La Côte Bleue, a privileged real estate micro-market
Radia Amar - 06 May 2014
A small protected area at the gateway to Marseille, the Côte Bleue is made up of charming communes edged by creeks and picturesque fishing harbours. A railway line clinging to the steep cliffs takes you to Carry-le-Rouet.
West of Marseille, as far as the mouth of the Étang de Berre, the Côte Bleue encompasses over a stretch of about 30 kilometres the communes of Sausset-les-Pins and Carry-le-Rouet and little villages such as Le Rove, Ensuès-la-Redonne, La Couronne, Carro... This strip of the coast, joining up with the neighbourhood of L’Estaque in Marseille, can be reached via the A55 and the train service leaving from the Saint-Charles and Aix-en-Provence stations. This protected enclave is a micro-market offering lots of attributes. Here, there is no over-crowding in summer. In all four seasons, residents can peacefully indulge in their jogging sessions on the beach without being bothered by tourists. Renowned for its well-preserved natural setting, the Côte Bleue allows for a life-style between sea and country, ideal for fans of underwater diving, sailing and surfing… The site is blessed with a reach sea bottom and nature zones of ecological interest. The beautiful scenery, the balance between nature and built-up areas, the infrastructures necessary for family life (Sausset-les-Pins has amenities for children from nursery to middle school level) and the proximity of strong pools of employment which are easily accessible all make the Côte Bleue a very sound proposition for a property investment.
“Most of our clients are actively employed and aged from 35 to 50,” explains Judith Agopian, who runs the family agency Promoval created in 1972 in Sausset-les-Pins. “They work in Aix-en-Provence, Marseille, Fos, Marignane, and are often senior executives with Eurocopter or at the airport. For their main homes, they are ideally looking for a villa without too much refurbishment required. With budgets ranging from 400,000 to 500,000 €, they hope to obtain a pleasant family home with three bedrooms and a garden of 500 to 600 m2.” However, at these prices, properties meeting such requirements exist but have become rare, even on the area’s most affordable communes such as Ensuès-la-Redonne, Carro or La Couronne. Houses with views cost over 700,000 €, while some easily go beyond one million euros, as explained by Dominique Miquel, manageress of L’Immobilière du Forum, with one agency in Carry-le-Rouet and another in Sausset-les-Pins : “The Côte Bleue boasts some outstanding locations, quite literally right at the water’s edge”. She is currently commercializing a project for a prestigious residence comprised of four apartments with top-notch appointments on the shore at Sausset-les-Pins. A 3-bedroomed apartment of 90 m2 is proposed here at 740,000 €, another with one bedroom at 440,000 €. “This rare kind of property is typical of the exceptional homes that can be found on the Côte Bleue, though the majority of offerings currently on the market tend to be Provençal-style villas, often in need of modernization.”
Christelle Badet, manageress of the Laforêt agencies in Martigues and Sausset-les-Pins, notes a significant upturn in activity since the beginning of 2014, and prices that have stabilized. “Demand is so steady that we are faced by a lack of available properties,” says this estate-agent who currently has slightly more than 85 properties up for sale on the seafront sector. “About thirty more would be ideal for us to meet demand more efficiently.” With a clientele looking for year-round homes, but also growing demand for holiday residences, she deals with clients from Lyon, Grenoble and Paris, all attracted by this little corner of paradise and its easy access. “The Côte Bleue is close to the Marseille Saint-Charles TGV station and only 25 minutes from the Marignane airport ; our clients can thus come to benefit from their homes for long weekends. Many of them decide to settle here permanently when they retire. Which is why they often search for houses with at least one bedroom and a bathroom on the ground floor,” adds Christelle Badet. For holiday homes, the most popular communes are Sausset-les-Pins, La Couronne and Carro. They provide a quiet, private life-style which appeals to discerning buyers wanting to avoid more bustling towns on the Côte d’Azur.