Livron, Loriol, La Voulte and Le Pouzin

Located in the Drôme and L’Ardèche, these four communes provide fall-back solutions for Montélimar and Valence. They offer rural settings and appealing prices within easy reach of these major towns. Our estate-agents fill in the particulars !…

With close on 10,000 inhabitants, Livron-sur-Drôme, situated 100 km from Lyon, Grenoble and Avignon, is the seventh largest town in the “département”. It is spread out on a hillside between the Rhône and L’Ardèche. During the Wars of Religion, this fortified site made a name for itself. In the second half of the 19th century, the village expanded along the main road, benefitting from the silk industry while also pursuing its agricultural activities. Livron lies at the gateway to the valley of the Drôme, though one’s gaze is immediately drawn to the peaks of Le Vercors. The vine-covered hills keep the orchards company. There is a good bus service to Montélimar and Valence. The economy of Loriol, known for its numerous sports associations, relies on the production of fruit, commerce and the craft industry. Home to 5,050 people, La Voulte-sur-Rhône is in the Ardèche, on the right bank of the Rhône opposite Livron, 18 km from the prefectures of “départements” 07 and 26. Le Pays des Boutières and the superb valley of L’Eyrieux lie to the west. An industrial centre focusing on new technologies, La Voulte offers schools up to intermediate level and a good array of healthcare facilities. Le Pouzin with 2,850 residents is one of the main gateways to the Ardèche. Drawing the interest of solar and wind energy specialists, this industrial, working-class site has a plain which is still cultivated to the south.

”Livron and Loriol benefit from all the on-site shops, services and infrastructures necessary for everyday life,” explains Laurent Guilhot of Solvimo Gret Immobilier. “While their residents are keen to have jobs in Montélimar or Valence, they appreciate these addresses offering a country setting just 1 hour from the mountains, the sea and the capital of the Rhône.” First-time buyers pay around 110,000 € for apartments of 60-65 m2. This type of property, which can bring in monthly income of 550 €, is also popular among investors drawn by this sector with good demand for rentals. With budgets ranging from 160,000 to 180,000 €, older clients want to move closer to amenities in urban centres after selling their houses further out. They opt for comfortable gated residences with lifts. Couples with growing families pay 200,000 to 250,000 € for single-storey villas of 100-110 m2 with gardens of 500-600 m2. Mid- and upper-level employees can afford to go up to 350,000 €. Buyers from Lyon and Paris, a 2 hour 30 minute ride away on the TGV, are looking for holiday homes, a market segment which is, however, rather subdued at the moment. They set their sights on stone houses of about 150 m2 set in grounds of 2,000 m2, priced around 400,000 €. Despite steady demand, Laurent Guilhot says there is a certain hesitancy when it comes to signing on the dotted line.

”Livron, La Voulte, Le Pouzin and Loriol stand at the crossroads of job pools in the Drôme and Ardèche,” says Sylvain Berrée of Eyrieux Immobilier. “Very often, couples work in different towns and are happy to live in these areas close to wide open countryside. The like being able to enjoy mountain-biking, canoing, hiking and horse-riding.” One part of La Voulte, on the hills, overlooks the Rhône with a view of Le Vercors, while the valley of L’Eyrieux is a wild and little-known garden of Eden, ideal for activities in the great outdoors. Close to Montélimar and Privas, Le Pouzin is also very lively. The last five sales handled by the agency were all under the 180,000 € mark. A first-time buyer paid 135,000 € for two apartments to renovate, 80 m2 each, with a garden of 100 m2 and terrace of 40 m2. The aim was twofold : after spending 40,000 € on refurbishment, he will live in one and rent out the other for 500 € per month. A terraced building plot of 1,900 m2 with building rights for a house of 330 m2 then sold for 80,000 €. Finally, a 3-storey town house of 90 m2 built in 1960 and in very good condition, with a terrace and cellar, found a taker at 145,000 €. While sellers are proving to be more reasonable, clients still need to be reassured and backed up regarding their decision to buy.

”Visits have picked up again at a satisfactory pace, mortgage rates are low, and today’s prices are pretty much stable,” comments Benoît Maclin of Guy Hoquet l’Immobilier, with agencies in La Voulte and Livron. These two addresses post the same prices, whereas those in Loriol and Le Pouzin are 10 % lower for equivalent homes. Half of the sales concern houses of 90-100 m2 on estates, priced around 180,000 €. The rest consist of apartments or building land. The area is being increasingly parcelled out. Selling a plot of land is often a solution for those who bought homes in 2007, currently unable to cover their expenses. Benoît Maclin notes a return on the part of investors, reassured by the long-term value of bricks and mortar. However, properties only sell if they are correctly priced. The disappearance of the zero-interest mortagage has inevitably hit first-time buyers. The challenge for the estate-agent now lies in winning back this clientele, worried and unsure of the future. Information, advice and service can make all the difference.

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