Lyon : the appeal of outdoor areas
The popularity of houses in leafy communes and apartments benefiting from terraces is being confirmed in Lyon. With Sophie Aknine at the helm, AK.SO Conseils Sotheby’s International Realty testifies to this strong trend which appeared last year following the first lockdown.
Even if it means being a certain distance from the town, a quality lifestyle and the desire for space and nature lie henceforth at the core of property searches pursued by the Lyonnais, as explained by Sophie Aknine, Manageress of the Ak-So Conseils Sotheby’s International Realty agency : “The experience of confinement has been a game-changer for city-dwellers for whom gardens and terraces are now top priorities. Owners of apartments in the town centre with comfortable budgets have frequently sold their properties to benefit from a house in villages such as Saint-Cyr or Saint-Didier, two communes in demand, but where prices are holding steady. We recently sold a residence of 600 m2 in Saint-Didier with a garden, a pool and an amazing view, priced at 4,850,000 €. For other clients, house-hunting involves more affordable communes, though, as a pleasant surprise, L’Isère, L’Ain and Le Beaujolais where we offer high-end properties for sale are attracting an increasing number of buyers. In the centre of Lyon, large apartments in good locations on squares or quaysides are still meeting with lots of success and command high prices : for those on upper floors, with terraces and parking facilities, prices easily attain 9,000-10,000 € per sq.m. On the other hand, properties which are overlooked, lacking in natural light or a balcony are hard to sell and are seeing a decline in value. As for the future, buyers are more than ever in search of living conditions of quality, and real estate is seen as a blue-chip investment. Living in a house and benefiting from an outdoor area is a trend which will become increasingly prevalent over time as working from home becomes ever more widespread. There will always be demand from townsfolk with an unconditional fondness for the city centre, though for some this is already paired with a second residence in the country. The stress of being stuck indoors has left its mark on everyone’s minds, and it is pretty clear that we are all going to adjust the way we live.”.
AK.SO Conseils - Sotheby’s International Realty, 12 place Puvis de Chavannes, Lyon 6ème (04 78 42 88 87) www.aksoconseils.com
