A HOUSE ON THE CÔTE BASQUE

As appealing as ever, the Côte Basque is in the firing line of buyers. Their dream ? A house right on the ocean. A buoyant market maintaining high prices, as explained by Olivier Brégeon, director of the Globe Immobilier agency in Les Halles in Biarritz.

Since the pandemic, “spaciousness and an outdoor area have become supreme luxuries” confirms Olivier Brégeon right at the start of our interview.

Widespread working from home has changed the behaviour of buyers and increased their appetite for houses and medium-sized towns. Acclaimed for its pleasant lifestyle, its authenticity, its cuisine between land and sea, and the beauty of its environment, the Côte Basque is an ideal target for many French clients in search of a house.

Enjoying magnificent views of the ocean and mountains, this sublime villa of 300 m2 in Bidart offers 4 bedrooms in leafy grounds of 2,500 m2 with a swimming pool. 4.500.000 €.

In Biarritz, this turn-of-the-century house of 178 m² with a swimming pool offers a walk-everywhere lifestyle. It is comprised of a very large living-room, a separate kitchen and 4 bedrooms. A garage and 2 parking places complete the property. 1.680.000 €.

Ideally located at the heart of Biarritz, this master residence of 700 m² benefits from a park of 14,400 m² with a classic French garden. One of the Coast’s most fashionable destinations for high society, this iconic mansion is comprised of 24 main rooms including 13 bedrooms. 7.900.000 €.

Olivier Brégeon joined Globe Immobilier as a property sales agent before acquiring the agency in 2005 and developing its Ownership Trustee service. In 2009, the agency treated itself to a new address in Les Halles and focused on sales as its speciality. Globe Immobilier, 17 rue des Halles, Biarritz (05 33 47 22 27).

“The property market in Biarritz is still very lively for houses. Clients mainly focus on permanent or semi-permanent homes. Despite the successive rises and falls of the past few years, the market always attains a higher level than previously. We did notice a slight slowdown at the end of the year, though demand remains steady and prices high. The spotlight on the 2019 G7 in Biarritz helped to extend the city’s world renown. Then Covid happened, making prices soar, prices that still find it hard to reverse. To this, you also have to add a real lack of available properties which is keeping the market under pressure. And even though prices may vary slightly depending on the neighbourhood, houses are rarely accessible for less then 1 million euros in the Côte Basque’s flagship towns such as Biarritz, Saint-Jean-de-Luz and Guéthary. In Bidart, a typical Basque town on the shores of the ocean, houses benefit from even more advantages : larger grounds, lovely views... In Biarritz, for houses in the town centre offering a walk-everywhere lifestyle, prices start from 2 million euros. Those on offer from 1.3 to 1.7 million euros offering quality appointments are snapped up at lightning speed.As for the upper end of the market, it is as prosperous as ever with a clientele ready to pay top dollar for a house in a peaceful setting, benefiting from beautiful grounds and views of the mountains and/or the ocean.”