Salbris Property Insight

Salbris is a 5,889-inhabitant town located in the Loir-et-Cher department in the Centre region of France. Salbris is one of the main towns of the Sologne, a natural French region situated between the Cher and Loire Rivers.

Overview

Salbris has a great natural environment. At the heart of the Sologne, a territory covered with forests and ponds which is much appreciated amongst nature lovers. If you are looking for a quiet place not to far from Paris and the Pays de la Loire where you could buy a second home, then Salbris is for you. The quality of life there is really good and locals are welcoming. You will easily take part of the varied events and traditions which are held in the commune.

Salbris is part of the communauté de communes La Sologne des rivières, an agglomeration of 9 towns which aim at local development in varied fields. Even if the town is not one of the most important economical centres of the Centre region, efforts are done to develop new businesses and the area houses numerous and varied activities (electronics, logistics, services, etc.)

Salbris Immobilier & Property Market Trends

The Centre region is very attractive in terms of property prices. This area of France is indeed pretty cheap, especially in comparison with the neighbouring Paris-Ile-de-France and Pays de la Loire regions. The average price for a property to buy in the Loir-et-Cher department is €1,668 /square metre. There are many bargains to be driven in the area, properties which have a great potential to renovate for instance. In Salbris, housing prices are also affordable. It cost about €1,700 /sq m in May 2009 to buy a house in the town. The majority of properties in Salbris are houses (76.2%) and large properties (34.9% are 4-room dwellings, 26% are 5-room ones). The part of second home is really small (5.9%), but 7.4% of the properties are still vacant so there are opportunities for those looking for a holiday home in a quiet and lovely town!

To get updated info about property prices in Loir et Cher, please browse our French Property Market Reports published in the News Section every month.

5 Reasons to Buy a Property in Salbris

• Monuments: Salbris has numerous monuments which have a typical architecture from Sologne, i.e bricks and half-timbering. The town houses a wonderful castle which dates from the 16th century: château de Rivaulde. This castle used to be a stronghold and was then converted into a manor (19th c.). Rivaulde’s castle was rebuilt at the beginning of the 20th century. The Saint-Georges church and Notre Dame de Pitié chapel are also important monuments of Salbris.

• Activities: given the outstanding natural environment of the area, outdoor leisure activities such as fishing and hunting are much appreciated in Salbris and its surroundings. The numerous ponds and large forests are indeed perfect for the practise of such sports. The largest karting racetrack of the world is located in Salbris. Several important championships already took place in the town. The commune is also home to a swimming-pool and balneotherapy centre.

• Surroundings: for those who would like to visit the towns around Salbris, the choice is wide as many towns are interesting and boast museums, castles, events and so on. Amongst others: Chaon and its ‘Poaching Museum’, Nancay and its ‘Adventure Park’ and planetarium, Lassay-sur-Croisne and the château du Moulin, Blancafort and its ‘Witchcraft Museum’ and castle.

• Events: cultural life is very lively in Salbris. All year round, people can attend concerts (Swing 41 for instance), exhibitions, plays, etc. In December there is a Christmas market, a competition of houses’ decoration. In June, it is a competition which rewards ‘flourished houses’. The choice is wide: whether you like music, theatre or rather literature and art, you will find interesting events in Salbris.

• Location – transport links: located 45km from Bourges, 60km from Orléans - the administrative centre of the Centre region - and 180km from Paris, Salbris is easily accessible as the national road N20 passes through the town and the motorway A71 (Orléans - from Vierzon) is situated nearby. There is also a train station in Salbris, which allows reaching the town from the main French cities.

Property Styles and Architecture in Salbris

• Maisons solognotes: these typical houses of Sologne area are features by half-timbered walls and a tiled roof (red or brown) which may contain dormer windows. ‘Solognotes houses’ are often single-storey properties. The particularity of such properties is that bricks are also mixed with the cob and wood beams. Generally, the lower part of the property is made of cob mixed with wood and the upper part of cob mixed with bricks (red in general). These properties are full of character are very sought-after. Some houses in Sologne have an half-timbered frame only in the upper part (first floor when they have one) or have bricks and wood structures only.

• Town houses: they are often attached to other properties and are located in the town centre ie close to all amenities (schools, supermarkets, shops, etc.). Their size may vary, but town houses are most of the time pretty large. They have several rooms and come with a garden, garage and courtyard.

Click here for more info about the Architecture in Centre.