Puyricard, charm and convenience

An agglomeration forming part of the town of Aix-en-Provence, Puyricard, set to the north, has its own identity : that of a peripheral neighbourhood with the appeal of a charming village at the edge of the countryside.

Surrounded by nature and linked to the centre of Aix-en-Provence by a 20-minute bus-ride, Puyricard lies between Venelles and Eguilles. It benefits from easy access to motorways and the TGV station, and the Marseille-Marignane Airport is only about 30 minutes away. Laid out around a paved esplanade where the market is held on Fridays, this authentic and historic village is highly prized by buyers in search of a charming home in “bastide” style at the heart of a chic country setting. Families here - members of the local working population and new arrivals transferred to the region – and a few seniors are mainly looking for year-round homes, drawn by the excellent reputation of this area both peaceful and practical. Quiet and “well-off”, Puyricard has about 12,300 residents. It lends its name to a well-known chocolate-making firm founded in 1968.

“Demand is steady in Puyricard, though it’s hard to meet all requests. There is high demand for houses priced from 650,000 to 750,000 €, but properties in this bracket have now become scarce,” explains Caroline Laurent of the agency Caroline Laurent & Associés, which has been active on the commune for over 20 years. “Bastides” pegged from 900,000 to 1.3 M € are more representative of the homes currently available in the portfolio of this agency proposing high-quality properties built of stone. By way of example, Caroline Laurent mentions a charming villa of 200 m2 in a park of 4,000 m2 benefiting from a pool, that she has just sold as a year-round residence for around 950,000 €.

”In fact, the market in Puyricard mainly consists of houses rather than apartments,” adds Stéphan Dupré, who manages the Aix Puyricard Immobilier agency and has been covering the area for a decade. “Overall, prices have fallen. Genuine opportunities are now available for small properties. With a budget of 290,000 €, you can set your sights on a terraced house on an estate near the village. As for more spacious homes of about 130 m2 with gardens of 600 m2 and pools, they start from 550,000 €.”. So what about apartments ? They are rare, as Puyricard is mainly comprised of villas, though some unusual properties can elicit the famous “love at first sight”. As for example, a large loft in the country, on the ground floor of a small co-owned residence. Offering living space of 250 m2, fully fitted out in contemporary style and benefiting from a garden of 1,000 m2, it is currently up for sale at 1,070,000 €.