Uzès : 120,000 visitors per year

The 8,500 inhabitants, including 3,500 children up to secondary school level, share the 25 km2 that comprise the territory of Uzès. The first traces of human enterprise were discovered on the banks of the River Alzon. The Romans then built an aqueduct 50 km long to supply water to the town of Nîmes : its most famous stretch is the Pont du Gard. From bishopric to duchy, the history of this lovely site in the Gard is something of a saga…

The bishopric came into being in the 5th century A.D. By the 18th century, the diocese made up of 193 parishes was one of the largest in the Languedoc. In 1632, it became the First Duchy of France. Silk manufacturing was the town’s main activity until the late 19th century, when it fell into decline due to a disease that ravaged the silkworms. The commune then turned its attention to producing ceramics and liquorice. In 1965, the town centre was listed as a preservation area, taking advantage of the honour to carry out a general facelift. About 141 acres thus benefitted from the Act passed by Malraux. Consecration came in 2008, with the well-deserved attribution of the “Ville d’Art et d’Histoire” label. Of international renown, Uzès welcomes 120,000 visitors per year.

Catherine Labruyère of the agency of the same name admits she personally has not suffered unduly from the recent crisis. A blessing she attributes to the intrinsic qualities offered by the site. “Sunshine 2 hrs 40 by TGV train from Paris, and an architectural heritage of undeniable charm… 30 minutes from the train station in Avignon and only 20 minutes from Nîmes, Uzès can offer lots of advantages.” Her particular niche consists of “mas” built in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, now costing from 500,000 to 900,000 €. Most of her clients are looking for living space of 200-300 m2, three or four bedrooms and as many bathrooms, all in perfect condition, in grounds of at least 2,000 m2 in a pleasant country setting. Currently, sellers are asking from 700,000 to 800,000 € for a home of 250 m2 with swimming pool, an essential amenity, 8 km from the duchy. A distinction should be drawn between Uzès and L’Uzège, the latter consisting of the 10 km around the town. Saint-Maximin, Vers-Pont-du-Gard et Castillon-du-Gard - hill-top villages facing south on the road towards Avignon, which have succeeded in preserving their authenticity and natural open spaces - are serious rivals in terms of both demand and prices. 12 to 15 km from Uzès, Belvezet, La Bastide d’Engras and La Bruguière, just as charming but further out and with fewer shops, are winning more fans. Only five years ago, property purchasers, 80 % looking for holiday homes, came from Switzerland, Belgium and England. Today, they hail from Grenoble, Lyon or Paris, and are 45 to 60 years old : 40 % of them are looking for year-round homes, benefitting from the TGV for their business trips. As for younger clients, they tend to spend 200,000 to 300,000 € on old residences awaiting restoration. In 2009 and 2010, most people were inclined to pay cash. “The only fly in the ointment,” cautions Catherine Labruyère, “is that modern villas seem to be losing a lot of their value when their owners place them on the market for re-sale.”

“Demand is varied, from apartments in built-up areas to large properties,” comments Céline Girard of Castel Immo Provence. The first range from 150,000 €, the price required for a 1-bedroom apartment, to 400,000 €, the budget needed to obtain, for example, living space of 150 m2 in excellent condition, in an old building, with an indoor pool. Working couples in their thirties opt for standard homes on the outskirts - 110 m2 with a garden of 500 m2 - costing from 220,000 to 260,000 €. Budgets over and above one million euros are back on the scene. Some clients are simply looking for second residences, others hope to open guest-houses. Céline Girard has in fact just sold, to clients with this in mind, a “mas” of 450 m2 in need of total restoration, on almost 5 acres of land, for 500,000 € : other buyers, targetting the luxury sector, are thinking of acquiring a house with eight suites, already operational and offering superb panoramic views, priced at 2.5 million euros. “2010 seems to have marked the end of the crunch for Uzès and the surrounding region,” she enthuses, optimistic for 2011 and the very top end of the market. In fact, if a property stays too long on the agency files, one simply needs to adjust the price slightly downwards and stick as close as possible to serious estimates.

Aurélia Vincens of Terres du Sud has a more qualified response to questions about the effect of the stock market collapse in the fall of 2008. At the lowest ebb, the volume of sales for all segments combined fell by 30 %, a decline explained by the abrupt departure of the British in 2009. Over the year, some buyers, becoming particularly opportunistic, began to make outrageous offers in the hope of picking up real bargains. The result : prices remained steady, as owners, often in no hurry to sell, withdrew their properties from the files. Potential purchasers adopted a wait-and-see attitude. 2010 was a better year. Today, activity is uneven, affected by the recent bad weather as well as the inter-national business climate, even though the address has lost none of its appeal. Important dates in estate-agents’ diaries are traditionally Easter, All Saints Day and Christmas. The last three have respectively suffered from the cloud of ash thrown up by the volcano in Iceland, a shortage of gasoline and, finally, heavy snowfalls. Villas in the 300,000-400,000 € price-bracket comprise the largest offering, but also the least sought-after, whereas the ever-popular “mas” is extremely hard to find. Also in demand, apartments of character in the town centre, extended by a terrace or small garden, priced at 3,000-3,500 €/m2, and townhouses with a garage and garden large enough to take a pool, starting at 4,000 €/m2. As proof of their success, some people wait several years before finding these rare pearls. As hilly as one could wish and extremely typical of the region, the area north of Uzès is well worth the detour, while the south owes its popularity to the proximity of main roads, basic infrastructures and amenities.

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