Contemporary homes in Bordeaux
Attracting a considerable number of Parisian and foreign clients keen on modern homes with lofty volumes, Bordeaux and its surrounding area have benefited from a real boost giving priority to the contemporary style.
Buildings with renovated facades, rehabilitated quaysides, biking trails, new tramlines… The go-ahead Bordeaux has remodelled its city centre. Catching up with its era, it is also one of today’s finest examples of appealing real estate with its typical residences and enviable apartments in substantial old buildings. A rich array of properties, rehabilitated to suit today’s taste, in which the contemporary style is more popular than ever. As explained by Marie-Charlotte de Delmondolx, manageress of the Marie-Charlotte D agency : “Today there is very high demand for contemporary homes as compared to supply, as shown by prices per sq. metre which have virtually doubled over the past 10 years, and are now among the highest in France. The town enjoys a very good reputation, has been embellished, and is very attractive for investors. Parisian buyers are real fans, English, Italians, Swiss and Americans too. These clients are fond of old houses but want to benefit from a full range of comfortable modern amenities. They like high ceilings and lots of space. A loft we are currently selling in the “Golden Triangle” of Bordeaux is a real manifesto of contemporary architecture, meeting all of today’s requirements in every respect. Its location is also a considerable asset. Here in Bordeaux, there are real disparities between the various neighbourhoods. The “Golden Triangle” is one of the most highly-prized areas, together with Jardin Public, Les Chartrons, the quaysides and, more generally, anywhere that offers a view of the Garonne. Sales in these sought-after neighbourhoods can attain 8,000 € per sqm. My agency specializes in contemporary properties, a market segment which is now seeing exponential demand. Buyers are searching for old properties to renovate, and “échoppes” - a typical kind of house very fashionable in Bordeaux - are selling like hot cakes. These small 1-storey houses right on the street, with small back gardens or courtyards, often have very pretty frontages, some of them listed. They draw lots of interest as they offer high potential for improvement and are not expensive. They propose charm and modernity with the possibility of knocking down walls to obtain larger rooms and more generous volumes. By way of example, I had an “échoppe” for sale last month, I received 80 calls from potential buyers, and the house was snapped up in just three days ! This type of property enjoys extraordinary popularity, as the budget required is under 300,000 €”.
As well as these “échoppes” to be found all around the city, the region has a good number of so-called “Girondine” houses built from the 17th to the mid-20th century, which appeal just as much to Parisian clients as local buyers. According to Jean-Christophe Servant, property consultant for the Maxwell-Storrie-Baynes agency, affiliated to Christie’s International Real Estate : “Most of these houses so typical of the region have already been renovated, as they no longer meet today’s esthetic criteria. They were often rather poky, with very small rooms and too many partition walls. They have thus been modernized and now benefit from quality amenities : insulation, even double insulation, landscaped rather than country gardens, like those of more streamlined homes, large living rooms, open kitchens... Their new owners modernize them while preserving features that give them their character, such as fireplaces, red or Gironde floor tiles, stone or rubble frontages. People from Bordeaux are especially fond of these “Girondines”, enabling them to enjoy spaciousness and a patch of the countryside at very reasonable cost. Parisians are keen on them as holiday homes. Some of these properties benefit from top-notch appointments and fall into the prestige category. As an example : a lovely “Girondine” of 500 m2 with an inner garden, outbuildings in the guise of fully renovated wine cellars, amidst almost 5 acres of vines and a 7.5-acre park, which we recently sold for less than 1 million € to a family from Bordeaux. Buyers prepared to renovate these buildings of character need to enlist the services of specialised architects. Here at Maxwell-Storrie-Baynes, we in fact have a network of craftsmen and architects at our clients’ disposal. The region has also become very attractive for investors, with the TGV rail service making a big difference, and the LGV line, to become operational in 2017, which will undoubtedly provide a further boost for the market. In 2015, Bordeaux is seen as France’s most appealing city in which to live and make sound investments. Its nearby countryside and vineyards, its town centre with lots of shops, make it an ideal destination and a strategic address for investors. Saint-Emilion is one of the 10 sites with the most visitors in France ! In fact, “Girondines” were originally agricultural or vineyard properties which have been transformed into living accommodation. Their outbuildings are often converted into self-catering “gîtes” or rooms for paying guests, some of which have been voted among the loveliest in France”.
