Loire-Atlantique, between land and sea
Radia Amar - 02 December 2013
With two very popular towns - Nantes and La Baule-Escoublac -, the département of Loire-Atlantique offers an urban asset which is lively at both economic and cultural level, and a tourist attraction whose reputation extends well beyond the region’s boundaries.
Elected “European Green Capital” in 2013, Nantes should host the international Nantes Atlantique Airport by 2017 : work is scheduled to commence early in 2014. Back in 2004, Time magazine ranked Nantes the most pleasant city in Europe thanks to its many parks, gardens and waterways. The town has pursued numerous initiatives to makes residents’ life easier, such as the Chronobus, introduced in 2011.
77 km to the west, La Baule-Escoublac is renowned as having the longest shoreline in Europe. Facing the Atlantic Ocean, the commune owes its expansion to the development of seaside tourism. The second most important town in the département, it is a very pleasant place for year-round living or delightful stays. It benefits from the “Vélocéan” scheme : 126 km of biking trails inviting fans to explore the coast. La Baule is rehabilitating its town centre and planning to open a business hub dedicated to new technologies.
In Nantes, despite a more hesitant market due to the overall economic slowdown, real estate is holding up very well. “The prices of high-quality intra-boulevard properties are even showing a slight rise,” says David Meheust, director of the sales department in the Cabinet Thierry, based in Nantes since 1924. He has also spotted a new trend : “Buyers are taking more interest in energy ratings. Nowadays, a property’s EPD clearly has an impact on its price”. Residences built in the 60’s and 70’s are thus seeing less demand. Attractive, and even more highly-prized since the arrival of line 2 of the tramway and the Chronobus, the Hauts-Pavés-Saint-Félix area - encompassing Monselet, Saint-Pasquier and Pont Morand - offers a good arrray of high-end apartments and lovely old houses. People appreciate the pedestrian lifestyle. Old apartments here cost from 3,000 to 4,500 € per sq. metre, new ones start at 5,000 €. On average, the price of a 2- or 3-bedroomed apartment in the centre of Nantes ranges from 170,000 to 230,000 € depending on the neighbourhood, overall condition, date of renovation of the façade, existence or lack of a lift... In the case of houses, the average budget is around 400,000 €. “Properties over and above 700,000 € are struggling to find takers.” In the area around Nantes, properties such as small châteaux or manor houses offer high potential for a niche clientele, drawn by such residences dating back to the 17th and 18th centuries.
On the coast, La Baule continues to be a sound value. A town considered as a desirable address and long-term investment, as confirmed by Françoise Appert, manageress of Beaulande, one of the oldest agencies in the seaside resort. “Uncertainty about the tax situation is certainly causing a slowdown in sales,” she says, “but the value of properties in the centre of La Baule is never in any doubt”. On the other hand, as soon as one leaves La Baule, prices drop significantly. “Location is the decisive factor,” explains Françoise Appert. The most highly-prized properties are apartments on the Benoît beach. They range from 10,000 to 15,000 € per sq. metre. As for houses close to shops, they sell from 600,000 up to several million euros depending on their condition and appointments. For example, a luxurious 1930’s property in La Baule-les-Pins is currently on offer at 2.5 million euros. A refined seaside resort, La Baule has always been popular among pre-retirees from Paris, Nantes, Cholet and Rennes, looking for a high-quality home they hope to make their year-round residence in the not-too-distant future.