Great article from the Daily Telegraph about the super-prime property market on the French Riviera and the effect that the recent election of Emmanuel Macron has had on the French property market.
The article includes two stunning French riviera properties from Home Hunts and some interesting input from HH Director Tim Swannie:
“Cannes also comes with the promise of high rental yields, given the year-round events – most famously its film festival – that take place in the Palais des Festivals. Plus,points out Tim Swannie, founder of search agency Home Hunts, “it’s easy to get in and out of – you can leave your private plane at Cannes airport – and it has great restaurants. At the very top of the market are Middle Eastern buyers, mainly based in London, who are looking at Cannes – including Théoule, where you find more waterfront estates – and Villefranche. For some buyers it’s a case of wanting to get a foot in France before the UK leaves the EU.”
St Tropez is making a strong comeback too, says Swannie, who is seeing an upswing in interest around the €10m mark – even among UK buyers, despite the weakness of Sterling. “We agreed a sale last week to a British buyer on a beautiful estate close to Club 55 on Pampelonne Beach. The strength of the pound against the Euro is affecting this slightly, but most people buying at this level have investments in many currencies. Others are taking mortgages rather than using their cash. This way, they can opt to pay off their Euro mortgage as soon as the pound recovers.”
“Macron fever” is a big part of the pull back to the Riviera for overseas buyers, adds Swannie, who admits to having a “bit of a Macron man-crush myself”. “Macron’s election,” he adds, “has brought with it a huge amount of positivity to the property market in France.”