Private estates : security and greenery

In elevated loc­ations in the Alpes-Maritimes, private estates offer settings with reassuring security and often services on a par with their level of prestige. They appeal just as much to holidaymakers as buyers looking for permanent homes...

“We have two main types of clients : either from other regions of France, aiming to spend their retirement on the Côte-d’Azur, or foreigners in search of a quality holiday residence.” For Christian Berti, director of the group Immobilière Côte d’Azur, and manager of Grand Duc Immobilier, Berti Prestige and the Agence de la Poste, the decision to propose properties on private estates came perfectly naturally. “Our goal is to target homes of quality at prices ranging from 400,000 to 4 million euros. Prestigious properties of this kind are to be found on private, and sometimes guarded, estates. Frequently offering views of the sea, they are reassuring settings in which foreign clients feel at ease and well-received. Estates also allow retirees who have sold their villas to continue to enjoy outdoor areas while living in apartments. Depending on their living space and the floor, prices of such properties range from 300,000 to 2 million euros.” On the Domaine Le Grand Duc, Christian Berti is proposing a corner villa-apartment of 115 m2 with four main rooms and a terrace of 36 m2. Also enjoying a panoramic view of the sea and Estérel hills, it is up for sale at 930,000 €. Though there are not solely apartments on private estates, adds Christian Berti : “You also find villas providing more extensive living space with high-spec appointments. These properties usually cost from 500,000 to 4 million euros. A wide price range, which obviously takes the property’s surface area and age into account : as most of these houses are rather old, contemporary properties are highly sought-after.” He takes the example of a magnificent villa designed by an architect, on the hills of Mandelieu, priced at 2,650,000 €. Offering living space of 320 m2 in grounds of 2,100 m2 with a beautiful heated pool, it overlooks the surrounding area and enjoys a lovely view of the sea and Lérins Islands.

Carole Mattone, founder of the Azur Seaside agency, says that there is strong demand for year-round residences on private estates. “Many of our clients are young and actively employed. They work in Monaco or Sophia Antipolis, and would like to live on the Domaine du Loup or Les Hauts de Vaugrenier, which are close to main roads, the motorway and railway stations. These buyers are set on a particular lifestyle : in protected areas and natural settings, with a social life that develops among residents on these estates. In addition to gyms and an Olympic-size pool, the Domaine du Loup places at its residents’ disposal a comprehensive and very efficient security and warden service, representing excellent value for money.” All factors which incite clients to acquire properties on this kind of estate. Such as a 4 bedroomed corner apartment of almost 110 m2, recently sold and benefiting from a view of the park and sea, as well as two parking places and a cellar. “Buyers also appreciate the layout of the rooms and the magnificent sea views offered by most of the properties,” adds Carole Mattone. “With balconies, walk-in closets and utility rooms, they are often through, or corner, apartments. Which guarantees light and airy rooms with generous proportions.” The agency is currently proposing a 3-bedroomed property in Les Hauts de Vaugrenier, priced at 590,000 €. A corner apartment of 103 m2 on the top floor, it benefits from a terrace of over 11 m2. The estate is set in several acres of natural greenery on a hillside with a forest park and superb Olympic-size pool.

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