Béziers and its surrounding region, a two-tier market

With almost 71,000 inhabitants, the second largest town in L’Hérault, fourth in Languedoc-Roussillon, owes its reputation to wine production and its “feria” drawing one million participants. This commune in the plain of L’Hérault overlooks the River Orb and the Canal du Midi, 10 km from the Mediterranean and 50 km from the first foothills of the mountains.

Less than half of the communal territory is built-up, with the rest devoted to open green areas, natural and agricultural zones, mostly covered with vines. Rivers and roads meet up in this town 2,700 years old. Despite a wide-reaching restoration programme which has already begun, the town centre still has several neighbourhoods awaiting rehabilitation with vacant housing. In 2009, business and real-estate colleges opened their doors here. In the Wilson Liberté l’Hours neighbourhood, construction of the “Cité Judiciaire” is imminent. Tourism is making steady progress, thanks especially to the various means of access and the arrival of low-cost airlines.

“The average budget of property buyers in Béziers “intra-muros” does not exceed 200,000 €,” says Pascal Girault of Pascal Immobilier. “Most are looking for standard 3-bedroom houses in good condition, with small gardens.” They head for Le Polygone, Leclerc, the northern and north-eastern outskirts. 15 % are first-time buyers, particularly attentive to energy costs. The market for apartments is not very buoyant, especially in the centre. In the most modest neighbourhoods, small 2-bedroom apartments can be found for around 50,000 €, while a similar surface area in a better location, with a balcony and parking place, costs about 80,000 €. Representing 20-25 % of the clientele, and from all over France, investors are hoping for a return of 10 %, though it in fact ranges from 7 to 8 %. On the other hand, rentals are in real demand from assisted households which are, of course, a boon for these owners. There is a very significant gap between Béziers andMontpellier, reflecting the disparities in their local economies. The creation of the “Cité Judiciaire” may also accentuate the gap between the heart of town and Polygone, which will host this new development. Finally, high-class villas are hard to shift. Recently, a notary estimated a virtually new example of 280 m2 at 800,000 €, in grounds of 1,600 m2 with a pool. On offer at 410,000 €, it still hasn’t drawn the expected attention. Generally speaking, prices in Béziers have fallen continuously over the past four years.

“This chronic trend is not really reflected in Colombiers, a village with 2,415 residents, crossed by the Canal du Midi and situated at the western exit from Béziers heading towards Narbonne,” comments Vanessa Huguet-Hernandez of the Agence Gilbert Huguet Transactions (GHT). Set on a small promontory, it attracts retirees or future retirees from the region between Lyon and Paris, capable of investing up to 350,000 €. A classic home of 100 m2 with a garden of 400 m2 ranges from 200,000 to 240,000 € ; living space of 120 m2 with a pool costs from 300,000 to 350,000 €. Employees transferred to the region appreciate the peaceful, rural atmosphere without having to live far from their workplaces : access to Béziers (a 10-minute drive), Narbonne (20-25 minutes) and the motorway to Montpellier (45 minutes) is easy. The agency reports a satisfactory cruising speed in terms of business. The only problem lies in a lack of awareness on the part of sellers, occasionally inclined to over-estimate the value of their homes.

“With 6,700 inhabitants, a good array of shops and associations, Sérignan lies between Béziers and the Mediterranean coast, at the gateway to Spain and the Camargue, not far from the foothills of the Cévennes,” says Lionel Pijat of Cap Sud Immo. “The historic centre, 5 metres above sea level, is adjacent to a hill, 23 metres high. There’s a sailboat harbour on the right bank of the River Orb. In summer, the commune plays host to 25,000 people, though it never suffers the negative effects of mass tourism.” The majority of buyers spend from 200,000 € - the budget required for a “pavillon” of 80 m2 in need of refurbishment, with a garden of 300 m2 - to 300,000 € - the amount required for living space of 100-110 m2 in good condition, with a garden of 500 m2. Holiday homes account for 20 % of sales. Other buyers are investing with an eye to retirement. Despite interest shown by a clientele drawn by this compromise between town and village, apartments are few and far between. The crisis can be felt on an everyday basis : bargaining is tough and behaviour often volatile. Even so, turnover remains unchanged and prices stable. “As long as the buyer obtains value for money, we are still seeing a few sales in the 300,000 to 500,000 € bracket,” confirms Lionel Pijat.