Village houses in the Luberon

A fashionable address and a congenial setting. Holiday home owners in search of total immersion in Provence keep coming back for more, as long as they can benefit from an outdoor area, top-notch comfort and the nec-plus-ultra, a pool ! Guided tour…

Set back from the Rhône, the Luberon enjoys a Mediterranean climate, typical architecture and a cultural heritage several centuries old. Hill-top villages, local produce, arts and crafts, everywhere authenticity is the rule of thumb. Not very high, the Massif du Luberon extends east to west between the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and the Vaucluse, an area 60 km long and 5 km wide. Its flagships are Gordes, Ménerbes, Bonnieux, Goult, Lacoste and Roussillon, whose ochre seems to glow against a backcloth of greenery. “One evening, when I made a halt north of the Durance, you came into view. I saw you in the distance like a greyish wall speckled with blue,” wrote Henri Bosco. It is, however, Peter Mayle, author of “A year in Provence”, who can be credited with singing the praises of the regional nature park, a status obtained in 1977. From 1970 to the year 2000, population figures in these medieval communes rose 50 %, with second residences multiplying in number. Tourist activities are also diverse : historic and cultural sightseeing, relaxation or sport in the great outdoors such as mountain biking, hiking or horse-riding excursions. While the Luberon’s fashionable reputation has been transformed over the decades into that of a sound value, that of village houses now has its followers.

”In the Golden Triangle formed by Gordes, Ménerbes and Bonnieux, prices are holding steady,” says Catherine Pellat-Finet of Immobilier Provence Conseil. A village house of 100 m2, opening out to a courtyard, starts at 300,000 €. “Most of my clients are looking for properties in the 800,000 to 1.5 million euro bracket. This type of house is not the poor cousin on the Luberon’s property market, far from it. But at these prices, an outdoor area, a swimming pool or pond are essential amenities. French or foreign, the typical client, aged 45 or more, is targetting maximum enjoyment and a minimum number of constraints.” In other words, he gives priority to congeniality, a property which is easy to maintain, close to shops and services. If family and friends like to get together for holidays, the village house, unlike residences in outlying areas, offers autonomy for all the various age-groups. Not forgetting a feeling of higher security. Luxury properties are also to be found in this category. A private mansion of 400 m2 in a garden of 500 m2 or on about 2.5 acres of land with a pool (generous grounds available, for example, over towards Cabrières d’Avignon) can attain 2 million euros. The disparity between individual properties and their different requirements in terms of renovation explain the wide range of prices. And this segment of the market is even more active as some owners of “mas” in the country intend to part with their fiefdoms in exchange for this appealing compromise.

”A view, preferable elevated, and the quality of the surroundings count as much as easy access to the TGV train station,” comments Gérard Escoffre of L’Immobilière du Château. “Buyers see a 30-40 minute drive as a symbolic barrier. Some are attracted by the short distance between these villages and the golf-courses. From this point of view, L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue and Lagnes are well positioned.” Some clients flee from the crowds of summer tourists, whereas others love a bustling atmosphere, whence the debate over Gordes or Roussillon. Buyers appreciate villages with a luxury hotel, good restaurants and enticing boutiques. Among his most recent transactions, Gérard Escoffre mentions a house of 140 m2 with a garden of 1,850 m2 and a pool, a 5-minute walk from the historic centre of Gordes, sold for 800,000 €, and a private mansion split into two apartments of 300 and 140 m2, both benefitting from a pool and a sublime panoramic view of the Luberon, offered at 1,650,000 and 880,000 € respectively. Division of this type of property allows the seller to enhance its value, as long as it offers a prime address. Belgian buyers are very fond of village houses, together with a few English clients making a comeback, and French ex-pats wanting to find a home for when they return. Generally speaking, under the charm of old stones, they all want to open up the buildings to let in the light, prefer lofty volumes and contemporary decor.

Eric Bongert of Immo Goult distinguishes two types of buyers : the first, knowledgeable about the specific features of the various villages, have already made their choice ; the second simply fall in love with a new address, motivated more by esthetic considerations than living conditions. Demand for village houses priced between 250,000 and 750,000 € constitutes 80 % of the agency’s files. Encouraged by improved purchasing power than that seen a few months ago, clients from countries outside the euro zone seem to be returning to the Luberon, drawn by the appeal of the regional nature park, the biosphere reserve listed by UNESCO and settings offering well controlled urban planning. The investment is guaranteed and the “safe haven” aspect self-evident. Senior citizens focus on practicality and the possibility of doing everything on foot. The Luberon’s geographic location, 40 minutes from the A7, 45 minutes from the TGV station and 1 hour from the Marseille Marignane airport, is naturally a persuasive argument. The only fly in the ointment : the lack of properties offering good value (ie. quality) for money. Despite a relatively tense economic context, properties which are fairly estimated sell within a perfectly acceptable time. However, sellers are not realistic, especially those who bought their houses in the heady years of 2007 and 2008. “Rarely in a hurry to obtain cash, they prefer to withdraw their properties from the files and wait for better times rather than lose any money,” says Eric Bongert. “And it’s always wise to be wary of rapid, superficial analyses, and of the costs posted, which are much less reliable than the price at which the property is actually to be sold.”