From Uzès to Goudargues, a very extensive area

While Uzès is the real gem of this area, the northern part of Le Gard boasts many villages, each one more charming than the last. Authentic and close to nature, they are much-appreciated by tourists who often acquire holiday homes here.

In a triangle formed by Alès, 32 km to the north-west, Avignon, 40 km to the east, and Nîmes, 25 km to the south, Uzès is listed as a town of art and history. In its historic centre, one discovers very lovely façades dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries, private mansions, narrow cobblestoned streets harking back to medieval times. Its famous square, the Place aux Herbes, surrounded by plane-trees, has a large fountain in the middle ; here, every week, a market is held, known for its colours and fragrances. In the centre, most of the village houses have already been restored. A few years ago, the British were here in considerable number, though they are now somewhat thinner on the ground. They have been replaced by fans from Belgium, Switzerland and Luxembourg who live in these split-level apartments, with or without terraces. The price per sq. metre is 2,800-2,900 € for a perfectly rehabilitated property, rather up-market, with a small inner courtyard or terrace. The middle range can be had for around 2,000 €/m2.

“Our clients are looking for “Uzès on foot,”” say Laurence and Philippe Deloeuvre of the Agence du Passage. “This perimeter, around the historic centre, compensates for its lack of terraces or gardens by the fact that it is, precisely, within Uzès.” An old house of 120-150 m2 on 3 floors can go beyond 3,000 €/m2. The town also has a few recent gated residences of high quality, with terraces, shared swimming pools and garaging in the basements ; one then needs a budget of 3,300 to 3,500 €/m2. They appeal to retirees wanting a full range of amenities close to their apartments, and foreigners who come for holidays, benefitting from their homes without having to deal with the maintenance involved in a house. As one gets further from the centre, one discovers neighbourhoods, some of which are in high demand, such as Carignargues. Formerly offering scubland scenery with small “mas”, this highly residential area contains old houses and more recent homes. A prestigious “bastide” with refined appointments and a pool in 2,000 m2 of grounds will cost from 4,000 to 4,400 €/m2. “As a general rule, two-thirds of the sales concern buyers who are not year-round residents, the other third being made up of locals,” note Laurence and Philippe Deleouvre. Working people hoping to become home-owners, especially if they are young, are often confronted by financing problems. They then set their sights on a radius of 4 or 5 km around the town, in villages like Saint-Quentin-la-Poterie, Saint-Siffret, Saint-Maximin, Arpaillargues, Montaren or Blausac. These communes also draw buyers for whom outdoor areas and the charm of old stones are high on the list. Here, it’s hard to find a “mas” with a pool (or the possibility of one), in grounds of 1,000 m2, for less than 500,000 €. For a more recent house, the budget lies between 2,400 and 2,800 €/m2 - and demand is strong.

Goudargues with 1,016 residents is nicknamed the “Venice of Le Gard”, due to the canal running through the village. 35 km further on, one discovers Marcoule, a source of employment with working people who can only raise a budget of up to 200,000 €. In Saint-André-de-Roquepertuis, 2 minutes from Goudargues, 3-bedroomed houses of 90 m2 can be found with gardens of 1,500 m2 for 190,000 €. Inevitably, for more living space one has to delve deeper into one’s wallet : 240,000 € for 110-120 m2 in grounds of 1,000 m2 with a pool. Alternatively, one can take a look at apartments in town ; if they offer a terrace, they soon find a taker. In Bagnols, a 2-bedroom apartment of 60 m2 with a parking place but no exterior costs 80,000 €. Add another 10 % if it does have a terrace. “These properties appeal to three kinds of clients : young families, retirees who have sold their houses to get closer to amenities, and investors, who then rent them out,” says Anthony Gazan of Cimm Immobilier. For the rental market in the valley of La Sèze is very lively. A 2-bedroom apartment will rent for 500 €/month without a terrace, 600 € with ; a 3-bedroom apartment, from 600 to 680 €, and a house from 650 to 800 €. There are few housing estates, though building land for all budgets is still available in the valley of La Sèze. Prices start from 50 €/m2 for plots ranging from 1,000 to 1,500 m2, with a mandatory septic tank to be installed. Also up for sale, smaller plots which are connected to the main sewage system, closer to the centre of the village and priced around 80-110 €/m2 for 600 to 900 m2. Cimm Immobilier proposes a turnkey project comprising the acquisition of a plot of land and construction of the house. By way of example, a 3-bedroom villa of 95 m2 with a garden of about 800 m2 will cost from 150,000 to 200,000 €, ie. the budget of a couple of first-time buyers.

The northern part of Le Gard also boasts some desirable and even outstanding properties, 90 % of them likely to become second residences. On the Vaucluse side, the valley of La Sèze offers a few examples. Close to Uzès, 45 minutes from Nîmes and Avignon, these properties pegged at 1 million euros or more guarantee authenticity, charm, tasteful appointments, extensive landscaped grounds (from 5,000 m2 to 2.5 acres), not forgetting a view. Anthony Gazan of Midimas, an estate agency specializing in high-end properties, explains that : “The clientele is mainly composed of former company directors and self-employed professionals, young retirees aiming to enjoy a quality environment and life-style”. They are joined by Parisians who can reach the capital in 2 hrs 40 by TGV, work there three days a week and go home for the remaining four. One hour from the beaches (of Le Gros du Roi or La Grande Motte), a little over an hour from winter sports resorts in the Drôme, the northern part of Le Gard and the valley of La Sèze have lots of persuasive arguments. Over the long-term, that’s to say in about 10 years’ time, our estate-agents even see the region shaping up as the future Luberon.