In southeast France, close to the Italian border and the dazzling Côte d’Azur you may discover the world of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, commonly known as ‘Haute-Provence’. This is a vacation spot bursting with actions, from snowboarding and white-water rafting to strolling round historic cities or lazing within the southern sunshine. Find out extra in our property information to Haute-Alpes-de-Provence.
Property information to Haute-Alpes-de-Provence
US-born Darlene Duterrier has lived on this area for six years and says the local weather is likely one of the essential sights of Haute-Provence.
“We have 4 stunning seasons right here, with not less than 300 days of sunshine a yr; it isn’t as dry and sizzling because it will get additional south, but not humid or chilly like different elements of France. Only August tends to be actually sizzling, with a heat springtime, and mellow autumn, and whereas winters are fairly delicate, ski fans will all the time discover slopes in simple attain.
“People come right here for the beautiful pure landscapes, clear air and a way of calm. It’s a paradise for mountaineering and climbing and naturally biking, which is a Sunday sport for all ages. As properly because the winter sports activities of snowboarding and snowboarding, you’ve gotten paragliding from the mountains, kayaking and rafting within the freshwater rivers, fishing and crusing.
“A showcase of our region is the Valley de l’Asse, one of the most beautiful valleys in the region, filled with lavender fields, olive trees and wild thyme. It has quaint little villages like Bras d’Asse, Estoublon, Mézel and Châteuredon, as well as the Gorges de Trévans, famous for its waterfalls, hiking areas and breathtaking views. Like the geopark, with its rare geology, the Haute-Provence landscapes are truly captivating: you have to be here, to breathe it in, to really understand.”
Properties in Haute-Provence
Since 2020 Darlene has labored as an actual property agent with Leggett Immobilier, and loving the place she lives makes it simple to search out the appropriate dwelling for her purchasers.
“People have started to discover Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and prices are slowly rising, but you’ll definitely get more for your budget here than further south,” she says. “One of the issues I really like is that you aren’t getting teams of equivalent buildings, every constructing is exclusive, from small vacation pads to household houses, stunning Provençal farmhouses and Bastides with acres of land.
“Generally talking, 200,000 € to 250,000 € will get you a two-bedroom dwelling, whereas a 3 or four-bedroom dwelling prices between 300,000 € to 400,000 € relying on how fashionable or renovated it’s. If it wants any constructing work or renovation, you may have extra room to barter.
“If you need the total package deal – a pool, enclosed backyard, outbuildings and acres of land – you may in all probability be taking a look at properties between 400,000 € and 900,000 €, it truly is nice worth for cash right here. I lately bought a superb 250m² riverside property with greater than seven acres of land, its personal lake, properly and pond, plus terrain appropriate for horses for about 600,000 €, which is half the value you’d pay additional south.
“We’ve always had buyers from big cities like Marseille or Nice, as well as international clients – mostly Dutch, Belgian, Irish and British – and we’ve seen a rise in Americans moving here. Even so, Haute-Provence continues to offer incredible value and its population density is a lot lower than the Côte-d’Azur, so you have a real sense of space.”
Where are the very best spots to stay in Haute-Alpes-de-Provence?
“If you’re moving here with children, I highly recommend Digne-les-Bains,” says Darlene, “about 130 km from Marseille and 145 km from Nice. It’s a stunning, family-friendly city with a great deal of actions for kids. It’s nice for a superb high quality of life and the shortage of site visitors – the city is investing in cycle lanes and sports activities actions for all ages. You’re about an hour from luxurious buying and massive malls, 50 km from the ski slopes, and it is a well-liked space for mountaineering and paragliding. There are loads of actions for all ages together with free outside yoga in the summertime, sport golf equipment, artwork college and theater, all simple methods of attending to know the locals.
“If you favor being away from all of it and surrounded by the grandeur of nature, strive the villages surrounding the Gorges du Verdon, nicknamed the European Grand Canyon. It is so stunning that it takes your breath away, and the azure-blue lake Saint-Croix is a terrific place to begin for the wonderful nautical expertise of canoeing within the waters between the gorges.
“Lake Sainte-Croix is just a few minutes away from Moustiers-Sainte-Mairea spectacular village that is well-known for its stunning structure, earthenware pottery and ceramics and has unsurprisingly been voted probably the most stunning village in France.
“Equally picturesque is Valensolewell-known for its plateau and seemingly infinite fields of lavender that flip purple in mid-July. No phrases can describe it. The scent of harvested lavender flows within the valleys – it is so enjoyable!
“If accessibility is vital to you, the up-and-coming city of Les Mées is close to the motorway, 109 km from Marseille’s worldwide airport and fewer than 99 km from Aix-en-Provence, the place high-speed TGV trains take you to Paris in simply 4 hours. If you are fascinated about operating a B&B, this is able to be a super location as it isn’t saturated with competitors however is very accessible and fascinating. To provide you with an thought of the potential, there is a beautiful, stone-built Provençal home with 4 bedrooms presently available on the market, providing 229m² of dwelling area plus an condo with its personal entrance, set in 1.25 acres with an extra two barns, all fantastically introduced and it is priced at €399,899.
“If you’d rather take on an existing business, it’s worth noting that there’s a generational change happening in much of Haute-Provence as many owners who have been developing their B&B businesses over the last 20 years are retiring now, so that’s another opportunity.”
Are Haute-Provence properties that totally different?
“Very few properties in Provence are built by developers, they’re usually built by the owners or by locally hired builders,” Darlene explains. “That means you get one-off designs that come up from a property’s origin, development and goal, so every dwelling is exclusive.
“When you purchase a Provence property, you turn into its custodian till it’s time to cross alongside the baton to a future proprietor and in flip you get a ravishing dwelling. You additionally get all the things else about Provence: the solar, do-it-yourself olive oil and honey, the scent of lavender on the breeze, the sound of cicadas, the lakes and mountains, the scrumptious recent baguettes and native rosé, and naturally the Provençal way of life.
“Whether you decide to buy a holiday house or to move to Haute-Provence permanently, it really is the good life here.”
See Darlene’s property portfolio right here: frenchestateagents.com