Townhouses in Carcassonne, a market full of contrasts

The Prefecture of the Aude is divided into two distinct parts : the Medieval City, known as the “Ville Haute” or Upper Town, and “La Basse” or Lower Town, whose construction began in 1247 A.D. The Trivalle neighbourhood serves as a junction. Over the decades, the “intra-muros” part of town, so-called despite the abandonment of the ramparts in 1764, has seen the rebuilding of individual homes, a market now highly diversified and highly prized.

Located 94 km east of Toulouse, between the Montagne Noire, Les Corbières, the plain of Le Lauragais and the valley of the Aude, Carcassonne plays host to 49,150 inhabitants. While the Medieval City, listed by UNESCO as a world heritage site in 1997, stands supreme, the lower town is laid out around Place Carnot, in a hexagonal pattern. Surrounded by a boulevard, it is characterized by many pedestrian streets and an extremely diverse array of housing.

Rodolphe Chayla of Chayla Immobilier has observed renewed interest in townhouses, “which are, in fact, doing as well as apartments”. Out of the past ten sales orchestrated by the agency, he points to 30 % in apartments, 30 % in villas and 40 % in townhouses. “Clients for this type of property are often young, first-time buyers, couples, with or without children, fans of urban life. The majority of transactions hover around 130,000 €, a sum bringing a house of 90 m2 in need of some refurbishment, opening out to a courtyard or small garden. The same property in perfect condition can go up to 150,000 €. Top-notch examples do exist, but are in much lower supply and demand. A local doctor, for example, has just bought a house of 200 m2 with a garden of 700 m2 and a pool in Les Hauts de Grazailles for 430,000 €. For pretty much the same amount, he could have acquired a more recent home in the country with more land, two criteria sacrificed in favour of proximity shops and amenities. Buyers primarily base their the choice on a particular life-style.” Periodically, a certain amount of up-dating is required. The last sale handled by the Chayla agency thus concerned a house of 90 m2 with outdoor living space of 30 m2, in need of total restoration. After negotiating a reduction of 22,000 €, the couple obtained the property for 98,000 €. With an original budget of 150,000 €, they ended up opting for a property with a strong personality, even though it required revamping, rather than a standard “pavillon” on the outskirts.

“La Bastide Saint-Louis, that’s to say, the very heart of the locality, Bellevue, Les Capucins, Barbican-Trivalle, Le Palais, Pasteur, the Paul Lacombe plateau, Grazailles and Domairon, ie. the first ring, are among the most popular neighbourhoods,” says Ghislaine Gabarrou of the agency bearing her name. Townhouses here are characterized by significant differences in both appointments and prices. Recently, a seller wanted 80,000 € for a house of 80 m2 in need of renovat-ion, in a garden of 120 m2, while a home of 450 m2 with a garden of 200 m2, in excellent condition, sold for 580,000 €. Buyers are keen on Boulevard Marcou : the area north-west of La Bastide wins significantly fewer votes. Yet only a 5-minute walk separates the two worlds. La Bastide Saint-Louis offers a harmonious blend of private mansions, now split into apartments, bourgeois houses and more modest buildings. Some buyers prefer the tranquillity and closeness to the banks of the Aude proposed by Bellevue and Les Capucins, dotted with tastefully refurbished old workers’ buildings. Conversely, Le Palais counts on its charm and stylishness. La Barbacane-Trivalle, between La Bastide and the Medieval City, offers a village atmosphere. Pasteur is relatively airy but suffers from a stock of 1970’s houses which almost systematically need restructuring in order to benefit from living-rooms on the ground floor. Grazeilles promises sweeping views, while the desirable side of Paul-Lacombe, near the historic centre, enjoys 1930’s charm, scenic medieval views, an elevated position and generous grounds. Finally, Domairon, in the direction of Toulouse, relies on the proximity of the town centre, schools, shops and main roads. Choosing a particular address is ultimately a matter of personal taste. An ideal compromise between an apartment and a villa, the townhouse cryst-allizes a real craze, underpinned by the trend to return to an urban environment. Beyond the strictly local market, Ghislaine Gabarrou mentions retirees or buyers who have been transferred from other parts of France, likely to pay cash for a bedroom and bathroom at ground level, a rare configuration, and clients looking for guest-houses, now back in demand.