Maussane and Saint-Rémy, at the heart of the Alpilles

After a quiet period, momentum in the property market in the Alpilles is picking up and prices are stabilizing. Saint-Rémy and Maussane - 2 hrs 40 from Paris, via the TGV station in Avignon - are seeing renewed interest on the part of French and Anglo-Saxon buyers, who still appreciate the charm of these addresses with excellent reputations.

At the foot of the mountain chain of the Alpilles, Maussane lies in the midst of vast olive-groves and superb landscapes just next to Les Baux. Lively year-round, this address is one of the most highly-prized communes in the Alpilles. “A good many of our clients hope to acquire holiday homes in immediate proximity to the centre of Maussane and its delightful square, a great place for socializing and meeting new people. A stone house with a garden and pool, a short walk to the village, is the type of property that sells very quickly,” says Muriel Ducloy of the Agence des Alpilles, founded in 1998 and now comprised of four agencies (Maussane, Fontvieille, Saint-Rémy and, for the past year, Arles).

Well-known for its shady little squares lined with restaurant terraces, elegant boutiques and art-galleries, Saint-Rémy draws buyers more focused on a cultural and esthetic art of living : exploring pretty boutiques, discovering exhibitions, having lunch and dinner in restaurants… Popular not only among the French, but also north Europeans and Anglo-Saxons, the capital of the Alpilles is still a flagship address in Provence. “We have seen a 15% rise in our sales volume as compared with 2015. The market is beginning to feel more buoyant,” adds Muriel Ducloy, most of whose recent sales consist of properties priced from 700,000 to 1.5 million euros, many at around 900,000 €. Rarer transactions over and above 1.5 million euros include a few properties which stand out for their exceptional features and locations. One such example is a stone village house of 300 m2 in a garden of 1,000 m2 boasting a pool. Offering 5 en-suite bedrooms and a garage, its new owner paid over 2 M €.

“We are indeed seeing an improvement in the market, in all its different segments,” agrees Yannick Bouteloup, manager of the Happy Immobilier agency, covering the entire Alpilles area since 2002. “Sales are going through more easily, and fewer applications are rejected by the banks. There is also an appealing array of availabilities, except for properties at our starting level. Houses on offer in the 300,000-400,000 € bracket are thin on the ground - though they can be found !” By way of example, he mentions the recent sale of a village house of 115 m2 in the centre of Maussane. Benefiting from an enclosed garden of 260 m2 with a pool, it was acquired for 380,000 € by Belgian clients, already owning an apartment on the commune. “Maussane is all about love at first sight. When residents invite their friends for holidays, it isn’t rare that they pop into the agency to ask for information with a view to buying a home for themselves. We are lucky enough to be able to propose properties that suit all requirements. And we have also noticed a rise in the number of year-round residents.” Senior executives in companies based in Fos, Martigues and Istres no longer hesitate to invest in the Alpilles, thanks to more appealing prices and mortgage rates at record lows. Even though prices here are amongst the highest in the département, the Alpilles area is seen as a sound long-term investment. With quality living conditions as a bonus.