The charm of the hyper-centre of Toulouse

By Cécile Olivéro - 16 July 2012

A city in the south open to influences from elsewhere, Toulouse cultivates its Occitan identity. Highly sought-after, its hyper-centre offers a setting where warmth and congeniality colour its day-to-day art of living.

Life is lived here Spanish-style and some façades recall Italian architecture. The “Rose City” owes its nickname to the Romans who taught the locals how to make bricks and tiles. Even today, brick is used everywhere and plays its part in the prestige of the old heart of town. A neighbourhood which has dedicated fans, mainly of local origin. Here, one comes across students just as easily as 40 year-olds and senior citizens. They all have a virtually unconditional fondness for Toulouse in general and the hyper-centre in particular. Some families who leave the area for larger living areas on the outskirts often return once the children have left home. Others whose jobs take them away temporarily are keen to move back in. Students - totalling about 100,000 in Toulouse – choose the centre for its bustling life, travelling to their faculties by tram, metro or bike. For in 2012, cars are proving to be less essential though, if you have one, parking is no longer seen as a constant headache. The town has in fact introduced a residents’ parking scheme : one simply has to prove one’s status as a resident to be able to choose between the annual subscription badge at 135 € or a city card, at 4 € per week or 7.5 € per fortnight. Since 2010, the tramway has complemented the network already comprised of two metro lines. Like other large cities in France, Toulouse has opted for rented electric cars and “Vélô Toulouse”, city bikes one can rent for a short length of time (1 € per day, 5 € per week, 10 € per month or 25 € per year). All facilities for getting around which offer the hyper-centre and its residents additional advantages. Fallen victim to its own success, the neighbourhood inevitably lacks sufficient offerings.

“All types combined, properties are not available in sufficient number,” says Hervé Leboucher of Century 21 Les Carmes. “Demand is particularly high for 2- and 3-bedroom apartments.” Overall, the sq. metre ranges from 3,000 to 5,000 €, though it can cost slightly less, or considerably more. A fully renovated property of 125 m2 with accoustic foam injected into the ceiling is thus on offer at 620,000 €. Estate-agents agree that the hyper-centre of Toulouse, possibly more than other neighbourhoods, has to be seen on a case-by-case basis. Everything depends not only on an apartment’s location, orientation, eventually its view, appointments, the existence or lack of an outdoor area, but also and above all on that little something that gives it irresistible appeal. It could be high ceilings, exposed beams, pebbledash, an attractively presented courtyard, a small leafy garden, a terrace… Its charm may take the form of a 17th-C. mansion, some of which have been abandoned, or a ground-floor property with ceilings 6 metres high, converted in loft style with a small garden. “You can still find very attractive “Toulousaines” built in the 1900’s, in quiet shady settings,” says Chantal Puech of the Agence Via. “And some recent residences are not without a certain stylishness, even if time has not yet given them a patina.” As witnessed by a new house of 170 m2 priced at 900,000 € and another designed by an architect, recently finished, offering living space of 115 m2 and priced at 640,000 €. Its potential buyer can acquire the adjacent plot, of about 300 m2, with two palm-trees, and create parking space and a swimming pool, thus combining practicality with charm. As long as renovation work does not scare off the future owner, some old properties are just waiting for the day when someone will restore their former lustre, 21st-century style, of course. A home of 160 m2, exactly 100 metres from the hyper-centre, with a small garden and extensive refurbishment on the cards, is on offer at 350,000 €. Charm comes at a price, and the enthusiasm it arouses is not always compatible with reason. “Some clients are willing to sacrifice a few square metres or allocate a higher budget than initially intended to obtain a property to their taste at the very heart of town,” say Marylène Preveraud and Bérengère Reglat of M & B Immobilier. Those who cannot afford to buy fall back on renting. There were once many investors focusing on Toulouse, though today buying to rent no longer gives a good return (only 2 to 2.5 %) ; investing in a long-term asset is, however, still attractive. In terms of rentals, demand again outstrips supply. For a 1-bedroom apartment, one will pay 600 €/month, for 2 bedrooms from 850 to 900 €. Some people rent initially in order to test the neighbourhood and be sure they like it before investing on a longer-term basis. Others want to become home owners but cannot find the property of their dreams and resort to renting. Finally, yet others, mostly French but also a few English, German, Swiss and Dutch clients, treat themselves to a pied-à-terre where they enjoy coming for regular stays of just a few days. For everyone, whether year-round or occasional residents, the hyper-centre is a place with its own special life-style, lively sidewalk terraces and neighbourhood shops. A well-preserved neighbourhood where the rate of rotation for sales/acquisitions hardly attains 10 %, as finding a property here is a question of luck, and people usually then hang on to it preciously.