Saint-Raphaël, quality on the programme

A well-known seaside resort, Saint-Raphaël is also the economic and cultural centre of the eastern part of the Var. With a population of close on 35,000, the commune is comprised of housing designed for both its year-round residents and new ones in search of a luxury life-style.

Benefiting from the A8 motorway and a TGV railway line, Saint-Raphaël lies between the Esterel hills and the Mediterranean, 39 km from Saint-Tropez and Cannes, 94 km from Toulon. Its sandy beaches and rugged creeks formed by the famous red rocks of the Estérel are important assets for this commune where 46 % of the accommodation consists of holiday homes.

In 2012, the developer Andelim set up its sales centre here. With about 30 developments in the pipeline or undergoing construction in Fréjus-Plage, Boulouris, Valescure and the town centre, this agency casts an experienced eye on the new-build market. “Prices correspond to the budgets of the locals and thus compete effectively with properties on the resale market, especially as today’s clientele is looking for properties in impeccable condition. The downside ? Buyers are hesitant when faced by delivery times,” explains Marc Viale, manager of the sales department. By way of example, he cites “La Villa Pretoria”, a residence benefiting from pleasant gardens, a pool and open views. In the lower part of Valescure, it offers all the assets sought by a clientele of young retirees from Paris or Lyon, looking for a semi year-round home. Prices here range from 180,000 € (1-bedroom apartment) to 470,000 € for the penthouse, via 260,000 € for a 2-bedroomed apartment of 75 m2. Members of the local working population and investors are more receptive towards developments in urban settings, such as “L’Amarante”, close to the town-hall. You would pay 220,000 € for an apartment with 1 bedroom, 330,000 to 340,000 € for a 2-bedroomed apartment of 75 m2 in this residence, on which construction has just begun. With a budget of 500,000 to 750,000 €, you could start to look at lovely villas. To illustrate current market conditions, Marc Viale mentions a 1-storey villa of 124 m2 in the Boulouris neighbourhood. In grounds of 1,100 m2 with a pool and an annex of 30 m2, it just sold, within 3 weeks and after about 15 visits, for 620,000 € after symbolic bargaining of 5 %. “If a property is of good quality and proposed at the right market price, it soon finds a taker.”

Another neighbourhood highly-prized by well-off clients looking for holiday homes, Valescure boasts numerous high-end properties on luxuriant and well-maintained estates and the three golf-courses to be found here. Developed as from the 1980’s, the area disposes of a good choice of recent properties. Villas in neo-Provençal or contemporary styles range from 600,000 to 1,500,000 €, a price including, in most cases, high-quality appointments, spacious interiors, utilities and landscaped gardens. “We sell as many properties designed as main homes as holiday residences,” says Eric Gennet of the Immogolf agency, the specialist for this area. “Mainly composed of seniors, our clientele appreciates the quietness and classiness of Valescure, where properties often offer sweeping views of the greens and Estérel mountains.” Quality living conditions are undeniable here, with the bonus of fast access to the town centre and beaches of Agay. “At the moment, villas on offer under 700,000 € sell the best. For those of about 140 m2, equipped with a pool, garage and garden of 1,000 m2, de­mand is very steady.” What about apartments ? “Recent-ly built residences at the edge of a golf-course also have their fans. Apartments offering high-end appointments are pegged between 5,000 and

5,200 € per sq. metre.”