Teh southern part of the Luberon : both main and second residences

Unfurling its magnificent undulating scenery between the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and the département of the Vaucluse, the southern Luberon - a land steeped in history, wine production, tourism , art and crafts - continues to enchant both French and foreign fans in search of an authentic, high-quality life-style.

Defined by Manosque to the east, Apt to the north, Gordes to the west, and Pertuis to the south, the southern part of the Luberon encompasses 14 communes, a Regional Nature Park, vineyards and their AOC wine cellars, lakes, châteaux… All permanent invitations to savour quality living conditions with the bonus of typical Provençal charm. Sufficiently enticing for some buyers working in Pertuis, Aix-en-Provence, Manosque or Marseille to drive 30 minutes to 1 hour per day to obtain their dream home, with budgets frequently ranging from 300,000 to 350,000 €. Sophie Esposito, manageress of the family-run Agence Bonpré based in La Tour-d’Aigue, nevertheless points to a gap between supply and demand. “Most often, properties drawing buyers at 300,000 € actually bear price-tags of around 400,000 €.” Very few apartments are available in this area whose market is dominated by villas and stone village houses. One such example is a fully renovated 4-bedroomed house ben­efiting from a terrace of 15 m2 at the heart of La Tour-d’Aigue, up for sale at 350,000 €. Foreign clients, espec­ially from Belgium, Switzerland and many from Germany, have higher budgets, of around 500,000 €. “Looking for holiday homes with the potential to become their main homes later on, they are attracted by “bastides” surrounded by natural greenery,” says Sophie Esposito. “They are particularly intersted in the typical villages of Grambois and Saint-Martin-de-la Brasque.”

For Stéphane Leonard, manager of the Agence Demontis opened in 2002 on the commune of Lauris, transactions now concern both main and second residences. “With budgets ranging from 200,000 to 300,000 €, our clients are looking for small villas of 80 to 100 m2 on pleasant estates on the communes of Lauris, Mérindol, Cadenet, Puget or Puyvert.” Buyers with more flexible budgets tend to be in search of a holiday home in the form of a charming “mas” or “bastide” with living space of over 200 m2 and high-quality appointments : annexes, mature grounds with pools and, whenever possible, a delightful view. One “bastide” of 170 m2 with 4 bedrooms, annexes, a garage and pool, enthroned in the midst of a landscaped park of 2,000 m2, embodies this type of prestigious property, highly-prized especially by foreigners who can afford to pay from 600,000 to 700,000 €.

With over 400 properties in a portfolio shared by its four local agencies, Janssens Immobilier has sound experience of the market in the Luberon. “We have noticed some marked differences between the north and south, where prices are more stable,” explains Christine Petrosino, who runs the Janssens Immobilier agency in Lourmarin. “There are always lots of buyers interested in the southern Luberon. Often from northern Europe, they are looking for pleasant holiday homes. But as they are motivated by neither necessity nor urgency, they take their time. We sometimes exchange e-mails or make calls for several months before setting up any visits. Within this new context, sellers are well-advised to adopt the right strategy. To be sure of completing a sale, it is vital to post a price in line with the market as soon as the property is first put up for sale, and entrust it to a limited number of agencies so that it does not become over-exposed, which can often be counter-productive,” advises our specialist, who believes that the method cons­isting of setting a high price, then lowering it depending on the offers it brings, in fact acts as a brake. “In opting for this approach, owners automatically place their properties out of bounds for buyers who are carefully searching the market from their homes, based on precise budgets.” What else are buyers looking for ? “A good location and, increasingly, a well-finished property, even furnished - a detail particularly appreciated

by the British.”