Villeneuve-Loubet, a privileged location

Between Cagnes-sur-Mer and Antibes, Villeneuve-Loubet was born from the union of two old villages, Villeneuve, further inland, and Loubet, on the seafront. A fully-fledged seaside resort, it has drawn many foreigners who have made it their year-round home.

When Anne Jacquet took over L’Immobilière de Vaugrenier in 1997, her aim was to specialize in the sale of high-end properties and, more precisely, those on the domain of Les Hauts de Vaugrenier. In a park of over 320 acres with three lakes, this superb gated estate with high security plays host to 1,900 homes, a wide choice of properties ranging from studios to large villas. Here, you can find apartments with living space from 26 to 117 m2, ie. up to five main rooms, detached and semi-detached houses ranging from 1-bedroom “patio” villas to houses with 6/7 main rooms and gardens. “It is the largest gated estate close to the sea in Europe,” says Anne Jacquet. Another asset : it is near amenities and easily accessible, with a bus route just in front of its entrance, a train station close by, and Nice’s international airport only 10 minutes away. Also adding to the estate’s particular appeal are the facilities within its perimeter : a village with shops, a chemist, doctors, a primary school, club-house restaurant, Olympic-size pool, 12 tennis courts, a children’s playground… Residents benefit from truly outstanding living conditions. Prices per sq. metre range from 6,000 to 13,000 €. “The social level is, of course, high, and we have noted that, for some time, the population living on the estate has been getting younger,” adds Anne Jacquet. Properties are well maintained, as this is an estate with a good turnover, and new owners are perfectly prepared to revamp a home to suit their taste. It is a niche market, drawing both local and foreign buyers.

Gérald Gomis of the international Blue Square agency also focuses his attention on Les Hauts de Vaugrenier, where 70% of his clientele consists of foreigners, “mainly Scandinavians, Belgians, Swiss and English”. To meet strong demand from these buyers especially keen on gated estates with high security, he is also presents properties in Le Val d’Azur. Between Villeneuve-Loubet and Valbonne, this estate is comprised of over 400 houses worth from 700,000 to 1 M €. They are of particular interest to British buyers working in the science and technology park of Sophia-Antipolis. Gérald Gomis recently handled here the sale of a 3 bedroomed house of 110 m2 with an open view, priced at 749,000 €. In Les Hauts de Vaugrenier, he sold a villa of 170 m2 in an elevated position, with an infinity pool and a view as far as Cap d’Antibes, for 1.8 M €. Another estate, Les Restanques de Vaugrenier, is also much appreciated by foreigners for its security and proximity to all amenities. Here, a house of 130 m2 with a pool and open view costs around 890,000 €. Finally, Gérald Gomis covers another little world apart : that of Marina Baie des Anges, a complex comprised of three apartment blocks in the shape of yachts, laid out around an inner harbour. Its large apartments, often prolonged by vast terraces, attract Scandinavian, British and Russian clients who like to keep an eye on their boats. A 3-bedroomed apartment of 92 m2 with a plunging view of the Mediterranean will here cost 980,000 €, one with two bedrooms around 700,000 €.

Another agency, other privileged areas. The Partners Immo network of experts covers all of Villeneuve-Loubet. Arnaud Pomies mentions several neighbourhoods he knows well, and especially those he highlights in his agency : Les Bouches du Loup and Vaugrenier. Undergoing development, the latter is witnessing the arrival of new housing, mainly apartments pegged at around 4,000 € per sqm. A 1-bedroom apartment of 45 m2, for instance, in a residence with a pool and tennis court, recently found a taker at 200,000 €. As for the Bouches du Loup neighbourhood, it consists of just a few roads with about 350 houses in a quiet location 200 metres from the sea, priced from 5,000 to 6,000 € per sqm. In this area, a couple of retirees just acquired a villa of 100 m2 all on one floor, with a pretty garden, for 510,000 €. The village, on the other hand, has always been a very special market that Partners Immo decided not to cover. For clients keen on new developments, the neighbourhood of Les Ginestières offers some very enticing opportunities. “In Villeneuve-Loubet, property tax is one of the least expensive in the entire region, which is a weighty argument, though not the only one,”adds Arnaud Pomies. “On a human scale, the town is very pleasant, offering easy access thanks to the A8 motorway and RN7, the appeal of the yacht harbour of Marina Baie des Anges, and liveliness thanks to a municipality that organizes many cultural and sports activities.”