Marmande Property Insight

Marmande is one of Lot et Garonne major cities, located in the north east of the department, a few miles away from the Dordogne. Marmande has proved to be a very dynamic and attractive town over the last few years, with various cultural projects and transport facilities improvement.

Overview

The sub-prefecture of the Lot et Garonne department is well-known in the south west for providing many gardens full of flowers, as well as parks and lovely private estates. A great stop when touring the Val de Garonne!

Thanks to a thriving economy and developed transport links, the little town of Marmande – comprising 17,300 inhabitants – is becoming quite popular amidst French holidaymakers. Foreigners – and more particularly potential investors – are also seduced by the typical southwestern assets of the town: terrific medieval buildings, winding streets and street markets, complemented with convivial cultural events.

Marmande Immobilier & Property Market Trends

Given the current town planning, Marmande is a growing destination for prospective property buyers. Indeed, the local council plans to develop surrounding business parks and industrial estates as well as restoration and preservation programmes for the historical city centre.

Marmande is – unsurprisingly – more and more popular amongst foreign investors since the town combines perfectly all the urban facilities and the traditional assets of southwestern France. Marmande property market is accordingly boosted: only 50% of the inhabitants are landlords – meaning there is a great turn over amongst the population and rentals are good values there.

Housing prices depends of course on the property style you look for. Marmande has a wide range of accommodation on offer, from student flats to rustic homes, to traditional medieval buildings. A plus is that you can readily find great bargains in Marmande’s surroundings – some rural homes for sale are available from €50,000. For those of you who would rather character estates, stunning chateaux and manors can also be found nearby, offering outstanding plots of land. In that case, investors may allow a minimum of €900,000.

To get updated info about housing prices in the Dordogne, please browse our French Property Market Reports published in the News Section every month.

5 Reasons to Buy a Property in Marmande

This traditional southern town has the advantage to combine tradition and modernity: Marmande’s historical heritage is – thankfully – preserved whilst the town’s facilities are increasingly developed thanks to the support of the Val de Garonne community. Marmande offers today a pleasant quality of life and a wide range of activities.

• Transport links: it is very easy to travel throughout the department from Marmande as several roads link the dynamic town to different areas: the RN133 to Mont-de-Marsan (and Spain), RN708 to Saint-Martial-de-Valette (in the Dordogne) and RN113 to Toulouse, complemented with the A62 motorway.

• Cultural activities: opera, dance and theatre shows, music festivals and traditional feasts are planed all year round in Marmande. The cultural department of the town council is indeed willing to make both locals and visitors enjoy the local traditions and heritage. Museums and galleries are also really worthwhile – sacred art being one of Marmande’s treasures.

• Local produce: Marmande’s area was highly touched by the phylloxera virus in the mid-19th century and consequently, many wine growers converted to fruit and vegetable producers. Since then, Marmande has been renowned for its fruit-growing cultures, especially tomatoes, and offers now well-provided market gardens. More than 6,000 tons of tomatoes are produced in Marmande today – which makes agriculture the main economic activity in the region.

• Sport events: every sport enthusiast will be satisfied there – beside traditional rugby fans, football, handball, basketball, badminton players will find all the facilities to enjoy their sport. Some beautiful paths are also provided for those who love hiking in the French countryside. But the main sport attraction in Marmande is obviously the Grass Track show (motorcycle race) which gathers up thousands of fans every year in summertime.

• Churches and convents: the must-visits of the town are the religious buildings, witnesses of three architecture eras: Saint Benoit Chapel with panelling and frontal ornaments from the 17th century, Notre Dame Cathedral with its authentic cloister and nearby 15th-century Mauvezin church. All these belong to the preserved national architectural heritage.

Property Styles and Architecture in Marmande

The architecture heritage has been prone to many refurbishment and promotion projects since 2001 when a dedicated committee was created in Marmande. Since then, the main historical monuments have been meticulously restored and some entertaining events have been introduced annually – especially in the summertime – including guided visits, exhibitions and kids activities related to the local architecture.

As it is quite close to the Dordogne, there are similarities in terms of architecture – notably regarding the farmhouses and the materials used.

• Ancient stone houses: Marmande’s city centre is mainly composed of white-coloured stone houses. They were foremost made from local limestone or sandstone – hence the light colour of the façades. Another feature is their slightly-pitched roofs, the living space including originally one single storey.

• Pigeonniers: in the surroundings of the city, you will notice some traditional southern “pigeonniers” – ancient “pigeon houses” typically circular and with pixie-hat roofs. They are generally part of hamlets or former huge farm properties.

• Bastide remains: for every history enthusiasts, the picturesque Marmande is well worth a visit. The remaining ramparts of the bastide towns just bring you back to the Middles Ages, when most Aquitaine cities were fortified.

Click here for more info about Aquitaine Architecture.