The seaside town of Hyères

On the Mediterranean coast, 16 kilometres east of Toulon, Hyères-les-Palmiers is home to 55,800 residents of whom almost 30 % are retirees drawn by the assets of this large-format seaside resort with a full array of shops and amenities essential for everyday life.

With a coastline 40 km long, 7,000 palm trees and wonderful islands (Porquerolles, Port-Cros and Le Levant), Hyères has built itself a reputation extending well beyond the borders of France. The European aristocracy, and especially that of Great Britain, left an architectural imprint which contributes to the charm of the town centre, particularly in the guise of Victorian villas which, when they come up for sale, often attain the 1 million euro mark. Active in the cultivation of palm trees, flowers and vines, this delightful commune appeals to a good number of retirees in search of comfortable high-class apartments.

“Our clientele mainly consists of French retirees, usually equipped with comfortable budgets after selling their main home, often in Paris or its surrounding region. They are looking for 2- or 3-bedroomed apartments in quiet, select residences, with a garage, outdoor area and open view,” says Catherine Ripoll, sales manager for the Cabinet Ripoll. The property market in Hyères has fallen by about 15 % for all kinds of homes, and up to 20 % for those dating back to the 1970’s with collective heating and mediocre soundproofing. “New or very recent properties are extremely popular. It is, in fact, hard to meet demand.” This type of property, offering open views of their parks and situated in the town centre are priced from 5,000 to 5,600 € per sqm, garage included. Among her most recent sales, Catherine Ripoll mentions a 1-bedroom apartment of 44 m2 in a high-end residence. On the 4th/top floor, with a lift, a garage, and a terrace of 18 m2 facing due south, it was on offer at 233,000 €. It sold for 222,000 € within 15 days. “If a property meets all the criteria, it finds a taker very quickly. Clients are serious about buying, highly motivated and ready to pay cash.”

“30 % of our transactions concern holiday homes, some of which are intended to become permanent when their owners retire,” explains Nathalie Azzoni of the Agence des Iles d’Hyères, adding that the market has been pretty well balanced this year. “Most of our clients are French, with a few Belgians and Swiss still making enquiries, though we saw more of them in the past.” Less drawn by the centre, these foreign clients are looking more for properties “right at the water’s edge”, ideally in the neighbourhood of La Madrague where a small pied-à-terre costs from 150,000 €, a cosy 2-bedroomed apartment around 300,000 €. For 3-bedroomed apartments, the most frequent budgets range from 350,000 to 400,000 €. “Employees, servicemen, self-employed professionals and executives transferred to the region set their sights on houses suitable for families. Ideally with living space of 100 m2 including 3 bedrooms, and a small garden. In neighbourhoods on the west side of Hyères, houses on estates built in the 1980’s meeting these criteria can be found at around 350,000 €.” Exceptional properties, such as a contemporary villa of 200 m2 benefiting from a landscaped garden and infinity pool, on offer at 1,300,000 €, are to be found on the hills towards Le Mont des Oiseaux. What about so-called properties of charm ? “Pretty much ignored, the old town centre with its walk-everywhere life-style has some stone properties often enjoying views of the sea.” Such as a house of 120 m2 on 3 floors, that Nathalie Azzoni sold very recently for 265,000 €.