Le Beaujolais, an extremely diverse property market

East of the Massif Central, north of Lyon, between the Saône and the Loire, Le Beaujolais offers an extremely diverse array of housing opportunities. Its wine-producing activity dates back to the days when the Romans occupied the region, though it only acquired its letters of nobility in the 12th century A.D. Today, Le Beaujolais produces 12 “appellations”, 10 “crus” and 130 million bottles of wine per year.

Bordered on the east by the Rivier Saône, Le Beaujolais, which rises to an altitude of 1012 metres on Mont Saint-Rigaud, is made up of three main areas : the Saône Valley, served by major roads, the hills, or in other words, the vineyards, and the area known as “Le Beaujolais Vert”, dedicated to breeding and woodwork. The region naturally owes its international reputation to its wine : each year, 54 million bottles, produced from the famous Gamay Noir grapes with their white juice, are exported to 110 different countries. Inter Beaujolais has 137 wine-tasting cellars subscribing to the quality charter, “Beaujolais, a land of wine, a special welcome”. Back in 1540, Villefranche-sur-Saône replaced Beaujeu as the capital of the region. 35 km from Lyon, the town is home to 33,850 residents, as well as the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the headquarters of Blédina. On the axis covered by the A6 motorway, it handles large-scale railway traffic. The entertainment agenda, which is particularly extensive, reaches its height on the third Thursday in November.

The clientele of the Cabinet Robert Dumas consists mainly of people working in Lyon and the newly transferred, hoping to find for the price of a luxury apartment in Lyon, a large property over in the highly-prized “Pays des Pierres Dorées” or Land of Golden Stone, a commodity more popular than the classic “vigneronne”. Commuters usually take the train, though soon the new motorway should finally open up the “great west”. This type of buyer pays from 500,000 to 1 million euros for a property of 250-300 m2 with grounds ranging from at least 1,000 m2 to about 2.5 acres. From 750,000 €, one can expect to obtain a building in good condition. In this particular segment, the crisis has been particularly devastating, causing an inevitable drop in prices. Now rekindled, activity could come up against a shortage of quality products. Villefranche and its immediate surroundings are very popular, as are villages benefiting from on-site shops and amenities. Here, most of the houses, 100-120 m2 with small gardens, cost from 150,000 to 300,000 €. “The Val de Saône and Les Dombes, up to 30 km from Lyon, offer residences of character or farmhouses on generous stretches of land, sometimes with ponds, catering to fans of horse-riding or open nature, ready to pay 200,000-750,000 €,” says Robert Dumas.

“Villefranche and villages on the periphery, Gleizé, Arnas, Limas and Pommiers, offer two advantages : genuine quality of life and prices significantly lower than those at the heart of Lyon,” adds Denis de Sercey of Ain Rhône Immobilier, an agency also providing rental management. According to statistics from the SIA (17 agencies), calculated on the basis of 150 old and new apartments, the sq. metre is currently around 1,850 €, while individual housing costs from 2,200 to 2,300 €/m2. The vast majority of purchasers spend about 200,000 € ; 75 % work in the Beaujolais region, 25 % in the Prefecture of the Rhône, on its northern limit or in the centre. In recent weeks, there have been more calls, though clients are also more demanding. They are reluctant to undertake renovation work, preferring homes they can move into straight away. They check the sound and heat insulation. Surveys are studied from A to Z, just like the amounts of charges.

“As soon as a house benefits from a garden, the asking price is 170,000 €. Unfortunately, this type of property is cruelly lacking,” laments Dominique Combotte. Single and first-time buyers, largely represented, are often forced to fall back on apartments, a segment that accounts for 60 % of the transactions conduct-ed by Combotte Immobilier, an agency covering Villefranche and the area within a radius of 15 km around this go-ahead commune. Among her recent sales, this estate-agent mentions approx. 3.45 acres of land, both con-structible and agricultural, priced at 145,000 € over towards Ain. The new owners intend to use the property as their main residence while also creating a mini-farm. Then a couple of local workers left their semi-detached house for a restored property of 130 m2, plus outbuildings, in grounds of 1,700 m2 a 5-minute drive from Villefranche, costing 310,000 €. A doctor and a lawyer acquired two bourgeois houses between 380,000 and 600,000 € in the centre of Villefranche. Finally, an investor acquired a 1-bedroom apartment of 47 m2 with parking place, for 148,000 €.