_International property digest: the South of France, the best of village life
The wish-list for holiday homes in French villages inland from the Cote d’Azur between St Tropez and Monaco is changing. While the most desirable villages remain at the top of international buyers minds – and especially the famous five of St Paul de Vence, Mougins, Valbonne, Le Garde-Freinet and Grimaud – the exact location of the ideal holiday home is not the same.
Out goes demand for the splendid isolation of a remote farmhouse in acres of rural countryside to be replaced instead by increasing demand for homes on the edge of villages, an easy walk to the best of Provencal life.
Where once buyers would happily buy in rural countryside, jumping into their cars every day to buy the morning baguette or enjoy a leisurely pastis, now they want to be within walking distance of the villages themselves.
Equally it can be a mistake to be too central in a popular tourist village. Yes the food market is on your doorstep and it’s easy to oversee the daily boules match but the practicalities of daily life can become burdensome.
Village houses are often old, built historically for functionality rather than as holiday homes with small windows and little outdoor space. Many are tall and narrow, over at least three floors, and have no dedicated parking.
Homes on the edge of a village however are generally over two floors at most and built to suit modern life. They make convenient and comfortable holiday homes where owners have the pleasure of space inside and out, enjoying expansive garden and welcoming pools.
Buying a home in the South of France
Owning a home a short stroll from a prime South of France village appeals for much more than just the ease of visiting the boulangerie of course. There is the security of knowing that there are other houses relatively close by and also the community that other neighbouring households provide, both increasingly important to buyers in the South of France.
And perhaps most importantly for families determined to find holiday homes that appeal across the generations, proximity to a village simply means there’s more to do. Keen cooks can explore the markets, art lovers can tour local galleries, teenagers can have some freedom when they tire of lazing by the pool and everyone can enjoy the village bars and restaurants without resorting to the car.
Two villas currently for sale, both priced at €2,950,000 and both with five-bedrooms, demonstrate the appeal. One close to St Tropez in Domaine des Carles has delightful and easily maintained gardens and pool while the second, an elegant and renovated bastide in substantial grounds close to Valbonne has 350 square metres of living space including a separate guest house.
Close to the Mediterranean Sea with year-round life based on colourful markets and shaded squares: that’s the authentic Provencal life-style.
For further information on Knight Frank’s portfolio of homes for sale contact Mark Harvey, Head of International Sales.