SPOTLIGHT ON LYON AND SURROUNDING AREAS
Lyon is the most important city in the Rhône-
Alpes, it is bordered to the north by the
spectacular Beaujolais wine region, while to
the west the Loire department is a property
hotspot, combining cities like St-Étienne with
spa resorts and beautiful market towns.
In the city centre you will pay an average price
of 5,860 euros per m2 for an apartment in "Vieux
Lyon", with prime area rising to 6,500 euros per m2
and over (source: Notaires de France). The Notaires
also tell us that prices of older apartments have
risen by 8.4% in the last 12 months. Meanwhile
the price of houses within Lyon has seen even
sharper growth, a rise of 9.4% as buyers look for
more spacious accommodation, with balconies or
gardens - this truly is a city in demand.
Lyon is the second most important city in France,
attracting more inward investment than anywhere
except Paris. Unemployment is low, while property
construction levels are high. With 6.6m m2 of office
space the city has rents 30% lower than Paris
and the residential property market is boosted
by a seemingly insatiable demand for student
accommodation (there are almost 150,000
students in the city, more than 10% of the total
population). VEFA new builds are popular here.
To the north of the city the property market is also
booming.
Philippe Vuillot lives and works south of Mâcon,
in southern Burgundy. He tells us that there
is a particularly strong demand for mid range
properties:
"Demand is strongest here for older properties,
used as a principal residence, in the mid level
price range (150-300,000 euros). Of course, we
are also selling second homes and properties
at different price levels, but the core demand is
from local buyers keen to find properties with
plenty of space. There has been local investment
in a new dual carriageway that links us to the
"Grande Ouest" zone in Lyon which makes this
an attractive area for commuters. You can work
in Lyon but live in the beautiful countryside of
southern Burgundy".
It is a similar story to the west of Lyon in the Loire
department.
Gabriel Duboeuf is based in the spa town of
Montrond-les-Bains. He tells us that demand is
principally for principal residences, from local
buyers:
"You can get to the old town in Lyon in just over an
hour and this is a popular spot for both commuters
and retirees. Both of these groups have helped
push up property prices, indeed being a spa town
I have many clients looking for newer properties
that they can retire to, preferably bungalows with
a garden and outside space. The issue, of course,
is the lack of supply. Budgets tend to be between
230-350,000 euros. At an average price of 1,910
euros per m² (source: Notaires de France) for a
house, property here really does provide excellent
value for money".
Leggett Immobilier has one of the
largest and most successful estate
agency teams in the region. With
over 50 local agents covering all
of the major resorts and tourist
destinations. As a company, we
spend over 2m euros per year
marketing to both international
and domestic clients and welcome
buyers from all over the world.
At any one time, our portfolio of
property in the Alps has over 1,000
listings, but be aware that we also
sell many properties "off market", so
please get in touch if you don't see
what you are looking for.
Leggett Immobilier