Le Pouliguen, an address of undeniable charm

A seaside resort on the Côte d’Amour highly-prized for its fishing and yacht harbour, Le Pouliguen sees its population multipied by eight in the summer season, when its holiday homes all come back to life...

Like Batz-sur-Mer, Le Pouliguen remained a loyal practitioner of its native Breton tongue ; it was still used in the late 19th-C. In 2012, only 5,199 people live all year round in Le Pouliguen. But in summer, the commune swells to accommodate up to 40,000 people. The reason for this popularity ? The charm and authenticity of this address, close to Nantes, Angers and Paris, which is only a 3-hour train-ride away by TGV. Rubbing shoulders with La Baule, Le Pouliguen is edged to the north by the famous salt marshes of Guérande ; to the south, the shore is divided by the Pointe de Penchâteau, while to the west, one discovers the Côte Sauvage with its rocky cliffs and a few beaches. People working in Le Pouliguen (some of whom live in Guérande and on the hills behind La Baule) opt for the centre, the harbour and their immediate surroundings, as do retirees. They want to be near shops and schools. This part of town offers both houses and apartments. “Accommodation in Pouliguen is somewhat out-dated,” says Vanessa Piaumier of the Agence du Casino. “The most recent residences were built in 2000 and most of the apartments are in older buildings.” For a 1-bedroom apartment of 40 m2 in a “recent” residence, with a terrace and parking place, but no sea view, prices range from 150,000 to 170,000 €. Prices which rise as soon as one can see the ocean, to attain 7,000 or 8,000 €/m2. Houses are to be found in a radius of about 1 kilometre around the town centre. They cost from 250,000 to 350,000 € : one example of 70 to 80 m2 with a small garden is on offer for 300,000, another of 90 m2 with a garden of 100 m2 will fetch between 350,000 and 450,000 €. These properties are mostly of interest to retirees, the majority from the capitale (60 %), but also from Anjou, La Sarthe, La Mayenne and northern France. The housing offered by Le Pouliguen and, even more so, La Pointe de Penchâteau and the Côte Sauvage, mostly consists of second homes. A soon as they are located in more highly-prized areas, their prices begin to rise.

“On the Pointe de Penchâteau, there are some very lovely properties at the edge of the bay and ocean, which attract a clientele disposing of high purchasing power,” says Philippe Gérard of AGP Immobilier. Some of these old family residences (which will stay that way, even if they change hands) belong to the category of outstanding assets : logically enough, their prices reflect their appointments and location, sometimes attaining 3 million euros. In the summer months, they perpetuate tradition, becoming ideal magnets for inter-generational get-togethers. With its rocky cliffs and a few beaches, the Côte Sauvage also offers some desirable houses with sea views, highly sought-after but less expensive, ie. from 700,000 to 1.5 million euros. Recently, one such home of 150 m2, fully renovated, sold for 1.2 million euros. At the edge of the woods of Pouliguen, a house of 80 m2 to renovate is up for sale at 320,000 € and, at the same address, a large house of 145 m2, in need of total rehabilitation, with grounds of 1,200 m2, is worth 1.3 million euros. “Rarity explains the price,” explain Béatrice and Laurent Martin of the agency Maisons de Famille. “The market here is somewhat special. Clients are looking for a quality life-style, a sea view if possible, a garden and sunshine ! As well as a bedroom on the ground floor which they will use increasingly over the years, leaving the upper floor to their children and grand-children.” Those not lucky enough to be owners are prepared to rent. For a house in the town centre, attractively modernized, with four bedrooms and a garden, they pay on average 1,200 € per week.

Hardly 2 km from Le Pouliguen, Saillé has taken shelter at the heart of the salt marshes of Guérande. This charming little commune is home to the “Maison des Paludiers”, a museum tracing the history of the heirs and guardians of a unique legacy ; almost like magicians, the men who extract a grain of salt from a drop of water. Here in Saillé, for the duration of a tour of the salt marshes, time seems to have stood still. The traditional stone houses, some of which date back to the 1600’s, have retained their character, while rarer, more recent constructions are required to adhere to very strict regulations and, once completed, blend in with the scenery. A typical small house of 80 m2 with a little garden costs about 200,000 €. In both Saillé and Le Pouliguen, buyers are 95 % French ; mostly Parisians, wanting to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and its suburbs for the peacefulness and natural beauty of the Loire-Atlantique. Here, the property market for both year-round and holiday homes enjoyed a good year in 2011. The new laws on capital gains incite buyers to hang on to their acquisitions. And while estate-agents aren’t prepared to give any forecasts for the presidential election year of 2012, they pin their hopes on the area’s very evident assets. Crisis or no crisis, the charm of this address is not likely to change.

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