Carpentras, a town and region of art and history

This commune with 29,600 residents lies halfway between Avignon and Orange, between the Luberon and Les Baronnies, below Mount Ventoux. The capital of the Comtat Venaissin, it still bears traces of its occupation by the Romans and the influence exercised by the Popes. The surrounding countryside flaunts all the colours of Provence.

The River Rhône flows west of Carpentras, the Durance winds its way to the north. Beneath the “giant of Provence”, an outcrop rising to an altitude of 1,912 metres, Carpentras gives a place of honour to local produce : strawberries, truffles, “berlingot” sweets, candied fruit and AOC Ventoux wines. On Fridays, the market brims with local bounty while the “black diamond” attracts connoisseurs from November to March. On Sundays, the flea market takes over. Activity zones grouped together under the name “Carpensud” occupy over 328 acres in all, with 150 firms providing 1,740 jobs. Half of them make their income from the agro-food industry.

“The property market is rather strained,” observes Christian Fétès of Luberon Ventoux Immobilier. “Clients are waiting for a clearer outlook and the few who visit properties, while well-informed and keen to make a decision, come up against sellers not necessarily prepared to reconsider their prices.” First-time buyers focus on the price-bracket between 90,000 € - the sum required for a village house or apartment of 50-60 m2 in need of a revamp and without a garden - and 220,000 € - bringing a villa of 80 m2 on an estate, in good condition and with a garden of 300 m2. Four out of every ten sales fall into the 350,000-500,000 € bracket, synonymous with good addresses such as La Lègue, Le Rocan or Peyrière, and older villas of 150 m2 in mature grounds of 2,500 m2 with pools. Half of the buyers, usually employed on-site, set their sights on Carpentras. By way of example, a surgeon just paid 334,000 € for a house of 160 m2 in need of modernization in grounds of 3,000 m2 over towards La Lègue. Local residents are still hoping for municipal embellishment of the town centre. The other half, retirees from all over France in search of the sun, peacefulness and authenticity, target villages on the outskirts, sheltered from the Mistral wind by Mount Ventoux - Caromb, Beaumes-de-Venise, Saint-Didier, Venasque and Bédoin. Currently, the only owners of second residences come from Belgium. For these two sets of clients, Carpentras suffers from a poor image, unfairly transmitted to the outside.

“The area plays host to many teachers ; it is the educational centre for a catchment zone with over 100,000 inhabitants,” explains Christophe Wunsche representing the agency A la Lucarne de l’Immobilier, and also an architect based in the region for three decades. “Locals can afford an average budget ranging from 200,000 to 250,000 €. Unfortunately, the stocks available include few homes at these prices. The gap between supply and demand is very real, without it having to stigmatize either one of the two parties concerned. In this difficult context, the role of the estate-agent is to provide the client with on-going assistance.” The lack of interest, not really justified, explains the undermining of values. Yet Carpentras, widely appreciated by its residents, offers properties both varied and of good quality. The Comtat Venaissin and the east side of Carpentras - protected from the wind, unlike the west - have nothing to envy of the Luberon or L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue. Most of the homes in these highly-prized villages range from 350,000 to 500,000 €, price-levels that are unattainable for many of the locals. The cost of building land is holding steady because it is rare. One would have to pay 100,000-130,000 € for a plot of 500 m2 in Carpentras. Towards Venasque and Beaumes, plots of 1,000 m2 or more range from 180,000 to 220,000 €. Further out in the direction of Malemort-du-Comtat and Mormoiron, one would pay 150,000 € at most for a plot of 2,000 m2. Accessible by road, air and the TGV train, the region is as popular among locals as fans of holiday homes. 50 year-olds often invest here with a view to retiring and enjoying their later years in Provence.

Nicole Baumann of Baumann Immobilier covers a 17-km radius around Carpentras. Most of her transactions concern year-round homes. Her most recent sales include an apartment of 60 m2, benefitting from a small terrace and a garage, acquired for 139,000 € by its former tenants. A couple of doctors who were moving to the region and obliged to live 15 minutes from their workplace then paid 400,000 € for a tastefully renovated “mas” of 220 m2 with a garden of 1,000 m2, on the outskirts of the urban area. Finally, retirees from Marseille paid 900,000 € for a “mas” of 320 m2, accompanied by a “gîte” for paying guests and convertible outbuildings, on almost 5 acres of land. Drawn by the rural environment and the changing landscapes around Pernes-les-Fontaines, they were interested in obtaining additional income as well as the chance to meet holiday-makers. “We’re definitely seeing a back-to-nature approach and a nostalgia for the countryside,”

remarks Nicole Baumann.

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