The charm of the hinterland behind Cannes
Valbonne, Biot, Opio and Le Rouret offer picture-postcard scenery characterized by bucolic charm, just a few kilometres from the bustle of the coast and large towns on the Côte d’Azur.
Built in the 16th century around the Place des Arcades, the historic village of Valbonne offers a sharp contrast to the ultra-modern technopolis of Sophia-Antipolis with its companies focusing on innovation, university and scientific centre. A neighbour to Antibes, the commune is home to some 13,000 residents, 88 % under 60 years old. Inhabited since Roman times, Biot, which also accommodates the dynamic Sophia-Antipolis, plays host to the Fernand Léger Museum, potteries and, above all, glass-making, to which it owes its reputation as the world capital of glass-blowing. 17 km from the beaches of Cannes and 40 km from the winter resort of Gréolières-les-Neiges, Opio does not content itself with simply hosting the Club Méditerranée : it is an enchanting hideaway in a green countrified setting. Just a 10-minute drive from Grasse, the village of Le Rouret also benefits from a privileged location in the midst of nature : on its hillsides, olive, cypress and oak trees are accompanied by terraces retained by drystone walls, authentic old houses, fountains and wash-houses, and a typical church on the Provençal square shaded by age-old plane trees.
“The choice of a commune is then a matter of taste,” says David Sémo of Century 21 Visa Immobilier. Biot is closest to the sea, while Valbonne and Opio offer the appeal of their golf-courses. Prices for high-end villas are pretty much the same all over this large area. Desirable residences of 175-200 m2 in pleasant settings start from 1 million euros. A property in Biot, in perfect condition, is currently on offer at 2.4 M € : living space of 300 m2 decorated by a renowned interior designer, with caretakers’ accommodation and a triple garage, on a gated and guarded estate facing the village and the sea. A decade ago, English buyers were very fond of this address : they were replaced from 2010 onwards by Belgian and Dutch clients. The Russians have never really abandoned the coast for the countryside. Today’s clientele is still international with no nationality standing out particularly, though Parisians are now keen to acquire properties for when they retire. From 1.5 M € upwards, local buyers tend to disappear. Overall, stocks have been replenished. According to David Sémo : “240 properties are on offer, whereas we used to have to juggle with around 100”. He also mentions “a certain reticence on the part of buyers with regard to French taxation, and competition from some markets that have collapsed in Spain and Portugal”. Acquisitions of building land are mostly reserved for the locals. Not inclined to launch themselves into the challenge of construction work, foreigners prefer turnkey properties, especially as attractive building plots are becoming rare. Gone are the days of overpricing and speculation : only properties offered at going prices find takers. Managing four agencies and a team of 20, David Sémo expresses his satisfaction : a mark of renewed confidence in the market, a branch opened in Biot in 2014 has been followed by another in Opio in October, 2016.
“Since 2009, we have seen adjustments in prices and a steady market, with an exceptional upturn in 2016 despite concerns regarding the general political context,” says Chantal Agier of the Agence de l’Olivier in Valbonne. Properties here offer more space the further one goes inland. The region around Grasse, for example, plays host to sumptuous estates and buildings of character, once belonging to great perfume-makers and French players in the luxury sector. Properties between 1 and 2.3 M € are seeing lots of activity. From 3 M € - a bracket competing with villas closer to the seafront -, demand slackens off. Among their prime assets, Valbonne, Biot and Opio propose golf-courses as far as the eye can see, the closeness of international schools, lively and authentic village life. The area is seen as a sound long-term investment.
“The core of demand ranges from 700,000 to 2 M €,” confirms Georges Fassone of John Taylor. Valbonne wins all the votes, thanks especially to its lively village, high-end food stores, good restaurants and the renowned CIV, offering schooling for cosmopolitan youngsters who have just moved in. Most buyers acquire holiday homes, happy to spend three to four months a year here before finally settling in permanently when they retire. The manager of the agency in Valbonne describes the recent sale of a house of 210 m2 within walking distance of the village, in a landscaped park of 2,700 m2, priced at 1.2 M €, and a villa of 270 m2 accompanied by a caretakers’ house and two guest cottages, in grounds of 11,000 m2, priced at 2.3 M €. At the dawn of 2017, Georges Fassone is seeing lots of visits and requests for information. Optimism is on the cards.
