Properties in and around Grasse

Where to find calm, luxuriant nature, sweeping views and real authenticity.

Looking for luxuriant nature, sweeping views, real authenticity ?One part of the Côte d’Azur will meet your needs : the region around Grasse.

Mediocre houses in neo-Provençal style and pseudo-Florentine villas down on the coast are not for you. And you’re weary of visiting recent developments with neither charm nor prestige… Thousands of people feel just the same way. It’s time to seek out deeper roots and more basic values. Hoping to reduce the stress and extreme mobility inherent in economic necessities, we all dream of a little corner of paradise, complete with an old countryhouse and trickling stream. Far from deserving its reputation as being “over-rated”, the Côte d’Azur still offers such enchanting spots. Only 20 minutes from Cannes and half-an-hour from Nice and its international airport, Grasse is one of the gateways to the hill-country.

With over a thousand years of history, the city that once specialized in leather-tanning is now responsible for two-thirds of France’s production of flavours and fragrances - and also the epicenter of an area whose real-estate is highly prized. Peymeinade, Spéracèdes, Le Tignet, Cabris, Saint-Cézaire and Saint-Vallier- de-Thiey lie west of the town. Opio lies to the south, Plascassier, Bar-sur-Loup, Châteauneuf and Le Rouret to the east. Lise-Marie Duhet, owner of the Orpi Pierres et Terres d’Azur agency, has made a detailed comparison of the villages which compose the region around Grasse. Châteauneuf and Opio top the list. The first owes its success to its magnificent views, sometimes of the sea, its countrified setting and traditional role as a residential area. The second, well-known because of its golf-club and the Club Méditerranée, benefits from rolling hillsides and pretty easy access. Both are appreciably close to Valbonne.

The part of Plascassier which is near to Valbonne and Mouans-Sartoux, Le Rouret and Spéracèdes then share more or less the same popularity. Bar-sur-Loup and Saint-Cézaire post slightly lower prices while Cabris compensates for extra mileage with sumptuous views of the sea, the Saint-Cassien Lake and the countryside. Peymeinade is cheaper due to its more recent construction and thus an inevitable lack of historic character : development here began less than 25 years ago. Saint-Vallier-de-Thiey, further away from the main towns, doesn’t have any real interest for those seeking top-notch properties. Basing itself on a study of recent sales, the Orpi network has defined a list of average prices : for a house built of stone with grounds of between 2,000 and 3,000 m², expect to pay 4,700 € per m² with sea view, 4,400 € without, and 4,000 € per m² for a recent Provençal villa with a certain charm. These estimates naturally apply to the top end of the market. For even classier homes in Grasse’s residential areas - Saint-Jean, Saint-François, Saint-Mathieu and Saint-Anne -, Philippe Planchet of the Emile Garcin agency gives a price-range of 2,000,000 to 2,500,000 € for a property of 400 m² in mature grounds of 5,000 m².

Situated in the Saint-Jean neighbourhood of Grasse, this mill built in the 16th, 17th and 19th centuries has been treated to a flattering facelift. 350 m2 (five bedrooms) in grounds of 5,900 m2, attaining an admirable level of harmony and refinement… For 35 years, the owner has hunted down the authentic old materials required for its rehabilitation. Tiling, stone, wood, ironwork… all add to the charm of these impressive volumes (a special mention for the Louis XIV firpelace). 1,600,000 €. Coast & Country (04 92 92 47 50).

Situated in the Saint-Jean neighbourhood of Grasse, this mill built in the 16th, 17th and 19th centuries has been treated to a flattering facelift. 350 m2 (five bedrooms) in grounds of 5,900 m2, attaining an admirable level of harmony and refinement… For 35 years, the owner has hunted down the authentic old materials required for its rehabilitation. Tiling, stone, wood, ironwork… all add to the charm of these impressive volumes (a special mention for the Louis XIV firpelace). 1,600,000 €. Coast & Country (04 92 92 47 50).

