BRITTANY
Buoyant Brittany
Property prices in Brittany have been rising steadily - as
examples, a typical apartment in Rennes has increased by
10.9% over the last 12 months, whilst a family home in
Brest has seen even bigger gains of 12.7%. Local papers
are running stories with headlines such as "The booming
property market in Brittany - we have never been so
trendy".
The daily newspaper Ouest-France has a circulation of
650,000 and it recently ran a story about the new "golden
age" of property. They focussed on a small commune of
330 inhabitants, which has been brought back to life, with
27 houses being bought last year. They also interviewed
our agent, Gail Callicott, who explained how she has been
selling some properties within 24 hours of them coming
on to the market.
As Gail explained:
"I work in an area around 20 minutes of my house (in
Saint-Gilles-Pligeaux). French vendors have become
increasingly aware that we have an international clientele
and that we are able to find buyers for their properties
quickly. There have been many empty houses, but we
are now in a position where there are more buyers than
properties for sale. Some properties have sold within 24
hours, not only to local clients but also to buyers from
Paris, the south of France, the UK, Germany and Holland.
Clients will sometimes offer the asking price without even
visiting."
Current sales trends
Rennes 3,870 euros per m²
Saint Brieuc 1,580 euros per m²
Dinan 2,400 euros per m²
Quimper 1,920 euros per m²
Morlaix 1,370 euros per m²
Vannes 3,840 euros per m²
Pontivy 1,360 euros per m²
Fougères 1,540 euros per m²
Avranches 1,810 euros per m²
*source Notaires de France, median price of all apartment sales between
October - December 2021
Vivien Lannie is another one of our agents in Brittany.
She works in Finistère (including the spectacular
southern coastline) along with parts of the Morbihan.
She says that it is demand from the domestic market
that has seen a dramatic increase:
"In the last 2 years there has been a notable shift from
international buyers to largely French buyers in this area.
We are still getting requests from overseas, in reduced
numbers as travel has been difficult, although as time
progresses this is changing again. The region offers a
diverse range of scenery from dramatic coastlines to
historic cities like Quimper with its festival and celebration
of Breton culture. Buyers are attracted to the forests of
the Mont d'Arrée and glorious countryside in the centre
of Finistère, where property prices are particularly
attractive".
Pamela Vidal is further east, not far from the popular
town of Redon. She sees the cultural attractions as the
biggest selling points, with many buyers looking for
holiday homes that offer a different landscape to their
main place of residence:
"The landscape here is different to anywhere else in
France. From mediaeval Josselin, through the enchanted
Brocéliande forest and romantic Ploërmel all the way
south to the Port of La Roche-Bernard. We attract visitors
from around the world, which means that buyers follow -
either to have a holiday home in the region, or to buy an
investment property that is easy to rent out. The famous
Breton culture is rich and diverse and still very much vital
to the region".