A house in Toulouse

The fourth largest city in France has 445,000 inhabitants, 917,000 in its urban area, 89,000 students and 10,000 researchers specializing in fields as up-to-the-minute as IT, robotics, nanotechnology, biotechnology, food and agriculture, and healthcare, a sector reinforced by the creation of the Canceropôle.

The majestic Place du Capitole immediately sets the tone : Toulouse, some 150 km from the Mediterranean, 250 km from the Atlantic and 110 km from the first ski resorts, makes wide use of rose-coloured brick, offering an architectural legacy bearing witness to bygone eras. From the Garonne to the Canal du Midi, from the Basilica of Saint-Sernin to the Cité de l’Espace, the capital of the Midi-Pyrénées proposes almost 25,000 acres of recreational areas, 160 urban parks, an exhibition park and two convention centres. In France’s third largest university town, 43 % of the residents are aged under 29. Aware of the quality of life that prevails in the City of Violets, these members of the community never miss the chance to linger on café terraces, stroll along the quays or celebrate an event. If the Prefecture of Haute-Garonne remains committed to its Occitan roots, it looks to the future with serenity.

“We first need to define the term “townhouse”, a word probably invented by the profession to designate individual housing in a dense urban area, offering all the services and amenities in close proximity,” says Nadine Lécole of C.I.B., which has three agencies in Toulouse. Their gardens are often cramped and the house itself either terraced, single-storey or on two or three floors. Surface areas vary and some have been split into apartments over the years. They occasionally have parking facilities and an outdoor area, a courtyard or garden. The architectural style then depends on the date of construction and the building’s original purpose. In Toulouse, you can find old bricks, cubic lines dating back to the 1950’s-1960’s, and even contemporary design. The inner city, between the boulevards and the Canal du Midi, is the richest area in this respect. It broadly encompasses Les Chalets, a homogeneous and harmonious neighbourhood, Les Amidonniers behind the Allées de Brienne, Les Minimes, a village within the city, Saint-Cyprien, the “left bank” of Toulouse, Le Jardin des Plantes and Le Busca, highly residential areas, and Saint-Michel, highly-prized by the academic staff and researchers of Rangueil. Townhouses attract people wanting to avoid the constraints of living in condominiums, fans of large volumes and gardens, however small. Given their scarcity, prices remain steady. Among her recent sales, Nadine Lécole mentions a house of 90 m2 in Saint-Cyprien, in good condition, giving onto a garden of 60 m2, sold for 335,000 € ; another of 102 m2 in need of a lick of paint, with a garden of 116 m2, priced at 333,000 € ; and a house of 130 m2 to restore, with a garden of 300 m2, at 385,000 €. In Les Chalets, a house of 250 m2 to refurbish with a garden of 100 m2 will fetch 650,000 €, whereas another of 215 m2, in excellent condition but without an exterior, will sell for 682,000 €. Finally, a budget of 312,400 € is required for a 1950’s house of 150 m2 extended by a garden of 120 m2, over towards Marengo.

“It’s hard to talk about townhouses in Toulouse without going into detail, as they differ considerably depending on their type and neighbourhood,” comment Sabine Duprat-Baert and Guillaume Duprat of the Valimmo agency. Saint-Cyprien, Les Minimes and Saint-Michel, for example, play host to some lovely properties built from the late 19th century to the 1960’s, enlarged either horizontally or vertically over the decades. Currently, a house of 100-110 m2, opening out to a garden of 100 m2 at the rear, ranges from 370,000 to 380,000 €. Renovated and in a desirable location, the sq. metre is pegged around 3,400 €, a ratio shared by very central apartments. Residents living in these neighbourhoods make use of the metro. More select and always stylish, townhouses in Les Chalets, a 10-minute walk from the Capitole, can attain 4,500 €/m2. South-east of the hyper-centre, Le Busca and Côte Pavée propose the same price-range, with generous living space and leafy settings as bonuses. The historic heart of town, Les Carmes and La Daurade, also contains a few houses, though they are rare and not easily negotiable. On the periphery, in Lardenne, Colomiers and Tournefeuille, one comes across recent estates - priced at about 2,800 €/m2 for individual houses - less typical, more remote, but at least practical. Then, once you enter the second ring, you’ll pay 360,000 € for a house of 140 m2, particularly well-appointed, with a garden of 250 m2 and benefitting from a garage. Fans of this type of housing, generally aged from 28 to 45, are families with children. The explosion in the market over the past fifteen years has led to renovation of the housing stock.

“Les Amidonniers offers a diverse array of accommodation, from luxury apartment on the banks of the Garonne, which can reach 4,700 €/m2, to small developments that appeared in the 1960’s and 1970’s, selling for 2,300-2,500 €/m2, as well as houses built from the 1900’s to 1930’s,” adds Dominique Bergougnan of D.B. Immobilier. The latter - usually offering living space of 100 m2 with a small garden - are worth 250,000 € prior to restoration, 400,000-450,000 € once completed. Their owners appreciate the quiet surroundings, schools, shops, quick and easy access to the western bypass, especially as only a 15-minute walk separates them from the Capitole via the Allées de Brienne or the banks of the Garonne. The market for houses is as active as that for apartments, though offerings are limited and certainly a long way from meeting demand. The time it takes to sell is thus very short. Les Amidonniers bears comparison with the beginning of Les Minimes and the old Saint-Cyprien, between the river and Patte d’Oie.

“Due to growing interest on the part of developers, the market for townhouses is tending to shrink. Except that we are now seeing a new trend appear, intended to meet the desires and requirements of young families. An example of 80 m2 with four main rooms and a garden of 70 m2 can thus be found at 199,000 € in Borderouge,” concludes Nadine Lécole of C.I.B.