Discovering Le Lauragais

Straddling three “départements” and crossed by the Canal du Midi, this territory of 1,768 m2 is composed of nine communes in Le Tarn, 69 in La Haute-Garonne and 75 in L’Aude, ie. a total 78,000 inhabitants, two-thirds of whom live in rural areas. Head east of Toulouse…

In Le Lauragais, one century followed another, composing a multi-facetted past. In the 15th and 16th centuries, its Golden Age derived from the cultivation of woad, a plant giving blue pigments. The 17th century was marked by the construction of the Canal du Midi. Textiles, wood, leather and tiles were important to the region in the 19th century, while the modern era has been devoted to wheat and sunflowers. Sometimes pleasantly countrified, sometimes agricultural, the landscapes form a vast playground for nature-lovers, fans of hiking, horse-riding and mountain biking. Toulouse lies to the north-west, the valley of the Girou and the plateau Castrais to the north, the Montagne Noire to the east, the Pays d’Olmes and Terreforts Ariégeois to the south. Visitors all fall for the charm of the Canal du Midi, Castelnaudary, the Montagne Noire and the lake of Saint-Ferréol, before treating themselves in the evening to a good “cassoulet”. For in south-west France in general, and Le Lauragais in particular, the “good life” is also about tasty and wholesome food.

“To the east of Toulouse, 80 % of purchasers work in the Rose City, first-time buyers capable of paying 150,000 to 200,000 €, fans of villas costing around 300,000 €, or seniors attracted both by the quiet-ness of the countryside and the amenities offered by villages,” says Virginie Momi of the Sogil agency. Retirees, likely to pay from 150,000 € to several hundred thousand euros, in fact make the trip in both directions, as some prefer the bustle of the City of Violets. The first ring - Saint-Orens, Escalquens, Labège, Castanet and Ramonville-Saint-Agne - is extremely popular. The second and third - Montgiscard, Baziège, Labastide-Beauvoir, Villefranche and Nailloux - also offer many solutions. Whatever their starting-point, local residents take 30 minutes to reach the Place du Capitole : most of them, however, work in Labège or the eastern entries to the city, often in the aeronautical industry, and therefore don’t need to drive into the centre. The area offers a wide range of products. Building plots of 2,500 m2 in outspread areas cost on average 100,000 € over towards Villefranche-de-Lauragais. Village houses post very different prices depending on the village. An example of 100 m2 in good condition fetches 240,000 € in the first ring. A villa of the same size in a comparable locality will cost 270,000 €, while generous living space and irreproachable appointments can reach 800,000-900,000 €. Highly-prized for their typical architecture, farmhouses - usually offering a surface area of 200 m2 plus outbuildings - have many fans, especially if they require renovation. In this case, buyers pay 200,000 to 300,000 €, whereas a finished product of 700 m2 in grounds from 3,000 m2 to about 25 acres ranges from 500,000 to 1.5 million euros. One “hectare” (2.47 acres) of cultivable land varies from 4,000 to 10,000 €. In the case of private grounds, the price is even harder to assess. Nevertheless, the availability of building land has a definite impact on price.

Marc Perrottet of the Solvimo agency focuses more on Saint-Orens and Escalquens. With a full range of facilities, these two communes offer shops, a healthcare centre and schools up to secondary level. Furthermore, the secondary school enjoys an excellent reputation. Buyers appreciate the peacefulness - no air corridors spoil the sky - and the geographic location - on an axis that leads directly to the sea and the mountains without passing through Toulouse. Most transactions here range from 270,000 to 400,000 €, the budget required for 150 m2 in excellent condition with grounds of 1,000 m2. Among his recent sales, Marc Perrottet describes a house of 90 m2 with a garden of 400 m2, acquired by a couple of executives aged about 35 for 250,000 €, and a building plot of 700 m2 with a construction ratio of 0.40 in a residential area, costing 150,000 € and acquired by engineers in their forties with a total budget of 400,000 €. Building land is, in fact, the real rival for old houses.

“This unusually strong demand for plots of 2,500 m2 is becoming hard to meet, especially given our customers’ financial capabilities,” comments Patrice Romero of Romero Immobilier. To obtain a net cost of 100,000 €, one has to go as far as Caraman : though Lanta, benefitting from a friendly atmosphere and a good array of amenities, including an intermediate school, is considered the symbolic limit. The enthusiasm for building land can be explained by the high level of customer demands. In the case of properties priced at 400,000 €, buyers will not tolerate “fair” condition or any disadvantages. Small farmhouses are one of the flagship products in Le Lauragais, even if the cost of renovation is always high. All segments combined, the market is active. This “green outpost” to the east of Toulouse offers more fluid traffic conditions than the north, and a preserved environment, less built-up than the west, which is often deprived of the famous pink bricks.