Mougins, more than address, a mark of prestige…
Sumptuous properties, authentic Provençal villas, luxury contemporary homes, art-galleries, renowned restaurants… This aptly-named “garden-town” with close on 18,000 residents has nothing to envy of the shoreline, to which it offers a charming countrified alternative.
This year, linternaute.com designated Mougins as the wealthiest commune with over 10,000 inhabitants in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, in terms of average net monthly revenue per person. Just 6 km from the Mediterranean, north of Cannes and Le Cannet, and south of Grasse, it plays host to part of the Sophia-Antipolis science and technology park (representing 18 % of its territory). With half of its surface area covered with pines, green oaks and cypress trees, its accommodation is mainly comprised of houses. They are occupied by over 62 % of the commune’s population. Neo-Provençal architecture holds its own faced by modern buildings, starting with the Eco’Parc and IME Mirasol. Healthcare establishments, schools, including a well-known international school… All the criteria required to draw families and retirees from all over the world, motivated by the quality of the lush countryside, the Côte d’Azur’s excellent road and air connections, the stylish charm of the medieval village, the draw of its 40 restaurants, and its proximity to the ever-enticing Festival City.
“More than an address, Mougins is a label, a mark of prestige, drawing the interest of a local, national and international clientele,” says Régis Ducatillon, who recently acquired Prestigia Properties, an agency based in Mougins for over a decade. As from January, 2015, this green village has seen a brisk recovery on its market for houses, all styles combined. You can now expect to pay 1 to 1.5 million euros for a house of 250 m2 in good condition, in quiet grounds of 1,500 m2 not far from a golf-course. Living space of 300 m2 in grounds of 2,500 to 5,000 m2 with a sweeping view will cost close on 2.5 M €, while the top end of the market starts at 3 M €, synonymous with guarded estates such as Les Parcs de Mougins, impeccable condition, surface areas from 380 m2 and grounds from 3,000 m2. Not inclined to launch themselves into extensive renovation work, clients clearly prefer turn-key properties, and appreciate the “first stretch of countryside behind Cannes” and the on-site bonus of excellent international schools. Such is the case of an East European buyer, determined to settle with his family in a new “bastide” of 240 m2 surrounded by 2,000 m2 of grounds on a gated estate, currently the subject of a preliminary sales agreement at 1.5 M €. Members of the local working population, usually executives at Sophia Antipolis, pay up to 800,000 € for their homes. Company directors and self-employed professionals such as doctors and dentists are prepared to pay up to 1.2 M €. Above that level, the large majority of clients are buyers looking for holiday homes or retirees in search of the sun.
“British, Swiss and American clients, now benefiting from strong currencies and all with a long-established taste for the Côte d’Azur, are making a comeback,” notes Anne-Marie Garcin of the Michaël Zingraf Christie’s International Real Estate agency. They set their sights on high-quality neighbourhoods such as Les Colles, Pigranel, Les Parcs de Mougins or immediate proximity to the village and, the nec-plus-ultra, walking distance to restaurants and shops. Foreigners wanting to move to the South of France are clearly extremely reassured by the Mougins School and CIV (Centre International de Valbonne). They all dream of enjoying a sea view, or if not, make do with lovely grounds of at least 5,000 m2, flat or slightly undulating, a rare commodity in the rival neighbourhood of Super-Cannes. Total peace and quiet is a requirement hard to meet, except in Les Parcs de Mougins, where four villas have just been sold at prices between 2.5 and more than 4 M €, one of 300 m2 in need of a revamp, in almost 2.5 acres of grounds, the others offering the same living space, but renovated throughout, with less generous gardens. In this area where the neo-Provençal style reigns supreme, contemporary houses now have the wind in their sails. Exisiting properties are frequently redesigned, given more open frontages and reconfigured roofs. One example of the genre is a magnificent property of 980 m2 (six suites) in 5,000 m2 of grounds with two swimming pools, a gym, relaxation area, and an unimpeded view of both the village of Mougins and the Mediterranean..., on offer at over 12 M €. These lofty prices are rarer in this chic, countrified suburb of Cannes than in the seaside town itself. “Though one can point to the sale of “La Mougine” at the entrance to the village, which sold for 20 M €, and the former home of Ron Dennis, said to have fetched 16 M €.” Clients are prepared to pay the price, on condition that the property does not require any renovation. If, on the contrary, refurbishment is necessary, its price must be sufficiently competitive to rouse the interest of property-dealers. “Residents deplore heavy taxation, whereas non-residents recuperate the CSG on capital gains. An advantage as compared with neighbouring countries.”
“Clients from Northern Europe are very fond of Mougins. Two new houses with contemporary appointments - living space of 220 m2 in grounds of 1,500-1,800 m2 - recently found takers at 1.8 M €,” says Michel Brévier of Label Properties. The core of demand lies between 1 and 2 M €, the sum required for living space of 200-250 m2 in quiet grounds of 1,500-2,000 m2 in an elevated position. This category is of interest to retirees and industrialists who have just sold their properties or companies. They all appreciate the short distance separating this green belt from the coast and its sandy beaches. Not forgetting the two golf-courses. In this “Neuilly of the Côte d’Azur”, you no longer come across over-pricing : quite the contrary, and properties which are correctly estimated sell quickly. Especially as Mougins has no real competition. Buyers are dead set on their choice : for equivalent properties, prices here are lower than in Cannes, and their grounds are often flat. Views are more spectacular than in Valbonne. Finally, rare are those who accept to head further back into the region around Grasse.
