Vernon Property Insight

Vernon is a town of the western of the Eure department in the Haute Normandy region. It is located the Seine valley and between Paris and Rouen. The town accounts for about 24,900 inhabitants called the Vernonnais. Vernon is also close to Giverny, the birthplace of the famous painter Claude Monet.

Overview

The architecture of the town centre is absolutely typical. Vernon boasts many half-timbered houses which can be seen Rue du Chapitre, Ruelle Malot, Rue Potard, Rue de la Boucherie and Place Chantereine. The Pavillon de Penthièvre, tourist information office and Vieille Gabelle are other beautiful monuments worth seeing.

Normandy is an area of France famous for its history: the Normandy landings are a tragic period of WWII. As a result, numerous edifices of the town were partially destroyed: Notre-Dame collegial in one of these. Strolling in the streets of Vernon will let you discover all these gems full of interest.

Vernon Immobilier & Property Market Trends

A property in France is sold €3,197/ sq m in 2009. The Eure department offers affordable properties considering the French property price, as properties in the department cost about €2,060/ sq m. In Vernon, property prices have dropped by €250/ sq m since the late 2007. This is a consequence of the current real estate crisis. An apartment is currently sold between €2,010 and €2,670/ sq m, new build flats being often more expensive. As a result, investing in the area should be profitable to you, especially if you are looking for lets (59.8% of tenants in the commune).

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

5 Reasons to Buy a Property in Vernon

• Historical heritage: as exposed previously, Vernon has a rich historical past not to be ignored. During WWII, the town was bombarded by the German air force in 1940 and by the Allies in 1944. On August 25, 1944, the English troupes liberated Vernon. This period of France’s history, and especially of Normandy’s history can be discovered in this gorgeous area.

• Tourism – events: Normandie is a touristy location, sought-after amongst the Brits. Vernon organizes each year several festivals and fairs: movie, humour and comedy festival, cherry fair, international Pastel fair, autumn fair and Les Nuits d’Orient festival. The latter takes place during 4 days in the town and the aim is to promote oriental culture. About 350 people perform on the stage and offer the public an immersion in a convivial universe.

• Ecology and environment: Vernon is much concerned about environmental issues and is committed in several actions to fight against pollution and global warming. The commune will not use pesticides anymore from 2010 and is likely to invest in sustainable energy. Vernon realized how important it was to protect the planet and tries to find other options to the use of the car for instance. All these actions have a deep aim: making the citizens save the planet.

• Location – transport infrastructure:Vernon is easily accessible by the motorway A13, connecting the town to Paris (72km), Caen, Rouen (56km), Le Havre amongst others. In the town centre, you can easily travel with the 4 bus routes. The commune also has a railway station which serve Le Havre, Rouen and Paris (Le Havre – Paris is only 55 minutes). Paris-Orly airport is less than 100km from Vernon, which is a major asset considering that this airport is a hub. From there, you can thus travel to almost everywhere. Vernon is also situated near the sea, 120km, about one hour drive to bath in a beautiful landscape.

• Rental opportunities: Normandy being a popular tourist location, it offers good rental opportunities. Furthermore, with a high number of tenants (59.8%), Vernon is the perfect location for those who are looking for a buy-to-let investment. 3 and 4-room properties should be ideal for lets, as they are the most searched dwellings in the town.

Property Styles and Architecture in Vernon

• Brick houses: these traditional houses of Vernon are constructed of bricks. The latter are often exposed, which gives more charm to the properties. Some of these properties have only partially exposed bricks, for instance the top of the property or the outline of the openings… Such properties have similarities with English houses. The love of Normandy from Brits may be thus explained by this cultural link between both. Brick houses usually come with a land attached to the house.

• Half-timbered houses: typical from Normandy and Alsace, these properties are full of character. They are mainly made of wood for the key elements. The aim of the use of wood is both decoration and protection. For the rest of the property, Granite is used. However, walls may also be built of cob and stone mix.

• Longère houses: such properties may be found in the Brittany region. They are constructed in length, the shape of longères being rectangular. Originally, the back of the houses faces the wind dominant direction. Inside, stones may be exposed, making them charming homes. They come with a piece of land and a fireplace.

Click here for more info about the Architecture in Haute Normandie.