Nimes Property Insight

Nimes is the main city of the Gard department in the Languedoc-Roussillon region. The city has a rich history, which is dating back to the Roman Empire. Thus, it is also a popular tourist destination, thanks to the proximity of the sea and the many sites of interest as the Maison Carrée or the wonderful preserved Bullring.

Also with Hispanic influence, Nimes can boast to be a city of all accents, but with a unique style.

Overview

Founded during the Antiquity, Nimes is at the same time a Roman, Hispanic and Provençal city, with lots of heritages. The Nimes Arena is the best preserved amphitheatre of the Roman era, an impressive monument built in the 1st century AD under Emperor Augustus. Imagine the Roman games of ancient times; it is easy in such a place. Another treasure of the Roman Empire can be seen in Nimes. It is the only completely preserved Roman temple in the world, the Maison Carrée.

Nowadays, Nimes has almost 150,000 inhabitants, and since the year 2000, the economy of the town has picked up again. The textile industry was the main sector for a very long time. For example, it is in Nimes that the first jeans have been produced, but with a tough cloth, giving the name “Denim” to some specific jeans.

The culture in Nimes is also very present and the city has an important cultural offer. Theatres are numerous in the town, and a mess of different museums exists.

The most important cultural event in Nimes is the Feria. It is a local - popular - celebration which takes place each year, characterised by corridas, releases of bulls in streets and bodegas (outdoor bars or in cellars with festive music). Other renowned ferias take place in Dax and Bayonne , which are French towns located on the Atlantic coast. Thus, the one of Nimes is almost the only one in this region. Many festivals take place in the city all year round.

Nimes Immobilier & Property Market Trends

In terms of property market, Nimes is a growing area. This is mainly due to the high prices of Montpellier and Perpignan, the two other biggest cities situated along the coast of the Languedoc-Roussillon region. Beside the more attractive price, the TGV access and the university are other assets which attract people.

Generally speaking, the price of the transactions varies a lot depending on the property, but the average price is around €2,300/sq m. Since October 2008, the prices slightly decreased.

86% of the properties are main houses, and 2.5% are second houses. Only 30% of all the properties are houses.

During the next ten years, around 100,000 new quarters will be built, particularly in the districts of Fours a Chaux, Mas d’escatte or of Hoche-Sernam, which will soon welcome the new university. It will be a really a good investment, because the students will be looking for an accommodation to rent in this area.

Furthermore, the difference in prices between new and old properties is less noticeable than before. So, there is a certain advantage to buy new properties.

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

5 Reasons to Buy a Property in Nimes

Nimes has an increasing population. The people are attracted in this region for many reasons, depending on their personal interest. Here are some of them:

• Facilities: Nimes is a big city, with all the facilities you need. Shops, sights of interest, hospital, university, associations… If you fear to be lost and feel remote, Nimes is a wonderful option, a town with several things to see or to do, and of course, many nice people to meet and discover.

• Transport: Nimes has the chance to have a big airport. So, the transport to foreign countries is really fast and simple. Many different companies offer flights to the most popular destinations, and some low cost companies as Ryanair offer cheap flights everywhere in Europe and especially to the United Kingdom. Furthermore, the connection with other cities of France is facilitated thanks to the TGV.

• Culture: you will rapidly feel that Nimes has a strong own culture, which is a kind of mix of its former various influences. The city is punctuated with majestic buildings dated from the Roman Era. The main events like the feria are heritages from the Hispanics and the food has unmistakably Provencal influence.

• University: though not a big city, Nimes is already a major University of the South of France. This attracts many students from France and elsewhere, and so, it creates life and development in the city. For those who plan to come with their family, it is good to know that their children could continue their studies in the region without any problems.

• Region: the city of Nimes has a really good situation. Close to the sea, Nimes is very close to the beautiful area of the Camargue and Provence areas. Nimes is a living city, from where you can easily discover the marvellous surroundings of the South of France, and this, with the best weather France can offer to you.

Property Styles and Architecture in Nimes

• Apartments: as a big city, the majority of the properties in Nimes are apartments. Thus, you can find apartments of every size, from small apartments, especially popular for students, to huge luxury apartments.

• Farmhouses: in the surroundings of Nimes city centre, you can find some beautiful stone houses, which was former farmhouses. The size and the architecture depend of the former activity. Some outbuildings were added to the main building for the exploitation if needed. Depending on that, it could be big buildings with a vault used for the equipments or a smaller building used as stockroom.

Click here for more info about the Architecture of Languedoc-Roussillon.