The southern part of the Luberon, its main and holiday residences…

This is a region of scrubland, farmland, olive-groves, rivers and shady little valleys, all forming part of the Luberon Nature Park. Between upper and lower Provence, the southern part of the Luberon, also known as the “Vallée d’Aigues”, unfurls lots of different attractions the better to draw both year-round and holiday residents.

Experts are unanimous : real estate in the southern Luberon is still a blue-chip investment. And while local activity has seen a slowdown just recently, due to the elections, the crunch has not really affected this privileged region. Superb landscapes, good weather, friendly villages all with their fountains and benches in the shade of the plane-trees..., the area offers picture-postcard scenery. On the property market, offerings have not diminished, it is the buyers who have changed. More careful with their money, more attentive to details, they make little or no concessions in terms of quality ; they are prepared to wait and no longer act on the spur of the moment. It’s up to the seller to propose his property at a fair price. Reason has replaced passion and an over-valued property can stay on the files for years. The time is no longer favourable for rental investors, though for private individuals wanting to make long-term investments in a main or holiday home, now’s the time to buy.

In Lauris, a village perched on a rocky spur surveying the valley of the Durance, average budgets and first-time buyers can still find what they’re looking for. If they are willing to take on renovation, a 1-bedroom apartment of 33 m2 can be had for 70,000 € ; once the work is completed, it will be worth 80,000 to 90,000 €. “For a property from 55 to 70 m2 in good condition, one needs to pay 120,000 to 130,000 €,” says Stéphane Léonard of the Agence Demontis. For a house of 150 to 160 m2 with a pool, prices quickly rise to 650,000 € on average. This type of home is of interest to senior executives working in Aix-en-Provence, but also retirees. On the rental market, also buoyant, 1-bedroom apartments cost from 450 to 550 €/month, those with 2 or 3 bedrooms 750 to 850 €/month, and villas from 750 to 1,300 €. Rentals are mainly taken by young members of the working population, either single or as couples. A region with lots of villages and a country atmosphere, benefiting from a full range of amenities, the southern part of the Luberon seems to share out its properties evenly between main and holiday homes. Typically Provençal, village houses, some with exposed stone and ceiling beams, draw families wanting to be as close as possible to schools and shops. A renovated property is worth approx. 2,000 €/m2. Outside the villages, the scene is composed of houses, more or less recent, “mas” and large properties. Estates have sprung up more or less everywhere, around the schools. Detached houses from 130 to 200 m2 in grounds of 1,000 to 3,000 m2 with swimming pools range from 370,000 to 500,000 €. As year-round homes, they cater for employees, often transferred from Picardy or northern France. As holiday homes, they accommodate German, Belgian and Swiss owners who move in for their holidays.

”Pertuis offers a few private gated estates with attractive houses of around 110 m2 in gardens of 800 to 1,000 m2. Their working owners, who have invested 400,000 € on average, set off each day for Aix-en-Provence,” explains Delphine Maiz of Cimm Immobilier. Fond of the southern Luberon for its climate and environment, foreigners appreciate ancient stones and authentic “mas”, lovely views and privileged locations. When they opt for a village house, it’s because it has a certain stylishness, the village too. One such example is Lourmarin, known as one of the loveliest in France, nestling in the midst of vines, olive and almond trees, just 35 km from Aix-en-Provence. Then there’s Ansouis, south of Cucuron and Sannes, or Cadenet, which seems to scale a hill crowned by the ruins of a medieval castle. Close to Lourmarin, a restored “mas” of 400 m2 on almost 5 acres of land is currently on offer at 3.5 million euros. Another, on almost 25 acres of land, bears a price-tag of 6.5 million. Equally sought-after, country houses known as “bastides” cost around 4 million euros as long as they are in perfect condition and come with extensive grounds (about 25 acres). Large estates with châteaux are rather thin on the ground. One would need to pay 6.2 million euros for a property of almost 150 acres with a château and farmhouse, in the area around Lourmarin. “We are witnessing a comeback on the part of both French and English clients for this type of property,” says Rudi Janssens of Janssens Immobilier. Belgian and Swiss buyers also keep a close eye on the market. Finally, agricultural land can be acquired for 1.80 € per sq. metre ; when it is not bought for this specific purpose, it falls into the hands of buyers capable of waiting patiently until it can be built on. Seasonal rentals are in high demand from French holiday makers. They are looking for comfortable houses with 2 or 3 bedrooms and a pool, and it’s not rare that two families get together for their vacations in the southern Luberon. They pay from 2,500 to 3,500 € per week in July, 4,000 € per week in August. This year again, demand has outstripped supply, proof of the region’s on-going popularity.