Bons-en-Chablais, a village undergoing expansion
Radia Amar - 14 April 2014
A commune with almost 5,000 residents in Upper Savoy, at the heart of the province of Le Chablais, Bons-en-Chablais lies 15 km south-west of Thonon-les-Bains and 59 km north of Annecy.
A strategic location. With construction of the CEVA railway line (Cornavin-Eaux-Vives-Annemasse) which will pass through Bons-en-Chablais, and that of the 4-lane road which will soon connect Machilly to Thonon, this rural commune already endowed with quality infrastructures, including several primary and an intermediate school, is becoming ever more attractive for many people working in Thonon, Annemasse and even across the border. The town has, in fact, launched a vast urban development plan aiming to preserve the right balance between such development and open greenery. The ZAC of Les Prés de la Colombière is intended to provide a 15-acre zone at the heart of town with medium-density accommodation consisting of 270 new homes, shops and amenities. Professionals in the real-estate sector are participating in this new development, and it is here that the family-run Poirier agency opened one of its two offices in 2012 (the second, in Sciez, was launched in 2009). “The market in Bons-en-Chablais is very diverse. You can find all kinds of properties : old stone houses, modern villas, functional apartments… Its offerings in terms of housing reflect the go-ahead approach of this village pursuing real expansion. Houses are available at around 3,000 € per sq. metre, apartments at around 3,200 € per sq. metre,” explains Thibaut Houssard, associate manager of the agency in Bons-en-Chablais. As for price trends, properties show a slight downward tendency. What about new developments ? “We have just sold almost all of the apartments in a high-quality Chablais Habitat development. There are two 3-bedroom apartments still available, priced at 3,200 € per sqm. As for villas, a lovely estate is currently being built at the lower end of Bons-en-Chablais, close to the station. These houses of quality sell for about 3,600 € per sqm.”
Specializing in sales and land development, the New House agency launched in 2010 also proposes “plot + villa” packages in the area. “It’s one aspect of our expertise, even though we are now confronted by a scarcity of building land,” says the agency’s manager, Damien Andronikou. “Houses available in Bons-en-Chablais are either stone village houses priced from 300,000 €, or modern villas benefiting from good-sized gardens, proposed from 400,000 to 450,000 €. Most of our buyers are now members of the working population aged from 35 to 45, attracted by the Loyer and Saint-Didier neighbourhoods, quiet and near the centre. With a budget of 200,000 €, first-time buyers (usually aged from 25 to 30) can aspire to a lovely 1- or 2-bedroom apartment, or a 3-bedroom apartment in need of a revamp.”