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French survey votes Hérault department one of the very best places to live
Why Brits – and the French – love this part of the south of France
French magazine l’Express has published a national survey* on the best places to live in France. Using 42 indicators and official statistics, it allocated points for categories including climate, infrastructure, cultural and educational facilties.
Down in the south of France, in the Languedoc region, the Hérault department came second out of 95 French departments in the overall results.
The Hérault attracts over 1,000 newcomers a month, but these are not just young people or indeed, the French. Many older folk – Brits in particular - are attracted to the department, seeking sunshine and a wide range of leisure activities for their retirement.
According to Helen Bevis of the Hérault- based Parent and Infant Group (www.piglanguedoc.blogspot.com), growing numbers of younger Britons with families are making the department their new home because of the quality of life it offers (the Express survey classed the Hérault as France’s third best place for families to live). Says Bevis: “House prices in the Hérault are a fraction of those in the UK, so couples with children can live here for less. By downshifting to the Hérault you can ease your financial burden, and with less stress, family life can only be better.”
The Hérault is the fastest growing of the Languedoc region’s five departments, and transport links to the region are excellent, with TGV lines to Toulouse and Carcassonne, and airports at Carcassonne, Toulouse, Montpellier, Girona, Perpignan and Nîmes.
Cheap flights from the UK and Ireland have opened up the area to property buyers and holidaymakers alike, and the influx of visitors and newcomers has had a predictable effect on the property market. House prices in the Hérault are amongst the fastest rising in the country, as growing numbers of overseas buyers grab the chance of buying an affordable piece of the Mediterranean (Bruno Taxy of French estate agency Emile Garcin has been quoted as saying that homes in Hérault are about 35 per cent cheaper than parts of Provence, while the climate and landscape are very similar, hence the department’s popularity with those who want Provençal property at more accessible price points).
Renovation projects in Hérault can be picked up for as little as €75,000, although for this you will get little more than four walls and a roof; budget around €100,000-150,000 for a top-to-bottom quality renovation, including new plumbing and wiring throughout. Don’t want to play the renovation game? A new-build, three-bedroom bungalow with a garden will cost around €200,000, while a tastefully renovated one-bed apartment in the centre of Montpellier might set you back €250,000-300,000.
*Source: l'Express magazine, May 11, 2006
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