Les Alpilles, a must address in Provence

Saint-Rémy, Maussane, Eygalières, Eyragues, Maillane, Le Paradou, Mouriès… Names conjuring up the luxury and authenticity of a peaceful, green Provence. Characterized by sublime scenery and carefully maintained traditions, this “high-end” destination offers a property market which, after a few quiet years, now seems to be picking up steam.

Very few areas in Provence can boast legacies from earlier civilizations of such an amplitude. Quarries, aqueducts, abbeys, chapels, Romanesque churches, a fortress, medieval citadel, Renaissance residence, the Château de Barbentane, not forgetting authentic stone “mas” bearing witness to a long period devoted to agriculture. In addition to prestigious monuments, these villages offer the simple, irresistible charm of houses clustered around a central church, close to a square lined with plane trees and cooled by trickling fountains. This lifestyle highlighted by many traditional fêtes throughout the year appeals to many French and foreign clients hoping to find delightful holiday homes here, particularly on one of the communes in the “Golden Triangle” formed by Saint-Rémy, Maussane and Eygalières. Satellite communes such as Maillane and Eyragues also draw a clientele of initiates with in-depth knowledge of the region.

“We have noticed a clear recovery in the market, especially due to attractive mortgage rates,” say Aurélie Freychet and Sandy Marquis of the Agence de Saint-Rémy. “Lower prices also incite buyers to negotiate with sellers, sometimes quite aggressively, even though demand still outstrips supply all over the Alpilles.” They are seeing a comeback on the part of local buyers as well as foreign clients, especially from Belgium and Switzerland, still keeping a close eye on the area. Among their recent sales, our experts mention two large properties priced at around 1 million euros. One in the centre of Saint-Rémy, the second in the country, on almost five acres of land. Set further back, in Graveson, a property of 256 m2 in grounds of 56,000 m2 has also just changed hands at under 500,000 €.

“In fact, 2016 is confirming the improvement seen in the market in 2015,” adds Valérie Lucien of the Agence Actuel. “In addition to French clients, always interested in the area, British buyers benefiting from an advantageous exchange rate are again showing lots of interest in the Alpilles, motivated, among other things, by a long report published in February in the Sunday Times, ranking Saint-Rémy as one of the three communes offering the best living conditions in Europe.” By way of example, Valérie Lucien mentions two properties acquired by British buyers. The first was a recent house in immediate proximity to the village of Eygalières. Comprising four bedrooms, two bathrooms and a garden of 1,000 m2, it sold for 790,000 €. The second was a town house in Saint-Rémy, ideal for a “walk everywhere” lifestyle and particularly pleasant thanks to its two pretty terraces. British buyers in their forties paid around 400,000 € for this charming home. Another example of a recent acquisition, this time by a French family, is a villa with a pool and magnificent view. Set in Saint-Rémy, it was priced at about 750,000 €. “The balance between supply and demand is satisfactory for properties between 600,000 and 800,000 €. On the other hand, there is a lack of prestige properties in the 1.2 to 2 million euro bracket. Fairly estimated, desirable properties now find takers quite rapidly, especially when priced from 1 to 1.5 million euros.”