Two 18th and 19th century “mas” of 180 and 200 m2 in a magnificent park of 13,800 m2, enhanced by an imposing pool and two different entrances. With its inimitable cachet, this property at Bar-sur-Loup could be sold as two separate lots. Note also the two pieces of land that could be split off and the extra 600 m2 which could be built. 2,275,000 €. Orpi Pierres et Terres d’Azur (04 92 60 31 73).

Two 18th and 19th century “mas” of 180 and 200 m2 in a magnificent park of 13,800 m2, enhanced by an imposing pool and two different entrances. With its inimitable cachet, this property at Bar-sur-Loup could be sold as two separate lots. Note also the two pieces of land that could be split off and the extra 600 m2 which could be built. 2,275,000 €. Orpi Pierres et Terres d’Azur (04 92 60 31 73).

One of the most famous residences in the area (it once belonged to Helena Rubinstein), the “Maison Blanche” offers 600 m2 on three floors, plus 115 m2 devoted to house-guests and 70 m2 comprising the guardian’s accommodation. Worthy of its former owner, that great creator of cosmetics, it proposes eclectic interior decor only equalled by the quality of the building materials. At the heart of the City of Perfume, its grounds of approx. 2.5 acres are a fine example of the art of landscape gardening. Bert Quadvlieg, whose work in design and architecture has taken him well beyond the borders of France, has acquired and renovated the property. A large-scale undertaking in which he has succeeded in introducing modern comfort while preserving authenticity. He has returned the floors and wall patinas to their former glory and bestowed the five suites in the main residence with individual decor. Offered for sale furnished, at around 9,000,000 €. Emile Garcin (04 97 97 32 10).

One of the most famous residences in the area (it once belonged to Helena Rubinstein), the “Maison Blanche” offers 600 m2 on three floors, plus 115 m2 devoted to house-guests and 70 m2 comprising the guardian’s accommodation. Worthy of its former owner, that great creator of cosmetics, it proposes eclectic interior decor only equalled by the quality of the building materials. At the heart of the City of Perfume, its grounds of approx. 2.5 acres are a fine example of the art of landscape gardening. Bert Quadvlieg, whose work in design and architecture has taken him well beyond the borders of France, has acquired and renovated the property. A large-scale undertaking in which he has succeeded in introducing modern comfort while preserving authenticity. He has returned the floors and wall patinas to their former glory and bestowed the five suites in the main residence with individual decor. Offered for sale furnished, at around 9,000,000 €. Emile Garcin (04 97 97 32 10).

The part played by apartments in this particular region is very small : an exceptional example in a good location in Grasse will cost from 300,000 to 400,000 €. Highly sought-after village houses can attain 1,000,000 € and more, depending on the neighbourhood. Generally speaking, the region around Grasse posts prices 20 % lower than those in Cannes, with grounds boasting a higher average area of about 5,000 m², often laid out in terraced embankments. Buyers, most of them foreign and from northern Europe, initially opt for holiday homes. But the area’s improved road network is enabling it to become a choice for semi- or main residences.

Alistair Buchan of the Coast & Country estate agency is really happy with properties currently available. A big trend for renovation, initiated about ten years ago, explains the availability of quite a few good-quality homes, ready to move in as soon as the sale is completed. And if what’s on offer doesn’t suit you, you can still acquire a building plot. Another reassuring factor, especially for those put off by the relative distance from the coast, is that the Pénétrante road has opened up the entire area west of Grasse and the roadworks planned for the Saint-Jacques neighbourhood should extend it satisfactorily to the north. As everywhere else in the region, we should soon be seeing a re-shuffle of the entire sector.

Replacement of the old “Plans d’Occupation des Sols” by “Plans Locaux d’Urbanisme”, as per the SRU Law, will result in reorganization of built-up areas… In spite of the enthusiasm for this type of property, the balance-sheet for the past few months is somewhat mixed. Fortunately, things seem to have taken off again in recent weeks. One of the main reasons for the morosity, apart from the international economic climate, is over-pricing of properties by their owners by about 20 to 25 % of their real value. In fact, a drop in prices, still only timidly evoked by professionals and the media, would in this case consist of a necessary adjustment in the quest for an ideal flow of sales and purchases. Photos Edith Andreotta