Appealing “échoppes” in Bordeaux

Town houses offering character and charm, typical of the urban area of Bordeaux, “échoppes” are as sought-after as ever. What are they exactly ? Where do you find them ? And how much do they cost ?

Found in Bordeaux and its immediate outskirts, the “échoppe” is not a shop, but a highly specific kind of urban housing : built around the town centre from the Second Empire (1852-1870) to the early 1940’s, these stone masonry houses were originally 1-storey, with decorated frontages with guttering and sculpted motifs, giving directly onto the street, and mostly terraced. Another characteristic : a back garden, often used to grow vegetables. They fall into two types : the single “échoppe”, with a frontage 4 to 6 m wide and a side hallway leading to three main rooms on one side (usually with only one window) ; and the double “échoppe”, more substantial and with a larger surface area, a frontage of 6 to 10 m and a central hallway leading to several rooms on each side (up to six). The greater urban area of Bordeaux is believed to have over 10,000 of these properties. They are found in neighbourhoods near the centre of the city (those of the Saint-Jean station, Nansouty, Saint-Augustin, Saint-Genès, Caudéran…), and on neighbouring communes (Le Bouscat, Talence, Bègles…).

““Echoppes” are particularly highly-prized for their closeness to town centres, whether that of Bordeaux or neighbouring addresses. And they appeal even more when their old features - decorated frontages, floors, fireplaces, moulded ceilings - have been preserved and properly maintained,” says Patrice Lalanne, manager of Lalanne Immobilier, an agency founded in 1975, specializing in “échoppes” all over Metropolitan Bordeaux (sales, rentals, property management). “Their prices thus vary depending on their condition, but also the size of their gardens - from 30 to 300 m2. For a single “échoppe” with living space of 50 to 90 m2, one can expect to pay from 160,000 to 350,000 €, while double “échoppes” of 80 to 140 m2 range from 220,000 to over 450,000 €.” According to Patrice Lalanne, these prices are very stable, even rising slightly, “due to very steady demand”.

For Pierre Malahar, owner of Immobilier Malahar and Unic Immobilier, agencies respectively based in Le Bouscat for over 30 years, and Bordeaux for the past 25 years (sales, rentals and property management), “échoppes” are also appreciated for their high development potential. “Many buyers extend their living space when the garden is large enough, use the attic space when the roof permits it, or make the interiors lighter. These houses originally had very few windows and are thus pretty dark.” Clients are, in fact, mainly local, in their thirties or forties, and first-time buyers. “Clients also come from other regions, very curious to see what these famous “échoppes” really look like. Seniors are not very keen on them, as they often require a garage. These properties almost always have a cellar - which once served to store firewood or coal -, but have no parking space for a car.”