Housing estates in Orange

Known as the “City of Princes”, this commune in the north-western part of the Vaucluse forms a crossroads between north and south, Italy and Spain. Right in the middle of an agricultural region, it is home to 29,000 people, 37,300 in its greater urban area.

Orange was an important site for the Romans from whom this locality in the valley of the Rhône has inherited many vestiges. In 1981, its monuments were listed as part of UNESCO’s world heritage. Avignon, Carpentras and Vaison-la-Romaine are all about 20 kilometres away. In 2008, the town reported 13,895 homes versus 12,576 nine years earlier. 88.4 % of the accommodation consists of main residences. Houses account for 52 % of the total, and 61.7 % have at least four main rooms.*

“As far as I know, no new estates are currently being marketed in Orange,” says Daniel Trento of Ventoux Dentelles Immobilier. “At the moment, most of the transactions observed in suburban areas consist of re-sales.” They involve small villas of 80-100 m2 with gardens of 600-700 m2, ranging from 225,000 to 250,000 €, prices which finally correspond to the average budget of local families - and which are holding steady. The market is relatively buoyant despite a general setback in the volume of business. Housing estates are of interest to people working in Avignon, confronted by a lack of similar properties in the Popes’ City or looking to benefit from prices about 20 % lower for the same type of home. The SRU law calls for urban densification and Orange is no exception to the rule. While more leafy than neighbourhoods with blocks of apartments, these areas do not offer a really countrified setting. In nearby villages, potential buyers with similar budgets can obtain comparable surface areas, both indoors and out, giving directly onto rural zones. Currently under review, the PLU (local development plan) should allow for the release of more building land. There is already talk of prospects for two estates with 20 and 40 houses, though there is still a question-mark regarding the effect of new tax laws on these same areas of land. Capital gains tax should not cause owners to abandon their plans to sell.

“Buyers of houses want to be near the town centre,” notes Benoit Castanet of Abord Castanet Immobilier. “The neighbourhood of Le Jonquier, for exemple, offers recent, airy estates with good public transport, while L’Argensol proposes homes which are usually terraced or semi-detached with smaller gardens, like those in the lower part of Le Coudoulet.” Otherwise, connoisseurs appreciate building plots of 800-900 m2 at the heart of the green-oak forest at the upper end of Le Coudoulet, a 5-minute drive from the centre or the motorway towards Marseille. Detached houses appeal to couples with children, whereas seniors prefer apartments close to all amenities, if possible with a terrace and lift. Among his most recent transactions, Benoit Castenet mentions houses of 100 m2 with gardens of about 500 m2, priced from 220,000 to 230,000 €, and a villa of 140 m2 in a garden of 800 m2 acquired for 360,000 € by a couple transferred to the region. At this price level, one often finds clients from outside the region, drawn by the air base of Caritat or the foreign legion. Abord Castanet Immobilier is currently marketing a subdivision comprised of 11 plots of 2,100 m2 at 165,000 €, with free choice of builder and permits for houses of up to 300 m2. *Source : Wikipedia