South of the Loire, a heterogeneous area

The region south of Nantes offers different facets, sometimes urban, sometimes rural. Diversity which is reflected in a wide array of properties and a wide range of prices. Our estate-agents fill in the details…

It’s something of a challenge to compile an exhaustive portrait of the communes south of Nantes. One can, however, distinguish towns from villages, larger urban areas from countrified regions, the first ring around Nantes from the second. Not forgetting that they do not all benefit from the same level of infrastructures and facilities. All parameters which affect the price of properties, over and beyond their intrinsic qualities. Only 3 km separate the centre of Rezé from the historic heart of the prefecture. At the confluence of the Loire and Sèvre, this town south-west of Nantes, with a history of labourers and peasants, is the 4th largest in the “département”, with 38,215 residents. Two symbols bear witness to the successful way in which its demographic transition has been handled : the old fishing village of Trentemoult and the “Cité Radieuse” of Le Corbusier. Vertou, home to 21,350 people, lies 7 km south-east of the capital of “département 44”, in the valley of the Sèvre. Unlike Rezé, part of its land is still devoted to agriculture, giving priority to Muscadet vineyards.

“Rezé offers urban scenery, on the southern bank of the river, facing Nantes, while Bouguenais, La Montagne, Saint-Jean-de-Boiseau and Le Pellerin have old villages and stone houses on the riverbanks,” explains David Deconinck of Atout Sud Immobilier. The history of Bouaye is closely linked to the saga of Muscadet, whereas Pont-Saint-Martin, Les Sorinières and La Chevrolière propose all the charm of the countryside. Benefitting from good public transport services, Vertou and Saint-Sébastien boast quality housing. Until the 1990’s, Rezé had a rather working-class image, with the middle-class more inclined to live on the north side of Nantes. Over the past two decades the trend seems to have reversed. Here, a recent 3-bedroom house on an estate, near all amenities, costs 260,000 €. Likewise, apartments with one bedroom range from 90,000 to 170,000 €, two bedrooms from 110,000 to 190,000 €. Prices which are certainly more appealing than those in the centre of Nantes just across the Loire, reached by a 10-minute bus or tram ride, or 7 minutes on the “navibus”. Relatively stable, prices in Rezé are the same as those posted in Les Sorinières and Bouguenais, which benefit from their accessibility to Nantes. The city’s economic development inevitably has an important impact on neighbouring addresses. Activity on the property market is thus deemed to be satisfactory. While sales are currently restricted to changes in life-styles, stocks of available properties are lower than in the past, thus ensuring steady prices.

“Vertou proposes all the infrastructures of an agglomeration without subjecting its residents to any resulting disadvantages,” says Patricia Volclair of Volclair Immobilier. “Buyers are often pleasantly surprised by the existence of the “busway” and TAN network. Apartment residences are small and pleasant to live in, with the banks of the Sèvre enjoying real success.” Demand mostly targets houses or building plots, with total budgets of around 300,000 €. Unfortunately building land is scarce, which inevitably affects the overall price of such transactions. The only solution is to move further out. The same is true in the case of houses. Current offerings are pegged around 500,000 €, though the majority of purchasers can only afford 400,000 € for a property of 150-200 m2 less than 10 years old, in grounds of 1,000 m2. Some buyers accept the idea of moving out to communes such as Les Sorinières, La Haye-Fouassière or Saint-Fiacre. Others prefer to wait until they can afford Vertou, particularly well-endowed. The market would undoubtedly be much more active if sellers made more of an effort in terms of their asking prices.