Valréas and Nyons : a very affordable housing

Pleasant, leafy little towns in the Vaucluse and Drôme Prov­ençale benefiting from all the necessary amenities, Valréas and Nyons propose very affordable housing. Excellent value for money…

A commune with almost 10,000 inhabitants, known for its cardboard industry and AOC wines (Côtes du Rhône, Côtes-du-Rhône Villages and Coteaux du Tricastin), Valréas comprises, together with Grillon, Richerenches and Visan, an enclave in the département of the Vaucluse within that of the Drôme known as the “Popes’ Enclave”. A tourist area steeped in history, offering delightful living conditions and some very enticing opportunities : “A classic villa with a garden in a pleasant neighbourhood can be had for 180,000 to 250,000 €,” says David Boschi, manager of Boschi Immobilier, a family-run agency founded in 1960 with six offices in the Vaucluse and Drôme Provençale (in Valréas, Nyons, Vaison-la-Romaine, Visan, Buis-les-Baronnies and Dieulefit). He is also currently handling the sale of new apartments from 70 to 90 m2 at prices ranging from 150,000 to 200,000 €. For those ready to build, plots on estates are just as appealing : 800 to 900 m2 cost from 70,000 to 80,000 €.

15 minutes east of Valréas, one comes across Nyons, a Provençal commune with less than 7,000 residents, renowned for its olive-oil (AOC) and exceptional climate. Sheltered from the Mistral wind by the surrounding hills, this town nicknamed the “Little Nice” offers a life-style of remarkable quality. “An address which particularly attracts young retirees from other regions. Most demand is for comfortable 3-bedroomed villas all on one floor, with gardens of 800 to 1,000 m2, with or without a pool, near the centre, and priced from 250,000 to 450,000 €.” The market for holiday residences is also holding up well, attracting Belgians, Parisians and Lyonnais in search of family homes in the country, with budgets between 300,000 and 450,000 €. “Then there are those with higher resources who can afford very lovely properties (”mas”, old farmhouses…), priced from 600,000 to 700,000 €.” As for apartments, those of 70-80 m2 with 2 bedrooms cost from 150,000 to 200,000 €. With regard to building land, the agency is proposing serviced plots of 1,200 m2 at about 120,000 €.

“The considerable price rises in the Luberon from the start of the years 2000 made Nyons a very appealing fall-back sector for growing numbers of Scandinavian, German, Swiss, English and American clients,” explains Gilles Bonnet, co-manager of Bonnet Immobilier, an agency based in Nyons since 1971, covering an area within a radius of 30 km. He says that the price per sq. metre for old apartments ranges from 1,800 to 2,500 €, and from 2,700 to 3,000 € for new apartments. For village houses with outdoor areas, prices can attain 2,400 € per sqm. “in the case of tasteful restoration in typical style”. For a detached 1-storey house, one can expect to pay from 1,700 to 2,700 € per sqm. “Building plots on estates, usually from 500 to 700 m2, are available from 100 to 150 € per sqm. If they are not on an estate, they will be larger - around 1,000 m2 - and sell for around 100 € per sqm. near amenities. Further out, and especially east of Nyons, they range from 40 to 80 € per sqm.” Properties in the town centre are naturally sought-after, though the introduction by the municipality of a free shuttle service throughout the commune has changed perceptions : “This service has significantly wid­ened the area in which buyers are prepared to look for homes.”

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