The notaires have recently provided a snapshot of the state of the housing market in the Rhône-Alpes.

The figures below show the movement in average prices for each department to the end of September 2020, including sale and purchase contracts signed but not yet completed.

Ain

Apartments prices have remained stable, averaging €2,280m² to Sept, with the exception of Pays de Gex, where the average price is €4,425, up 9%.

For houses, the median price is €235,000, up 2.2%, although the average price around Gex is €575,000.

In all areas, there was a sharp increase in prices in July and August, particularly in proximity to Lyon.

Drôme

Throughout the department apartment prices rose to a level rarely seen over the past decade, with an increase of 8%, to €1,640m².

Around the Valence metropolitan area apartment prices rose by 10.7% to reach €1,775m².

Houses fell back slightly, to an average of €220,000, but to €247,300 in the Valence metropole.

Isère

Over the past three months apartment prices around Grenoble increased by 7% to reach €2,600m².

The housing market was also buoyant over the same period, with an increase in sales up over 70%. Those areas around Lyon benefited most from the post Spring lockdown surge, where sales growth was strong and prices were generally on the increase.

Loire

After a strong rebound following the lockdown in the Spring, prices have returned to only a slightly higher level than before the confinement, averaging around €1,000m². This is particularly true of Roanne (€1,030m²) and Saint-Etienne (€1 085m²).

The notaires consider there has been no evidence of a surge to move into houses, which they consider can be explained by the availability of comfortable apartment accommodation available at low prices.

The median price of the houses (€170 000) is slightly higher than before the lockdown, with significant variations in Saint-Etienne and its outskirts (€200,000) and Roanne (€145,000).

Rhône

In the Rhône, apartment prices have fallen, with the average price of a flat around Lyon going down from €5,155m² to €5,000m², and stability elsewhere at around €4,000/m².

It is much the same picture for houses, down from an average of €380,000 to €365,000 across the department, and from €450,000 down to €430,00 in the Rhône metropolitan area.

Haute-Savoie

In Haute-Savoie, apartment prices fell slightly (-2.1%) over the past three months, but with variations by sector up to -3.8%.

In Annecy apartment prices average €4,180m² and in the Arve Valley €3,565m², up 13.7%.

For houses, prices over the three months to June rose by 6.9% to €410,000, although to €478,000 in Annecy and to €381,000 in the Albanias sector.

In mountain areas the market for existing property is strong, but less so for new flats under construction.

The graphic below shows the movement in prices over the year to 31st July 2020 for flats and houses in the departments in their respective capitals. 

There is no commentary available from the notaires on recent activity in the Ardèche and Savoie Departments, although the main figures to July 2020 are provided on the graphic.