While the second largest town in the Var, home to 57,550 inhabitants, concentrates on gilding its image since the closure of the shipyards, the Provençal village of Ollioules relies on the genuine charm of its peaceful location. The first is within the reach of all budgets, the second targets fans of individual homes with more substantial means.

Equidistant from Marseille and Saint-Tropez, La Seyne owes its development to that of the shipyards, which began in 1711. When they finally and permanently closed in 1989, a radical transformation became necessary. Ten years later, the municipality inaugurated the 18.75 acres of the Parc Fernand-Braudel, followed in 2006 by the Parc de la Navale, consecrated to the memory of the old shipbuilding activity. The project also included a conference site, exhibition facility and a new yacht harbour. Given the staggering amount of the investment, construction of the theatre has been abandoned. The town now focusses its attention on seaside tourism. On the isthmus of St. Mandrier, Les Sablettes, the most popular beach in the area, is home to neo-Provençal villas designed in the post-war period by Fernand Pouillon. The rocks and brightly coloured boats of La Verne, Fabrégas, recognizable by its black sand, and Le Jonquet, a haunt for naturists, complete the local offerings. Ollioules with its 13,400 residents lies 7 km west of Toulon and 5 km east of Sanary. Now boasting “Village Fleuri”, “Ville et Métiers d’Art” and “Plus Beaux Détours” labels, the town specialized in flower cultivation in the 19th century, becoming the capital of the strawflower.

“Two decades after activity ceased in the shipyards, the score-card is quite positive. As evidenced by the 62 acres that have been rehabilitated opposite La Seyne’s town-hall,” says Virginie Muller of Immo de France. The municipality intends to increase the harbour’s capacity and encourage shops to move into the centre. But it will take a little patience before these measures have an impact on bricks and mortar. Last year, for example, prices of stocks of new apartments which were hard to sell were revised downwards, thus destabilizing sales of older apartments, which could not compete with the advantageous Scellier Act. “Especially as the rental market is doing well,” comments our specialist. Acquired for 150,000 €, a 1-bedroomed apartment with a garage can be rented out immediately at 550 € a month, plus charges. On the resale market, investors seek a gross return of 7-8% (or now more frequently 5-6 %), but content themselves with 4.5 % for new developments offering tax advantages. La Seyne has a significant pricing discrepancy of around 1,000 €/m2, between north and south, a quieter area, attractive and close to the sea. Virginie Muller mentions a 4-bedroomed apartment of 95 m2, extended by a balcony, bought for 214,000 € in 2006 and sold for 200,000 € last December, in the northern sector of Chateaubanne. Depreciation of 7 % represents a minimum over the period. A 1-bedroomed apartment of 65 m2 in excellent condition, opening out to a large terrace in a guarded residence at Les Sablettes, to the south, has just found a taker at 250,000 €.

“It’s impossible to analyze the economic climate without taking three decisive factors into account,” adds Gilles Buisson of Buisson’s Immo. “Firstly, La Seyne is a commune undergoing fundamental changes : part of its housing stock is outdated and over-priced. Then, owners often add the cost of renovation work revealed by technical diagnostics to the total amount, even though the general trend is headed lower. Finally, the crisis is widening the gap between new properties, commercialized from 3,000 €/m2, and old ones, negotiated between 2,000 and 4,000 €/m2, prejudicially to the latter.” Developments freshly risen from the ground therefore offer better value for money, not to mention savings in time and energy, both literally and figuratively. Similarly, a house of 100-120 m2 built 30 years ago with grounds of 800 m2 costs around 400,000 €, while buyers tend to prefer the contemporary style, which is, however, thin on the ground. There is indeed a high-end market at Fabrégas and Les Sablettes : nevertheless, the lack of image prevents any competition with prices posted by Sanary, Bandol or Six-Fours. La Seyne, whose potential lies in its diverse scenery, must pursue its efforts. And that starts with the local mentality : everyone has a vested interest in looking to the future by making a clean sweep of the industrial past.

Ollioules appeals to enthusiasts of Provençal traditions working in the ZAC, in Toulon or Sanary. It is a good example of a crossraods between countryside and coast. Villas of 130 m2 in grounds of 1,500 m2, facing the surrounding hills or the shoreline of the prefecture of the Var, start at 500,000 €. “Here, surface areas are larger and budgets in correlation,” says Gilles Buisson, who calls for increasing professionalism among estate-agents.