French property watch - May 2019: PACA

The three eastern departments of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur enjoy all the sun-soaked advantages of their western counterparts and, thanks to the close location of mountains and sea, something a little extra for lovers of the outdoor life.

Because of the area’s microclimate, it is possible to enjoy, on certain days of the year, a morning’s skiing in the Alps followed by a dip in the Mediterranean sea in the afternoon.

Average temperatures range from a mild 12C in February to highs of more than 28C in August, though they can — and do — regularly plunge down to freezing in parts of Provence.

This part of France, which borders Italy and Monaco, has been a popular choice for English-speakers for centuries – there’s a reason the seafront boulevard in Nice is called the Promenade des Anglais.

Coupled with the lure of the Côte d’Azur, which basks in the glamour of Cannes and Saint Tropez as much as it does the warm Mediterranean sun, this means property bargains are more difficult to find than in most other regions.

This is well known for being one of the costliest regions in France. Properties in Nice range from €3,000/m² to as much as €4,630/m², figures from the Notaires de France show, rising to €4,700/m² in parts of Alpes-Maritimes, while buyers could expect to pay between €2,160/m² and €3,280/m² in and around the lavender fields of perfume capital Grasse.

There are bargains inland. In Briançon, prices dip to between €1,440/m² and €2,500/m², while in Digne-les-Bains expect to pay from €1,100/m² to €1,960/m².