Montélimar : an essential port-of-call in the Valley of the Rhône

A lively town popular among tourists in the middle part of the Rhône Valley, Montélimar benefits from a convenient location and well-developed infrastructures. It offers an affordable and varied property market in which lower prices make for some genuine opportunities.

Ideally located 40 minutes from Valence, 1 hour from Avignon and 1 hr 30 minutes from Lyon, Marseille, Grenoble, Montpellier, the Alps and the Mediterranean, this “gateway to Provence” is home to over 35,000 inhabitants benefiting from the A7 motorway and hi-speed TGV train. These “Montiliens” appreciate a lively and well-equipped town (with almost 1,000 shops, a hospital, seven nursery schools, 12 primary schools, five intermediate schools, three general secondary schools and one devoted to the transport sector…). Go-ahead economic activities (tourism, the nougat industry, a local speciality…) also guarantee a reassuring pool of employment, all further enhanced by a Mediterranean climate…

”Apartments here sell from 1,000 to 3,000 € per sq. metre,” says Serge Lévêque, manager of Orpi Saint James, an agency based in Montélimar for the past 20 years (with two offices in the town). “As regards houses, it is, however harder to give prices per sq. metre. Here at Orpi, we believe that each property has its price. For example, a house of 100 m2 with a garden of 500 to 800 m2 will be worth from 180,000 to 220,000 €, depending on the neighbourhood.” Most of the agency’s sales in fact consist of properties in the 150,000 to 300,000 € bracket. “After declining since 2008, prices are now tending to stab­ilize, though only for properties in good condition. Now more demanding, clients avoid offerings with renovation on the cards, whose prices thus automatically continue to decline.” The agency’s clients have different profiles : “We are contacted by retirees who have sold their houses and are usually in search of the sun ; people transferred to the area, often with lower budgets ; local first-time buyers and others who are older, wanting to sell a house and move closer to the town centre ; and rental investors”.

Aurélie Caulay, manageress of Aurel’Immo, an agency opened in 2007, covers Montélimar and Cléon-d’Andran (a commune 20 km further east). For apartments and old properties, she mention prices of around “2,000 € per sqm. for small surface areas, otherwise from 1,400 to 1,800 € per sqm. Prices for new homes range from 2,500 to 3,000 € per sqm. all sizes combined”. One of her most recent transactions was a 3-bedroomed apartment priced at 95,000 €. “Though most demand is for properties in the 150,000 to 250,000 € bracket.” In the eastern part of the urban area, the agency proposes a wide array of properties : “From village houses of 100 m2 at 100,000 € to large residences of 600 m2 on several acres of land, worth over 1 million euros. Though properties priced between 400,000 and 600,000 € chalk up the most sales.” What about building land ? “Plots in non built-up areas from 800 to 2,500 m2 cost from 80,000 to 200,000 €.” Aurélie Caulay’s clientele is mainly comprised of elderly people and couples with children who are already home-owners. “On the other hand, we see very few investors. Rather property dealers drawn by low prices, with renovation required.”

Martine Talbot, manageress of Elyse Avenue Immobilier, an agency based in Montélimar for the past two years, covering an area extending as far as Valence, has no particular client profile. “Though a new tendency has become noticeable since the beginning of the year : young couples looking for their first homes and coming up with projects that they carry out in relatively short periods of time.” In fact, “some fine opportunities arising from declining prices” are certainly not to be missed. For a studio or 1-bedroomed apartment in Montélimar, one neeeds a budget of around 50,000 €. For a 2-bedroomed apartment without any renovation required, prices range from 90,000 to 110,000 €. “Over and beyond that level, you can find superior appointments, especially in new developments, for around 200,000 €. Ideal for the elderly, wanting a comfortable and convenient home close to amenities.” As for old houses, a “pavillon”, or suburban house, with a garden of 500 m2 will cost from 180,000 to 210,000 €. A budget which corresponds, for new or recent homes, to a property with a garden of 200 to 250 m2. “And for 250,000-300,000 €, one can acquire a house built in the 1990’s with a garden of 700 to 800 m2, or a more recent home with a garden of 500 m2.” Then there’s the top end of the market, where prices climb to 600,000 €. Finally, building plots of 250 m2 are available for 70,000-80,000 €, while those of 900 to 1,000 m2 cost around 150,000 €.

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