Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, star of the Alpilles

Saint-Rémy-de-Provence enjoys international renown synonymous with a luxurious art of living in the midst of Provence. Little gold nuggets scattered around the Alpilles, its typical “mas”, or country houses, are very highly-prized as charming second residences.

Served by the motorways A7 (Lyon-Marseille), A4 (Nîmes Salon-de-Provence) and A9 (Orange-Montpellier-Perpignan), and only 20 minutes from Avignon’s TGV station, Saint-Rémy is a real little town, lively in all four seasons. Recently embellished, the commune has watched its squares refilled with flowers, its streets repaved and new pavements built along main roads, making the town much safer for pedestrians. Dear to Vincent Van Gogh who immortalized its landscapes in over 150 canvases while he was being cared for in 1890 at the hospice of Saint-Paul de Mausole, Saint-Rémy still extends a welcome to many artists. Its art-galleries, boutiques for home decor, star-rated restaurants and delightful hotels all endow it with a refined brand of charm. As soon as one leaves the town, luxuriant countryside immediately opens up, dotted with vineyard properties and Provençal “mas” where time seems to have stood still.

“Since the month of May, the market has really picked up, thanks in particular to English clients, much more confident with their advantageous exchange rate and economic growth encouraging investment, but also because prices in Saint-Rémy are now more affordable following a general decline of 10 to 15 %,” says Sandy Marquis of the Agence de Saint-Rémy, a friendly, go-ahead agency opened a year ago by a team of professionals specializing in the Alpilles. “Fond of old stone, many foreign buyers are looking for houses in quiet locations, with gardens, swimming pools and garages. With budgets ranging from 600,000 to 800,000 €, they also hope for a location within walking distance of the centre. Even though there is a good choice, properties meeting all of these criteria are rare, and clients are often obliged to make a few concessions, either in terms of noise or the lack of a garage.” A charming pied-à-terre from 200,000 to 300,000 €, in the guise of an apartment or a small house of 80 m2 at the heart of the village, is more liklely to draw French buyers with lower budgets, or those not keen on handling the constraints of maintaining a villa.

70 % of the sales orchestrated by Actuel Immobilier, an agency managed by Valérie Lucien, who can count on over 25 years’ experience in real estate, concern holiday homes. “Saint-Rémy’s closeness to the TGV station means that it is possible, especially for Parisians, to benefit from their property all year round, for weekends and short stays, with their children or friends,” she explains. “The market has really perked up over the past few months. We are getting more enquiries, and dreams of acquiring a property are becoming real short-term projects. The English are back, together with Americans and numerous French ex-pats, currently employed in major financial centres in Asia. Younger and disposing of considerable budgets, they are investing today with the aim of moving into their property as soon as they come home to France.” What about transactions ? It seems that a balance is at last being struck between buyers’ budgets and the expectations of sellers, who have accepted the decline in market prices. Majestic Provençal “mas” at the foot of the Alpilles, offering living space of 250 to 350 m2 in generous grounds with swimming pools, now range from 1.2 to 1.5 million euros. “A property’s location is more important than its condition, as buyers are ready to take on refurbishment so that it suits their taste and provides modernized appointments.” By way of example, Valérie Lucien mentions a stone “mas” of 220 m2 offering the possibility of enlargement. In need of a revamp and work to meet current standards, it has just been acquired by a Parisian client as a second residence for 1.5 million euros.