The area east of Toulouse

Home to 3,070 people, only 19 km from the “Pink City”, Verfeil draws to its well-preserved setting employees in Toulouse looking for space and a quality life-syle. These two criteria also motivate buyers prepared to push on as far as Lavaur, a commune on a human scale, offering all the shops and amenities needed for everyday life.

The old arched gates called Tholozenque and Vaureze recall the fortifications of Verfeil, just like the château, probably built in the 8th century, up above the village, now unfortunately threatened by decay. The Saint-Blaise Church is listed on the supplementary register of France’s Historic Monuments, together with its old annex, Saint-Sernin-des-Rais. At an altitude of 220 metres, the former Cathar stronghold boasts both cultural and wine-related riches. It was here that “les petites filles modèles” of the Countess de Ségur were brought up. In his day, Pierre-Paul Riquet, to whom we owe the Canal du Midi, also owned a castle here. Proving its more recent popularity, the population of Verfeil has risen by 22.6 % since 1999. Lavaur, with 11,000 inhabitants, lies on the left bank of the River Agout, on the hillsides of Le Pays de Cocagne between La Montagne Noire, the vineyards of Gaillac and the Bastides Albigeoises. Built of red brick, this bastion of Catharism has evolved over the years into a pleasant little town. Its ramparts became walkways, Le Plô, a magnificent esplanade. At the heart of town, the gardens of L’Evêché and Square Bressolles offer a picturesque view of the Saint-Roch bridge.

“Verfeil is 15 km from the Balma metro station, offering a good alternative between town and countryside,” says Carine Gouazé of Verfeil Immobilier. “Children can attend school up to intermediate level, then benefit from a school bus to secondary schools in Toulouse or Lavaur.” Undulating and peaceful, the site is sheltered from wind and offers sublime views of the Pyrenees. 30 % of transactions are first-time acquisitions, with budgets topping out at 220,000 € - which corresponds to an unpretentious house of 100 m2 with a garden of 1,000 m2. There are few apartment buildings, as the area mainly attracts fans of individual housing. Then, the majority of buyers, aged from 35 to 60, pay from 400,000 to 500,000 €. One such client has just invested 400,000 € in a renovated master residence of 280 m2 with grounds of 7,000 m2. People working between Saint-Orens-de-Gameville and Blagnac, largely focusing on the aeronautics industry, are drawn to this address which has retained architectural traces of a prosperous era devoted to the production of pastels. The crisis has resulted in a real drop in prices - up to 20 % in the case of some properties -, though it has also seen a clean-out in the market. Demand is steady and, when a property is fairly estimated, it sells very quickly.

“Lavaur offers all the assets of a large town without the inconveniences,” points out Marie-Céline Chavanne of Immobilier Chavanne, with 17 years of experience in the east side of Toulouse. “An SNCF train station, hospital, 160 sports and cultural associations, lots of shops and a secondary school rated N°1 in the Midi-Pyrénées and 4th at national level, as reflected by the results obtained by “baccalauréat” students. Every summer, the Gardens of L’Evêché host weekly concerts, with the illustrious participation of the Orchestre du Capitole. Here, friendliness and hospitality are an everyday affair.” The position of Lavaur - 30 minutes from Toulouse, Albi, Castres and Montauban - is a weighty argument, likely to convince couples working in different employment pools. Marie-Céline Chavanne sees a majority of clients working in Toulouse, already in place or transferred there in the case of 50 %. Focusing on the top end of the market, the agency, which is about to open a second branch in Saint-Sulpice, chalks up 60-70 % of its business thanks to sales of properties at around 600,000 €. The sum required for a master residence or renovated farmhouse on about 2.5 acres of land facing the Pyrenees, or even a château of approx. 900 m2 awaiting restoration. Nevertheless, first-time buyers can also be accommodated here. Recently, a town house of 95 m2 with a garden of 300 m2 and a garage changed hands at 145,000 €. Finally, with the proceeds of a sale and a higher budget of 300,000 € or more, other clients opt for building plots of 2,500 m2, available for 95,000 €.

Also based in Lavaur, Géraldine d’Alexis-Franck of Laforêt Immobilier mentions a target price range of 180,000 to 250,000 €. Those concerned are looking for houses of 85 to 110 m2 with gardens of 600-800 m2, in other words, the classic home on a housing estate. Very often, they arrive from Toulouse, a town which, for the same price, obliges them to make do with an apartment. This market segment competes with building land, priced around 100 €/m2 for smaller surface areas. The zero interest loan plays a part in the liveliness of this sector. Finally, some buyers are inclined to double the odds by acquiring a lovely old building in need of renovation, the kind of product that is eternally popular. The new law on capital gains, which caused a recent set-back in prices, has given a boost to the market, and also to investors, worried about what to do with their cash assets and keen to secure their savings. The current period is, however, marked by a “pre-electoral wait-and-see” attitude. 20-30 % of recently concluded sales were, in fact, investments whose yield is about 5.5-6 %, thanks to a buoyant rental market.

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