Cap Ferret & Le Moulleau : property markets for the privileged few

Communes around the Bassin d’Arcachon are both pleasant and attractive. Among the areas topping the list, two addresses stand out : Cap Ferret and Le Moulleau. On these very popular micro-markets, it may well take some time to find a property in the face of such high demand.

Cap Ferret and Le Moulleau are highly sought-after addresses on the Bassin d’Arcachon, and the points they share in common do not stop there : well preserved areas, a stone’s throw from nature and the sea, where homes change hands very rarely. While prices are not necessarily prohibitive, the scarcity of available properties is often the decisive factor : in Le Moulleau, potential buyers sometimes have to wait several months before a property comes up for sale.

Le Moulleau is a neighbourhood of Arcachon, next to Le Pyla-sur-Mer, on the shores of the Bassin, and one of the area’s most popular addresses. First and foremost for its atmosphere, as explained by Julie Lemoine, property surveyor and manageress of Moulleau Immobilier : “When you find yourself in the neighbourhood of Le Moulleau, you are in a quiet, pleasant setting with smart boutiques. In the evening, it offers very appealing cafés and restaurants. It enjoys a village atmosphere almost all year round, a fact much appreciated by buyers. Once they get here, they want to be able to forget about their cars. They are also looking for somewhere which will please all generations of their families, all of which they find in Le Moulleau”. When she opened Moulleau Immobilier, Julie Lemoine wanted to found an agency firmly rooted in its neighbourhood, so as to be able to propose all kinds of properties. A goal she has achieved, as the agency handles sales of both houses and apartments. Different price-tags rub shoulders in the window : a studio of 29 m² with a terrace and parking place at 190,000 €, a pretty Basque house at the heart of Le Moulleau with 4 bedrooms and a garden of 550 m² with a pool, very close to the beach and amenities, at 975,000 €, and a villa right at the water’s edge, priced at 3,250,000 €.

“In this area highly-prized for the quality of its environment, one mainly finds properties in Basquo-Landais style, some with typical Arcachonnais architecture, giving them special charm and stylishness,” says Juliette Guérin, who runs the Arcachon Coaching Immobilier agencies in Arcachon and Le Moulleau. “This part of Arcachon is a niche market, with demand largely outstripping supply, which naturally results in rising prices. Buyers give priority to a property’s location, and whether or not it offers a view of the Bassin. The local market is rather old, though there are some new residences and others being treated to rehabilitation.” Juliette Guérin currently has one such offering for sale. A development in a prime location, at the heart of Le Moulleau, comprised of about 20 apartments, bright and practical, with top-quality appointments. Ranging from 80 to 110 m2 giving 3 or 4 main rooms, they benefit from terraces or private gardens, with prices from 600,000 to 780,000 €. The clientele mainly consists of senior executives and self-employed professionals aged from 45 to 60, in search of a holiday home. Though many are considering moving here permanently, especially with the arrival of the LGV train. Le Moulleau is a privileged neighbourhood : its charm and authenticity explain rising prices and rising demand.

The other pearl of the Bassin d’Arcachon is Cap Ferret. This peninsula between the Bassin and the Atlantic Ocean is highly appreciated by a diverse clientele in search of holiday homes. The Ateliers Lofts & Associés agency specializes in original properties, and according to its manageress, Carmen Milcent, Cap Ferret offers a good number of unusual homes. “We work on a limited market with very few properties. They mainly consist of wooden or timberframe houses, and while the exteriors often seem similar from one property to the next, that is far from true once one steps inside. In many cases, these houses have been acquired, then completely re-invented by their new owners. We are therefore dealing with a high-end international market, where traditional exteriors hide very unusual volumes and spacious rooms.” One can also, however, come across contemporary houses, such as a villa with a pool at the centre of Cap Ferret. A few minutes’ walk to the Bassin, this property of 198 m2 benefiting from light and airy rooms thanks to its picture windows is up for sale at 2,190,000 €.