Three different approaches to Les Landes

Mimizan, Linxe and Soustons offer lots of positive features for locals, occasional residents and investors, increasingly convinced of the development potential of communes in Les Landes. Our estate-agents fill in the details on our tour of this area between forests and the Atlantic Ocean…

Home to 6,900 people, Mimizan is shared out between its beach and village, 87 km south-west of Bordeaux. In the Pays de Born, this “Pearl of the Côte d’Argent” plays host to the ponds of Mailloueyre and the 7-km river flowing from the lake of Aureilhan to the Atlantic. The area proposes 10 km of beaches as well as three “Natura 2000” sites. The village serves as its administrative and commercial centre, while the seaside resort took off at the same time as the local tourist industry, marked by the arrival of the railway, which has since disappeared. Today, the woods linking these two parts of Mimizan are tending to shrink. The economy partly depends on exploitation of the forestland and knock-on effects of the activity park of Le Born. In the Gascon part of Les Landes, in the Marensin, 9 km from the ocean and 8 km from the future motorway intended to form a junction between Spain and Bordeaux, Linxe with about 1,160 residents makes its living from food production plants and wood transformation, not forgetting the cultivation of corn and asparagus. Soustons, with 6,950 inhabitants, stands on the banks of the lake of the same name. With Vieux-Boucau-les-Bains, it shares the tourist complex of Port d’Albret and benefits from two beaches : one on the Atlantic coast, the other on the lake.

“The coastal part of Mimizan is a family seaside resort, also very popular among surfing enthusiasts,” says Elisabeth Ibarz of the Agence de la Côte d’Argent. “It backs onto the Landaise forest which provides a huge playground, threaded with biking paths and hiking trails.” Even though the locality is already a renowned address at national level, its prices are still affordable, especially when compared with those of Hossegor, Biarritz and Arcachon. As witnessed by the latest transactions handled by the agency : a house of 60 m2 with a garden of 600 m2 only 500 metres from the beach, sold for 230,000 € ; a home of 75 m2 just 1.5 km from the stretches of sand, for 210,000 € ; a 1-bedroom apartment overlooking the dunes, for 125,000 € ; and another 1-bedroom apartment of 35 m2 on the seafront, for 150,000 €. Two-thirds of buyers are looking for holiday homes, though locals prefer the village itself, more practical on a year-round basis. In addition to standard unpretentious housing, Mimizan boasts some charming properties exemplified by a residence of 300 m2 in excellent condition on about 2.5 acres of land, currently on offer at 899,000 €, and another of almost the same size, at 370,000 €, much cheaper due to a camp-site just nearby. Elisabeth Ibarz admits to feeling the effects of the crisis, especially in terms of the number of sales. Even so, in times of instability, real estate still seems to exercise its attraction. The presence of a golf-course, easy access to Bordeaux and the opening of the motorway should open up new prospects for Mimizan. People based in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Hautes-Pyrénées and Lot-et-Garonne could well be encouraged to take a closer look.

“Linxe is 10 km from the Atlantic in a buffer zone between the northern and southern parts of Les Landes,” says Mathieu Meilhan of Linxe Immobilier. “Rather wild, the site does not suffer from overcrowding in summer. It offers a network of biking paths leading to the beaches and surrounding villages.” 60 % of buyers here are looking for permanent homes, the other 40 %, mostly comprised of seniors, are seeking holiday homes, with the slight difference that their stays are much longer than in the past. The bulk of demand is for properties under 200,000 €. Mathieu Meilhan’s most recent sales include a house of 90 m2 in need of a lick of paint, with a garden of 1,200 m2, for 155,000 €, and a half-timbered brick “Landaise” of 140 m2 in need of restoration, in grounds of 1,900 m2, for 150,000 €. Activity is steady as long as property prices are correctly estimated. Clients will only visit when “value for money” is clearly on the cards. Sellers have to be aware of this, even though one can well understand that those who bought homes in 2007 are reluctant to lose some of their initial investment.

“Soustons already functions as a town on a human scale with its shops, services, tourist infrastructures, lots of clubs and associations, a medical and para-medical centre. So much so that it is beginning to be seen as a serious contender as a fall-back solution, an appealing alternative more affordable than the Basque country,” notes Marc Dargelas of Guy Hoquet L’Immobilier. Not at all like standard dormitory towns, Soustons is popular among families and even investors, drawn by promising rental possibilities offering an average return of 10 €/m2/month giving a yield of 4-5 %. Just recently, a house of 100 m2 with a garden of 600-700 m2 found a new owner at 250,000 €, and a new garden-level apartment of 55 m2 with parking facilities sold for 160,000 €. Serviced building land priced at 150 €/m2 is in strong demand. As proof, even the most modestly sized plot leaves the agency files without delay. “The PLU (local urban planning), currently under approval, and the project for a hi-speed train station making Paris less than a 3-hour ride away, guarantee room for progression on the part of Soustons over the medium and long term.”

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