In 2008-2009, the property market all over France registered a decline in both prices and activity, yet Les Alpilles in general and Saint-Rémy in particular put up real resistance. Estate-agents are optimistic...

“The chirping of the crickets, the shade of plane-trees and an authentic life-style...” Clearly, the popularity of this town which inspired Van Gogh’s finest paintings is not likely to wane. A decree passed on July 30th, 2007, placed its territory within the Regional Nature Park of the Alpilles. Located in the Rhône valley, 20 km from the TGV train station in Avignon, not far from the motorway and a few dozen minutes from the airports of Marseille and Nîmes, this town on a human scale is home to 10,200 people employed in wine and olive production, industry, construction or, more recently, the service sector boosted by tourism. Some locals work in the activity zones of La Gare or La Massane. The accommodation available is characterized by the significant predominance of houses as opposed to apartments, and a holiday-home segment exceeding 10 %.
“Saint-Rémy is putting up real resistance to the crisis,” announces Muriel Ducloy of the Agence des Alpilles. She points to three phenomena specific to 2009. Firstly, the share of French buyers from the Lyon-Paris-Lille axis is on the rise. After getting their fingers burnt in the stock market, they are looking for investments they can enjoy and pass on to their children. Secondly, while sellers are not cutting prices, they have come back to basics. Lastly, the slight increase in the volume of transactions recorded this year actually offsets lower budgets. “Top-notch properties still have their fans, though fewer than in the past. In most cases, buyers can afford to invest 500,000 to 1 million euros,” says our estate-agent. The lower end of the range allows them to acquire new semi-detached homes such as “Les Bastides des Oliviers”, a Nexity development beautifully finished and already sold out. Many opt for a detached house of 160-180 m2 in grounds of 1,500 m2, starting at 750,000 €. The famous “mas”, Provence’s flagship product, ranges from 900,000 to 3 million euros depending on its surface area, condition and appointments. Recently, an old farm on 2.5 acres of land facing La Galine found a taker at 1 million euros. The only hitch is, in fact, the lack of properties of real character under 1 million euros. Saint-Rémy has always benefitted from a certain image. Yet prices in the highly-prized “Montagnette” region of the Bouches-du-Rhône now prove to be homogeneous. The choice of a precise destination is more a matter of taste. Fans of the countryside, tranquillity and a village atmosphere appreciate Maussane. Celebrities in search of discretion and privacy opt for Eygalières. Saint-Rémy is an attractive compromise between a rural setting and the liveliness of a town.
“Prices in the little capital of the Alpilles depend on its different neighbourhoods,” explains Valérie Lucien of Actuel Immobilier. South of the irrigation canal, La Haute Galine and Le Vieux Chemin d’Arles, rocky areas rich in minerals and planted with olive-trees, are very popular. Over the past decade, Belgians, still present today, and the English, now replaced by the Swiss, bought and restored magnificent old buildings. The agricultural sector to the north, known as the “garden sector”, is appreciated by fans of wide open spaces, horse-riding and privacy. Most buyers intend to use their acquisitions as holiday or semi-principal homes, or for their retirement. There is still a lot of enthusiasm for village houses, convenient and often prolonged by a terrace or garden. Properties in need of renovation currently prove to be too expensive, whereas demand remains steady for those already restored among buyers wanting to move in right away. Locals looking for first-time purchases have no alternative but to head for the plain between Saint-Rémy and Avignon, where a home of 100 m2 with a garden of 1,000-1,500 m2 costs from 350,000 to 400,000 €. Despite a drop of 10-15 % for properties within the town, prices remain high. The few apartments cost around 3,300 €/m2. Demanding and well-informed, potential buyers are well aware that Saint-Rémy can look forward to a bright future.