Roquebrune-sur-Argens, between land and sea

An address of real charm, Roquebrune-sur-Argens prop­oses a property market split into three distinct and radic­ally different sectors : the old village, La Bouverie and Les Issambres, offering idyllic panoramic views.

A commune in the eastern part of the Var occupying 106 km2, Roquebrune-sur-Argens basks undeniably in a pleasant setting which is typically Provençal. Its economy relies on tourism, the production of wine, olive-oil and honey. The 12,000 year-round residents consist of families working locally - often in Fréjus or Saint-Raphaël - and a good number of retirees. Each summer, the commune welcomes lots of tourists who come to enjoy water-sports : sailing, underwater diving, water-skiing, jet ski...

In all, Roquebrune-sur-Argens has slightly over 12,100 dwellings. The old village is laid out around the church and a dense centre built in the Middle Ages. Two new residences are soon to be delivered here. Village houses with 3 or 4 main rooms in perfect condition can be found from 170,000 €. La Bouverie, a neighbourhood that rose from the ground at the end of the 1960’s, is comprised of estates surrounding a recent centre called “Cœur de la Bouverie”, with pedestrian areas, crèches, a primary school and a shopping/medical centre joined by apartments in 2009. Here, a 1-bedroom apartment sells for 146,000 €, one with 2 bedrooms 200,000 €. Family homes with gardens range from 270,000 to 600,000 €, depending on their location, type of construction and overall condition. A market apart, Les Issambres proposes villas with sea views.

“In all three sectors, prices have seen a decline. They are now stabilizing and have reached the level we saw in 2008. Over the past few months, we have sold properties with less than 5 visits, at prices ranging from 145,000 to 450,000 €,” explains Nathalie Jahier of the Ottonello agency created in 1963, and now into its third generation. “The market is lively and turnover for our sales department is even higher than it was in 2013.” The most frequent enquiries come from French clients who, with budgets from 350,000 to 600,000 €, are looking for pleasant holiday homes with at least 4 bedrooms and a swimming pool. For main residences, demand often comes from young couples wanting to acquire their first home, at prices around 200,000 €. They focus their searches on La Bouverie. As for the many retirees looking to settle in Roquebrune-sur-Argens, the majority are looking for practical and soundly-built apartments in convenient locations near amenities. They dispose of comfortable budgets ranging from 350,000 to 500,000 €. “There’s a good choice, and lots of buyers !” comments Nathalie Jahier. What about new properties ? Investors are delighted with new developments, such as a residence with a pool in the village, currently being delivered. Here, a 1-bedroom apartment of 40 m2 recently sold for 180,000 €. It will be rented out at 600 € per month.

With its coastline 10 km long, its hills dotted with parasol pines and its breathtaking views of the azure Med, Les Issambres is the residential shoreline component of Roquebrune-sur-Argens. It is comprised of a few holiday resid­ences with pools, tennis courts and parks, where 1 bedroom apartments from 35 to 40 m2 change hands between 110,000 and 160,000 €. However, villas with superb sea views make up most of its offerings. “Our market is mainly comprised of houses built from 1960 to 1975,” says Annie Roche of the Agence du Cap, based for the past two years in the Saint-Pierre neighbourhood. “Many of them need modernizing, and some of our clients are more interested in the land than the house. They sometimes demolish an obsolete home, replacing it with a more contemporary villa.” Again, the choice is there, whether in the price bracket from 450,000 to 700,000 €, or for properties in excess of 1 million euros. “We are seeing a renewal of the housing scene. Many family properties are now being put up for sale by the second or third generation of owners. Our French, German, Belgian, Swiss and Dutch clients can thus visit several properties at prices which have stabilized after 4 years of decline.” By way of example, Annie Roche mentions a villa with 5 main rooms in an elevated position offering a stunning view of the Gulf of Saint-Tropez. “The sea can be seen from everywhere, even the garden level and the pool !” A Swiss buyer just spent 865,000 € to treat himself to this outstanding address just 1 km from the beach and close to the San Peïre shopping area.

Specializing in Les Issambres for a full decade, Dominique de Mattei opened the Rêve de Sud Immobilier agency here in 2012. “This is a more complicated period. There are currently more properties available than buyers. As Les Issambres is a neighbourhood built in the 1950’s, it’s true that the new generation will not necessarily hang on to these inherited properties. 90 % of our sales involve holiday homes, acquired by clients from the UK, Belgium, Norway and, just recently, Russia. It is now vital that properties be estimated very accurately if we want to avoid buyers finding themselves lost in this micro-market,” says our specialist, who mentions among his latest sales a 1960’s villa offering a beautiful sea view. Originally posted at 980,000 €, it just found a taker at a very reasonable 895,000 €.

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