The hills around Nice : prestige, peace and quiet

From Saint-Roman-de-Bellet to Mont-Boron, the hills around Nice are comprised of various residential areas, more or less classy, proposing highly-prized accommodation. Just like the attractive hill-top villages north of the town.

One of Nice’s most prestigious addresses, Cimiez is a leafy resid­ential neighbourhood on the hill closest to the centre (less than a 5-minute drive). Offering wonderful sweeping views, sometimes including the sea, it plays host to high-end properties much appreciated by well-off French and foreign clients (especially Russian). “Marked by its “Belle Epoque” architecture, Cimiez is well-known for its many bourgeois buildings dating back to the late 19th/early 20th century, often referred to as “palaces”, such as the Majestic, Riviera Palace and Excelsior Régina,” says Michael Fusaro, director of Nice Properties, a group of five agencies covering mid- and upper-range properties from Villefranche-sur-Mer to Cannes, and very active on the market of Cimiez. “Other­wise, you can find more recent buildings - from the 1950’s to the present day - frequently in the luxury category. Offering less charm, they are more pratical, usually benefiting from large balconies, terraces, parking facilities and cellars.” Another asset in Cimiez : “The existence of private mansions in “Belle Epoque”, Art Deco and bourgeois style, offering living space of up to 600 m2, and typical Niçois houses from 140 to 220 m2, which are often very stylish. Highly sought-after, these properties come with gardens of 100 to 1,000 m2”. Inevitably, prices posted in Cimiez are high - just under 5,000 € per sq. metre on average, with some properties attaining up to 10,000 € per sqm. They also remain stable : “Very sound investments”.

Jean Girard, manager of Côte d’Azur Properties, covers neighbourhoods west of Nice including Fabron, Bellet and the upper part of Magnan (above Le Parc Impérial) : “Nestling on the hillsides, these addresses offer the advantage of being occupied by a considerable number of recent residences with swimming pools, gardens, sometimes tennis courts and terraces - to admire the views -, which one can’t find in the centre which is, in fact, very close. Not forgetting the quietness, a priority among our clients”. Prices of apartments here range from 4,500 to over 5,500 € per sqm, as demonstrated by a 2-bedroomed apartment of about 80 m2 in Fabron with an outdoor area, parking place and luxurious appointments, which recently sold for 465,000 €. “A beautiful 1-bedroom apartment on the top floor of a residence with a pool in Bellet is, in fact, currently up for sale at 280,000 €.” As for houses, properties of quality cost from 650,000 to 800,000 €. “Offering a wide choice and now relatively stable prices, this market appeals to people at management level, often working in the town centre, and others looking forward to retirement, including a good number from Paris and Lyon, drawn by the sun on the Côte d’Azur. Initially a holiday home, their acquisitions then become their permanent address when they retire.” Investors “looking for income to supplement their pensions” are also interested in small surface areas giving a rental return of about 4.5 %.

Philippe Salmon, manager of Aspremont Immobilier, is based in the charming village of Aspremont with some 2,000 residents, 10 km north of Nice : “We cover the hills around Nice, though most of our activities focus on communes higher up, including Colomars, Castagniers and Falicon. In immediate proximity to Nice, they nevertheless post more affordable prices than those in the hillside areas”. This sector thus provides an appealing fall-back zone for a local clientele of managers and self-employed professionals looking for detached houses with gardens, and possibly a pool, at an affordable price. “They range from 300,000 to 750,000 € - more for exceptional properties -, depending on their surface areas, condition, location and view... By way of example, we recently sold two properties here in Aspremont : a small detached house in need of refurbishment with a garden of 300 m2, at 300,000 €, and a villa of 150 m2, about 30 years old, in 1,500 m2 of grounds with a pool, priced at 750,000 €.” Village houses can be found from 200,000 to 300,000 €. Finally, building plots, “increasingly rare and expensive”, cost from 250,000 to 300,000 € for 800-1,000 m2. “These prices, which have seen a decline over the past few years, are now in fact quite reasonable.”

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