Surrounded by forests, hills, pine-groves and vines, this town of almost 6,250 acres, with 6,420 inhabitants intra-muros, 14,000 in the “canton”, stands at the foot of Mont-Ventoux, not far from the Rhône valley. Tourism and wine production are its main sources of income. A little tour…

The commune of the Upper Vaucluse, crossed by the Ouvèze, a tributary of the Rhone, currently comprises the core of two projects for regional nature parks : Les Baronnies and Le Mont Ventoux. With 400 shops and services, the tertiary sector is omnipresent. Recognized as “one of France’s most beautiful detours”, the village benefits from its proximity to the motorway and the TGV station in Avignon. Visitors appreciate its ancient Vasio Vocontiorum, the medieval town and churches, and the more recent “Jardin des Neuf Demoiselles”. Various festivals, including the essential “Choralies”, are programmed throughout the year while its market stalls are a fine introduction to the bounty of southern France.
“Faced with a growing number of micro-sectors with deep-rooted particularities, it is difficult to give price guidelines for Vaison-la-Romaine,” observes Arnaud Bercker of Accord Immobilier. The most telling example is given by the Upper Town, the old centre whose charm is only matched by its popularity. Extremely diverse, the accommodation here, often deprived of elevators, parking facilities, gardens or terraces, has to be reviewed case by case. The same applies to the immediate area around Place Montfort, even if apartments of 70-90 m2 in buildings less than 20 years old generally sell from 150,000 to 250,000 €, barring exceptions. 200 metres from this epicenter, the first houses with gardens make their appearance. Most transactions do not exceed 500,000 €, and in fact start at 200,000 €. Then one comes to higher areas enjoying magnificent views of Le Ventoux, the vineyards and the castle. In 2009, a fully renovated farmhouse of 250 m2 in grounds of 3,000 m2 with a pool found a taker at 800,000 €. The most modest property commands 600,000 €, but beyond 1 million euros, buyers become scarce. Clients looking for holiday or semi-main homes, either Belgian, Swiss, Dutch, English or American, always insist on a garden. Early retirees opt for single-storey villas on the outskirts of the town, while older ones prefer functional apartments. Employees transferred from Lyon or Paris join local and first-time buyers capable of raising up to 250,000 € since the appearance of lower interest rates. Not benefitting from Scellier tax advantages, rental investors acquire small apartments in old buildings, aiming to obtain a net return of around 5 %. New accommodation is doing relatively well : it compensates for high prices with energy savings, reduced notary’s fees and solid guarantees. This estate-agent currently proposes two estates and a new development consisting of villas.
“Villages within a radius of 10 km are not lacking in appeal,” notes Ghislaine Vargoz of Confidences Immobilières. As countrifed as one could wish, they go by the names of Séguret, Sablet, Rasteau, Puyméras, Falcon, Malaucène and Villedieu in “département” 84, Mirabel-aux-Baronnies in Le Drôme. Séguret could be reproached for its seasonal aspect and lack of shops, though it’s hard to resist its enchanting setting. Built on a knoll, Sablet, on the other hand, offers all amenities on site, except a supermarket and middle school. Known for the quality of its wines, Rasteau shows a certain dynamism, as witnessed by rehabilitation of its main square, completed last year. Mirabel does not share the esthetic aura of Séguret, but does offer some good potential due to its strategic location between Nyons and Vaison. A village house on the hillside with living space of 300 m2 on three floors extended by an inner courtyard, sundeck and Tropezian terrace, and renovated in pure traditional style, costs about 500,000 € in Séguret. In 2009, a property of 250-300 m2 in perfect condition, with grounds of almost 4,000 m2 and a swimming pool, changed hands at 650,000 €. “In times of crisis, Vaison serves as a barometer : despite the overall decline in prices and the number of sales, properties of quality consistently maintain their value,” says Ghislaine Vargoz who remains optimistic about the future.
“Scheduled for delivery between academic years 2010 and 2011, the opening of the secondary school will mean that teenagers no longer have to travel to Orange or Carpentras. And the redevelopment plan for Place Montfort could finally encourage pedestrianization of the shopping area.”