Saint-Malo Property Insight

Saint-Malo is a coastal town which is quite famous amongst Frenchmen. There are 52,000 inhabitants in the town itself. It is the most visited town of Brittany, with around 200,000 tourists in summer every year. It has a rich history and remains important as a harbour (industrial fisheries, fishermen, taxi-boats, nature discovery companies, etc.) as well as economically.

Overview

Saint-Malo is a harbour located at the mouth of the Rance estuary. It was formerly an island and then became a fortified peninsula during the 12th century. The town is part of the Emerald Coast. The ancient ‘privateer town’ has become a major economic centre in Ille et Vilaine, especially when it comes to tourism.

The town has developed a lot its tourism activities by betting on its various assets: architecture, great beaches, historical legacy, weather and typical gastronomy. Thanks to this, the tourism is a thriving industry but this, combined with the very authentic style of the town, pushes property prices upwards in this area of France.

Another asset of the town is its location. With some jewels around such as the Mont Saint Michel, Combourg or the Broceliande forest, but also with the channel islands just a stone's throw away, there is actually a lot on your plate if you want to be able to say that you know the area.

Saint Malo Immobilier & Property Market Trends

Saint-Malo is a pretty dear town. The average price of a property for sale there is €3,247 / sq m, ie more expensive than Rennes, a city of more than 200,000 inhabitants. 2-room properties are the most expensive, with prices which can reach €3,590 per square metre. Buying in the outskirts of the town will not allow you to save a lot. Living on or next to the seafront has a price it is difficult to avoid.

The bargains which can be driven in Saint-Malo are mainly 2 or 3-room town houses with pretty affordable prices. However, no matter what your choice would be, the prices are very stable, be it to sale or let your property.

The town has a unique character which could be challenged only by La Baule. For people really wanting to invest in the ever-more-trendy Saint-malo, the mayor has planned to allow 400 new building plots each year over ten years in the town centre, through a major urban refurbishment. These areas are foremost those located next to the train station or in the la Découverte, l’Espérance and Bellevue quarters.

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

3 Reasons to Buy a Property in Saint Malo

• Very stable market: prices in the coastal resort are high and due to an important demand, they are very stable. This is a very good opportunity to invest in real estate in Brittany without taking risks.
• Nature all around: this part of Brittany is one of the most beautiful areas in the French region. You can benefit from an access to the sea obviously, but the hinterland is also great, with the famous Broceliande forest (a place of magic and mystery being the setting of many legends as the Fountain of Youth, the Val sans Retour, the tomb of Merlin, etc.) You can also visit medieval towns such as Fougeres or Combourg (read more in our other Ille et Vilaine pages).
• Business opportunities: the tourism industry is very successful in this area. Saint-Malo is a very nice place to set up a Gite or guest house business. There is room for many entrepreneurs, especially as the new high-speed train line now places Saint-Malo just three hours from Paris. However, even if you could not find enough opportunities in this field, you could still commute between Rennes, which has a good economy, and Saint-Malo (less than one hour).

Property Styles and Architecture in Saint Malo

• Fishermen’s houses: Saint-Malo is a town where many great people were born, such as Jacques Cartier, who discovered Quebec and gave its name to Canada. This is a town of fishermen’s and ‘sea men’. Fishermen’s houses generally boast exposed stones and make good use of wood. Many different house styles co-exist in this category of cottage, why not visit Saint-Malo to find your dream house?
• Malouiniere houses: these typical Saint-Malo properties date back from the 17th. They are luxurious properties often priding themselves on great gardens with an elegant style. Captains’ houses were also used in the past as second homes where they used to store/ hide important sums of money.
• Common characteristics of Breton properties: walls made up of granite, roofs composed of slates or thatch, but less and less used today because possible fires are very common on Breton houses. Other common aspects are the orientation towards the south and the small windows. Inside the house, woodworks are also generally painted.

Click here for more info about the Architecture of Brittany.