Genas and Décines-Charpieu, east of Lyon…

If Genas has long relied on its rural charm, it is now developing both vertically and horizontally. Just like Décines-Charpieu which started to grow a little earlier, thanks to the arrival of the tramway in 2006.

Genas lies 15 km east of Lyon. Attached to the “département” in 1968, this locality in Le Pays du Velin is now home to 12,000 people. Its population boom dates back to the Glorious ’Thirties. Since then, agriculture has declined and an activity zone has been built. Located at the edge of the “Grand Large” reservoir, Décines-Charpieu with 25,500 residents is 12 km from the capital of the Rhône region. Served by public transport, buses and the tramway, its first apartment buildings appeared in the 1960’s. The centre has seen dense development since 1990, especially on Rue de La République and Place François Mitterrand. The town offers a secondary school, a clinic and several sports clubs.

”Modification of the urban development plan of land in Genas allows for construction of small residences, a commodity sought-after by retirees after they have sold their houses, usually on the same commune,” says Marcelle Magliocchetti of Immo Duo. The creation of these apartments has had a positive effect on the market’s mobility. On arriving in Lyon east, buyers transferred here for professional reasons fall for the charm of this country village situated between the prefecture of “département 69” and the airport, its church with rather special architecture, its central square, shopping street and its “Halle” which hosts a friendly weekly market. Apartments range from 2,900 to 3,200 €/m2, whether in a rehabilitated farmhouse or in residences built in the 1980’s and 1990’s. New developments post prices from 3,500 to 4,000 €/m2, the latter required for a penthouse with a terrace of 50-100 m2. The market for houses is divided into two distinct categories : semi-detached with living space of 80-105 m2 and gardens of 200-400 m2, to the taste of first-time buyers who pay 180,000 to 330,000 €, and new or recent contemporary villas of 150-200 m2 in grounds of 800-1,600 m2, priced from 450,000 to 900,000 € depending on their appointments. 1960’s-1970’s homes to restore with gardens of 600-1,000 m2, costing 350,000-400,000 € in peaceful surroundings inspire a certain enthusiasm. All types combined, demand is steady, offers limited, giving a satisfactory cruising speed.

“Potential buyers in Décines, a 15-minute tram ride from La Part-Dieu, approve of the way the town centre has been spruced up and the opening of shops around the Town Hall and tram station,” says Damien Boucq of Guy Hoquet L’Immobilier. “The authorities intend to abolish the impression of a transit town between Villeurbanne and Meyzieu.” Décines thus has a more urban approach than Genas, with a more diversified array of housing. 1-bedroom apartments cost 125,000-150,000 €, those with 3 bedrooms from 1,900 to 3,600 €/m2, with this price bracket corresponding to a low-energy BBC development which has just risen from the earth at the heart of Décines, with terraces and garages. A semi-detached house of 80-90 m2 costs 250,000 to 300,000 €, while a villa of 120 m2 with a garden of 700 m2 requires a budget of around 350,000 € on average. This diversity explains the multiple nature of targeted buyer profiles : from young couples acquiring their first home to seniors drawn by the proximity of shops and services, the convenience of public transport and the town’s human scale, not forgetting people working in Lyon or Villeurbanne, looking for larger homes and even a garden.