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Property slump eases in France but sellers still need to be patient
The drop in prices is steadying but the situation is not the same across the country
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Small increase in notaire fees for property buyers expected in France
The fee is expected to generate revenue of €30 million a year to fight against coastal erosion
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More owners will pay French empty home tax in December 2024
The criteria for charging the taxe sur les logements vacants (TLV) were extended last year
French property watch - May 2019: PACA
Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur - Departments 04, 05, 06: LARGEST CITY: Nice DEPARTMENTS: Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Hautes-Alpes, Alpes-Maritimes MAIN CITIES: Nice, Gap, Grasse, Briançon, Digne-les-Bains, Barcelonnette, Castellane, Forcalquier
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.