“Les Monts d’Or”, a pleasant setting at the gateway to Lyon

Rising north-west of the capital of the Rhône, this mountain range consists of almost 17,300 acres, 26 % farmland, 12 % forests and 62 % residential areas. Criss-crossed by 160 km of nature paths and hiking trails, the site attracts a well-heeled clientele, appreciative of the quality of the natural scenery and its proximity to the third largest city in France.

A dozen kilometres long from north to south, the “Monts d’Or” are bordered to the west by the “Monts du Lyonnais”, to the east by the River Saône. The popularity of their spring water dates back to ancient Roman times. Mount Verdun rises to an altitude of 625 metres, while Mount Cindre is close to Lyon, just a 15-minute drive. While the environment has retained a few traces of former quarries and plays host to military installations, it has a relatively well-preserved fauna and flora. Its “carbones”, or makeshift constructions built of dry stone, recall the old days when shepherds and other labourers needed to take shelter. Eleven communes dot the landscape : Chasselay, Limonest, Albigny-sur-Saône, Champagne-, Collonges-, Couzon-, Poleymieux-, Saint-Cyr-, Saint-Didier-, Saint-Germain- and Saint-Romain-au-Mont-d’Or. Except for the first, they all belong to the greater urban area of Lyon.

“These addresses appeal to buyers, both fans of the countryside and those wanting quick and easy access to amenities in Lyon, the train station and airport,” explains Florence Mélia of the agency L’Immobilière de l’Ouest. They benefit from large plots of land at the heart of a green zone, magnificent views of the Monts du Lyonnais, proximity to public and private schools, French or bilingual, appealing to ex-pats, old residences bearing the stamp of authenticity or contemporary villas. Lively, offering lots of shops, the villages are far from lacking in attractions. Saint-Didier is one of the richest communes in the suburbs of Lyon, Saint-Cyr wins all the votes. Others have a fondness for Limonest, its sports facilities and numerous associations. Young couples set their hearts on Collonges, currently completing its renovation of the Trêves-Pâques neighbourhood. Families in search of affordable prices and comfortable surface areas do not hesitate to move further out towards Couzon, Saint-Germain or Poleymieux, still reaching Lyon via public transportation. Assisted by extremely low interest rates and stable prices, fiscal year 2010 has seen a recovery in the market. Once again, demand outweighs supply, though clients are more fully informed and more reasonable than in the past. Old properties offering character and ultra-modern homes top the popularity stakes. For living space of 300 to 350 m2 at Saint-Didier or Saint-Cyr, expect to pay from 1.1 to 1.5 million euros. Village houses with modest gardens sell for 400,000 €. A house of 180 m2 built in 1980 with grounds of 1,700 m2 ranges from 650,000 to 750,000 €, depending on its appointments and quality of renovation. Many buyers are looking for land, intending to use wood and meet low energy and HEQ standards. Prices naturally decline the further one gets from Lyon.

“The majority of transactions involve individual housing,” adds Vincent Ferrari of Arlim Prestige. The choice is wide, from stone houses - such as those in the hamlet of Saint-Fortunat - to the very latest offerings combining concrete, glass and metal, via 19th-C. residences, bourgeois villas of the 1930’s, and houses built in the ’sixties and ’seventies. All fit perfectly into the rural setting, closely watched by those in charge of urban development. Rare top-quality properties, offered for sale at consequent prices, exchange hands within two or three months. Budgets range from 400,000 € - the price of a 1960’s house of 110-120 m2 - to at least one million euros for properties of character with living space of 250-300 m2. Recent houses of 130-150 m2 cost around 450,00-500,000 €, while surface areas of 160-200 m2 attain 600,000-800,000 €. The high end of the market, ie. 350-400 m2 in enclosed grounds of over 2.5 acres with tennis courts and swimming pools, can reach two million euros or more.