Bandol and Sanary, two gems on the coast

A quality lifestyle, record sunshine, typical charm, security, a superb natural environment… Bandol and Sanary are indeed enviable addresses. These well-preserved seaside resorts continue to draw retirees and those in search of holiday homes.

Marcel Pagnol, Raimu and Fernandel were among the first visitors who made Bandol a very popular holiday haunt. An authentic seaside resort with 8,000 residents, Bandol, 20 km from Toulon, offers several sandy beaches, sublime “calanques” and creeks which have retained their natural charm, a renowned golf-course and AOC vineyards. Bandol unites all the prerequisites for a delightful Mediterranean art of living, particularly prized by many retirees. “2016 turned out to very positive,” says an enthusiastic Thierry Salvan of the Agences Boyer, experts on Bandol’s property market, which chalked up 23 % more transactions than in 2015. “This area is, however, a market for experts. Buyers are in much less of a hurry, and very demanding with their searches. On the other hand, hoping for an offer while posting a high price is not an effective strategy.” Our specialist thus points to a wide gap between sellers’ expectations and market reality. Only high-quality properties are presented at 6,000 or 7,000 € per sq. metre - or well beyond for outstanding properties : the majority of classic homes sell for around 4,800 € per sqm., whence the interest of enlisting experienced local agencies. “When a property is correctly estimated, the sale goes through quickly, as evidenced by a seafront apartment of 57 m2 requiring renovation, which found a taker at 190,000 € in just two days.”

A real village on the seafront, laid out around a small, colourful and picturesque fishing harbour, Sanary offers an ideal Mediterranean ambiance just 10 km from Marseille. Visitors fall in love with its market and busy narrow streets. Lively and go-ahead, its property market is active all year round. “Our clients are mainly from the Rhône Valley and the Parisian region. They appreciate the commune’s easy access from the TGV station in Toulon and fast access to the motorway,” explains Sylvianne Garrot, manageress of the Agence GTI-GPI, based in Sanary since 1988. Here the budgets most frequently seen range from 180,000 to 300,000 € for holiday homes in the case of apartments, 350,000 to 650,000 € for year-round residences. Widely sought-after 2-bedroomed apartments of around 70 m2 cost from 300,000 to 350,000 € depending on their location and appointments. As for small villas of about 150 m2 with gardens of 400 m2, they fetch around 450,000 € for the most recent. “Often consisting of retirees, our clientele is above all looking for houses with at least one bedroom on the ground floor. This type of property quickly finds a taker.” Village houses, less popular due to parking problems and their lack of outdoor areas, nervertheless draw clients who like to be able to walk everywhere. They are usually proposed at around 3,000 € per sqm. “Our summertime clients mainly target the seafront. On gated estates with swimming pools, “club villas” offering a living-room, kitchen, bathroom, WC and, on the upper floor, often in the form of a mezzanine, 1 or 2 bedrooms, are meeting with great success. The average price of these properties ranges from 170,000 to 220,000 €. Rarer but more well-endowed clients set their sights on properties right at the water’s edge. This niche market is comprised of properties with their own prices reflecting the rarity of their loc­ations and appointments.”

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