Fréjus and Saint-Raphaël, a popular “walk everywhere” lifestyle

Radia Amar - 21 June 2016

Between the Estérel hills and the Mediterranean, between Cannes and Saint-Tropez, Fréjus and Saint-Raphaël benefit from good connections thanks to the A8 motorway and the TGV railway line. Their accommodation is evenly shared out between permanent and holiday homes. Over 30 % of the population consists of retirees looking for a comfortable lifestyle close to amenities. The town centres and certain residential areas are thus doing well.

With five branches in Fréjus, Agay, Saint-Raphaël, Valescure and Boulouris, the WF King Immo agency offers real expertise on the multiple aspects of this property market in the Var. Bernard Santos, manager of the branch in Fréjus, mainly covers the highly-prized area of La Tour de Mare, a lively residential address, ideally located near the town centre and access to the motorway. “Buyers appreciate La Tour de Mare for its convenient location, its quiet leafy setting, and its amenities, especially its schools with good reputations. 70% of transactions here concern main homes for the locally employed, the remaining 30 % consisting of holiday homes for retirees from various regions of France.” Local families, but also people working in Sophia Antipolis and sales agents covering the region between Nice and Marseille, thus set their sights on La Tour de Mare, drawn by its excellent value for money. “The market has seen a beneficial clean-out. Sellers now understand how the situation is evolving, and trust us to make fair estimates of their properties. The most frequent enquiries are for houses priced from 300,000 to 450,000 €. Those in the 600,000-700,000 bracket are suffering from a lack of takers, though high-end properties, recent and in contemporary style, worth close on 1 million euros, are also highly-prized.” For around 400,000 €, buyers can set their sights on houses of about 100 m2 built between 1990 and 1995, with gardens of 400 m2 but no pool. The “Jardin César” and “ Pinède Romane” estates are the most highly sought-after, as they offer airy layout and gardens often attaining 500 m2.

“When properties are close to the centre and offered at their true market price, they sell within a reasonable amount of time, in both Fréjus and Saint-Raphaël,” notes Alexandre Ary, negotiator for Canat & Warton, an agency specializing in new, recent and prestige properties with branches in Bandol, Hyères-les-Palmiers, Le Lavandou, Saint-Raphaël and Toulon. He recently handled the sale of a 1-bedroom apartment of 50 m2 priced at 375,000 €, benefiting from a terrace with sea view in the “Bleu Horizon”, the smartest residence in Fréjus Plage. “Today, even high-end properties are seeing more sluggish prices. Sellers initially hope for much higher estimates. We have to guide them and explain exactly how the local market is evolving,” says Alexandre Ary. “Our clients are mainly looking for holiday homes offering the potential to become their year-round residences once they retire. In search of comfort, they focus on apartments of quality, modernized and allowing for a pleasant lifestyle, with everything within walking distance. Neighbourhoods near amenities, shops and the beaches are naturally the most popular.” Due to steady demand for properties offering all these advantages, buyers come up against limited availabilities. In Saint-Raphaël, several new residences with apartments pegged from 4,500 to 6,000 € per sq. metre are getting a good reception. “We are handling the sale of several developments as sole agents. Quality appointments and the terms of the sale, especially reduced notary’s fees, make these properties attractive for our clients looking for smart 2-bedroomed apartments with budgets between 300,000 and 600,000 €. The Santa Lucia and Plateau Notre Dame areas, and neighbourhoods around the Old Port and town centre, are highly-prized addresses. The local market here is lively and prices tend to be well-balanced. On the other hand, as soon as one moves further from the centre, prices are falling. Contacting our services for an estimate as close as possible to the reality of this market in which location is the N°1 factor is therefore essential to obtain a clear understanding of each property’s potential.”