Biarritz : neighbourhoods on the rise

A flagship address on the Basque Coast, Biarritz is a highly-esteemed seaside resort where views of the sea are still worth their weight in gold. Focus on fashonable new neighbourhoods, benefiting from lots of vitality !

“All for me, the wind, the stars and the sea…” Such is the motto of this town with 30,000 residents, just 50 km from the Spanish town of San Sebastian. Back in the 19th century, Biarritz was in its heyday when Empress Eugénie decided to stay there on a regular basis. Europe’s aristocracy followed suit, and the commune embarked upon its urban development, building smart “Belle Epoque” res­idences. Later on, in 1957, American screenwriter Peter Viertel launched the fad for surfing, though elegant golfers had already been teeing off on the 84 acres of the golf-course of Le Phare for the past 10 years. Today, the very name of this paradise for surfers still conjures up the image of a unique life-style blending elegance and relaxation.

Soizic Pluquet inaugurated the Dream Home agency a few months ago in Biarritz, proposing a customized concept for a French and international clientele. “So far this year, sales have balanced out evenly between permanent and holiday homes. There are more and more people choosing Biarritz to make a change in their lives, especially self-employed professionals who can work from home.” Arriving from Paris, Bordeaux, Toulouse, the Côte d’Azur, Switzerland or Northern Europe, they have no hesitation when they have familes in treating themselves to pretty houses in the Anglet area. Investors and those looking for a pied-à-terre are as keen as ever on the hyper-centre, around Place Georges-Clémenceau, so that they can go everywhere on foot. Neighbourhoods such as Beau Rivage and Saint-Charles–Miramar provide the highest rental income. Prices here range on average from 5,200 to 5,500 € per sqm, prices that can double for outstanding properties on the seafront, which never lose their value.

”For apartments, the hyper-centre is still very popular. The neighbourhoods of Les Halles, Beau Rivage, Jardin Public, Le Palais and the lower part of Saint-Charles top the lists of clients mainly looking for 2-bedroomed apartments at around 300,000 €,” says Johanne Mariette, manageress of the Côté Particulier agency, based in Biarritz since 2011. Apartments in good locations, ideally benefiting from parking facilities and outdoor areas, are becoming scarce, with prices thus remaining on an upward trend. Slightly further out but offering easy access to the centre, especially since the municipality has introduced a system of free shuttles, the Saint-Martin area is growing in popularity. Until the early 19th century, this neighbourhood was, in fact, the town centre. Rather like a village, it is very pleasant with its little food shops and cultural events. “Demand has been rising over the past few months. Here, you can find a small house with 2 or 3 bedrooms under 500,000 €,” explains Johanne Mariette, mentioning a small villa of 70 m2 to renovate, which sold for 330,000 €. “Once the work is complete, it will easily be estimated at around 400,000 €.”

Combining the skills of prime contractors and the expertise of estate agents, Le Concept Immobilier is an innovative firm which takes charge of all the embellishment work required by its clients’ acquisitions. “Buyers appreciate the formula, especially if they are acquiring a holiday home. We even go as far as redecorating a property,” explain Stéphane Meunier and Béatrice Cayol, responsible for the transaction side. “A new kind of clientele is now looking for properties in uncluttered contemporary style, with larger windows. It is very hard to find this kind of property in Biarritz, and building land is extremely rare, so the idea of transforming an existing home becomes a natural solution. Especially as clients in their fifties with hefty budgets between 800,000 and 1.2 M € often see a holiday home as their future permanent address. It might as well be redone to their taste right from the start.” Among the neighbourhoods that are increasingly sought after, our experts readily cite that of Espagne. An area undergoing real evolution, often described as “bobo” (chic and trendy) thanks to the liveliness of its streets with shops, bars and restaurants open year-round. Here one can find town houses, former fishermen’s homes with lots of charm, and a few high-end apartments. Among their most recent sales, Béatrice Cayol and Stéphane Meunier mention an impeccable split-level apartment of 130 m2 with 3 bedrooms, cont­emporary appointments, and a price-tag of around 800,000 €.