A home in Provence
“Provence conceals its mysteries behind their self-evidence,” wrote Jean Giono. In 1989, Peter Mayle dedicated a book to this region blessed by the gods, adapted for the cinema by Ridley Scott on 2006. All contributing to the fact that the English could not wait to discover the area, together with north Europeans and the French in search of authenticity, peacefulness and sunshine.
Based at the heart of the Luberon’s “Golden Triangle”, the Provence Home agency covers an area stretching from L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, Provence’s “Little Venice” renowned for its international antique-dealers’ village, to Le Pays d’Apt, the foothills of the mountain chain of the Alps. “The Luberon is known worldwide for the beauty of its well-preserved landscapes and its Regional Nature Park sheltered from the Mistral wind,” says Isabelle Gérault. “The valley and its slopes are mostly planted with vines and offer numerous well-known vineyard estates. In this privileged region with its easy acess, the charm of old stone buildings has worked its spell on a French and international clientele for over four decades. Looking for a high-quality lifestyle, our clients set their sights on authentic properties offering intimate settings and sweeping views. Prices here range from 1,500 to 10,000 € per sq.m, for the most exceptional examples.” 2018 has seen a buoyant market with a significant number of buyers and a steady flow of sales. Clients aim for a certain art of living in the Luberon made up of authenticity, culture and history. Each year, Provence Home publishes a book entitled “Vivre le Luberon”, a real ode to the diversity of its scenery and heritage, devoted this season to seven wine-producers.
“Le Pays d’Aix is more of a market for permanent, or at least semi-main, residences,” says Nicolas Ginon of the agency Daniel Féau Provence. “In fact, 80 % of buyers put down roots here. Monsieur often makes professional round-trips on the TGV to Paris where he keeps a simple pied-à-terre, while the rest of the family benefit from the peaceful setting, international schools, the stylishness of Aix and its cultural programme.” The core of demand ranges from 1.5 to 2 million euros for a high-end property from 250 to 400 m2 in grounds of 5,000 m2 to 2.5 acres, less than 10 minutes from the flagship town, in Les Pinchinats, Le Tholonet or Puyricard. The market is busy, with sales completed in 9-12 months as long as the prices posted make sense. One of our Parisian clients recently acquired an ultra-contemporary villa of 410 m2 (five suites) in rough concrete style, priced at 3.5 M €, in a park of 5,000 m2 facing the Sainte-Victoire mountain. The only requirement expressed at the start : closeness to an airport.
Focusing more on holiday homes, the Alpilles appeal to English, Swiss, Belgian, American and French clients, fond of stone farmhouses, renovated “mas” or Provençal “bastides”, worth around 2 million euros. A Belgian couple in their fifties recently treated themsleves to a Camarguais “mas” of 400 m2 near Arles, on 37 acres of land with a park and rice-field, for 2.2 million euros, intending to exploit the 10 suites as rooms for paying guests. Except for more discerning buyers, most visit the Alpilles as much as the Luberon. It is then the property itself that makes the difference…, its historic character, renovation etc. It is worth noting special interest in the very charming village of Lourmarin in the southern Luberon, just 40 minutes from Aix.
“The Comtat Venaissin also has its fans,” notes Michel Veyrier of Demeures du Grand Sud. It offers luxuriant natural scenery between the Dentelles de Montmirail, Le Ventoux and the Monts du Vaucluse. Receiving less media coverage than the Alpilles, the Luberon and L’Uzège, this area is home to villages lively year round, with a rich cultural and social life, near Avignon, Orange, L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue and the A7 and A9 motorways. Buyers here are shared out between year-round residents, working in the agro-food industry and logistics companies in the Rhône valley, and holiday residents from the Lille-Paris-Lyon corridor, drawn by the quality of the setting, a passion for cycling and a taste for outdoor activities. The majority spend from 800,000 €, the sum required for a house of 250 m2 with a pool and pool-house, to 1.6 million euros, for living space of 500 m2, annexes and refined appointments in grounds from 8,000 m2 to 7.5 acres. The “Piedmont” of Le Ventoux - Beaumes-de-Venise, Caromb, Bédoin and Saint-Didier - are doing well, just like the Dentelles de Montmirail - Gigondas, Sablet and La Roque-Alric. Addresses all posting prices 20 to 30 % lower as compared to the Alpilles and the Luberon.
