marivaux, at the heart of the highly-prized neighbourhood of Pierreplane, this charming address to be delivered in the second quarter of 2017 blends harmoniously into the leafy Provençal setting of this peaceful area. “There are now only 3 apartments still available. The others have been snapped up by local buyers, mainly retirees, but also clients from other regions of France looking for holiday homes,” explain Lionel Veuillet, manager of Valimo, and Valentin Mariller, responsible for the development of this company set up in 2012, specializing in the building and marketing of developments on a human scale (15 to 20 units) on seaside communes in Les Bouches du Rhône and Le Var. Benefiting from a strategic location, in immediate proximity to the beaches and shops, the “Leccinô” residence appeals to buyers who appreciate the comfort offered by new properties and the made-to-measure personalization proposed by this developer. What about prices ? 1 bedroomed apartments are pegged here from 235,000 €, those with two bedrooms - the most popular - from 370,000 €, three bedrooms from 595,000 €, ie. 6,500 € per sqm on average, a price equivalent to the higher bracket of properties up for re-sale in this area. “We have two new residences in the pipeline in Bandol, in addition to those we are currently building in Hyères and the region around Aix.”