Eauze Property Insight

Eauze (pronounce ‘hey hoz’) has self-proclaimed itself as the capital of the Armagnac area ( Condom also claims the title). Indeed, Eauze is located at the very heart of the Armagnac brandy producing region, and especially at the heart of the Bas-Armagnac area (the best one for the production of Armagnac among the three areas). The Gascony town accounts for 4,000 inhabitants known as the Elusates. Eauze is very proud of its vineyards, which is understandable given their quality. Many events which take place in the town are linked to the Armagnac, such as wine contests, fairs and tasting sessions.

Overview

Eauze is an agricultural area, just as Vic Fezensac. Corn and vines are the most developed crops and geese, ducks as well as labeled chicken productions are important. The wood industry is also present in Eauze as well as, obviously, companies selling and maintaining agricultural equipment. Everything there is more or less dedicated to agriculture and the country life. This is precisely what makes the joy and enthusiasm of Brits who settle in the area: a simple, authentic and much valuable country life.

Eauze is also renowned in the area for the beauty of its medieval town centre. Its half-timbered houses in the main pedestrian street will charm you, as well as its small and lovely local shops. Moreover, owing to its prestigious past, as the capital of the Novempopulania (a Gallo-Roman province which was then enlarged and named Aquitaine), Eauze boasts a very rich cultural and historical heritage. Actually this is even an issue in the town, as each time they want to build a new building they find Gallo-Roman vestiges. A museum was opened in 1995 and gathers a genuine Gallo-Roman treasure.

Eauze Immobilier & Property Market Trends

The area is honeycombed with charming cottages and front-gabled houses full of character. Wood is much used in the area, which is not surprising as we are in Gers and wood resources are important. The trend there follows that of the Gers and Gascony area, with a market slowing down a lot this year.

In this green part of the Gers, prices are always below €2,000 /sq m but for exceptional properties. They have been seriously dropping since October 2008, a loss of €500/sq m in 5 months. This is clearly the moment to buy if you want to drive a bargain.

As regards the rental market, Eauze is a touristic place, above all in summer, and as a consequence rent demand is always high. Demand is especially high for gites, and you will be all the more successful if your gite is in a half-timbered property or in a traditional farmhouse.

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

6 Reasons to Buy a Property in Eauze

• Bas-Armagnac area: wine, Armagnac and Floc de Gascogne are the key words in this part of the Gers. Even if the Armagnac is produced in almost all the Gers department, the best one is made in the area around Eauze and Nogaro. Indeed, the Armagnac area is divided into three parts: the Bas-Armagnac, the Haut-Armagnac and the Tenareze. The best soil to produce the Armagnac is to be found in the first one, this is why the brandy in Bas-Armagnac is said to be the best one. The Armagnac is a brandy made with distilled white wine. The distillation is a very special moment during the year that is not to be missed if you want to discover the local culture. The Armagnac is also used to make the Floc de Gascogne, which is an aperitif made with the brandy and grape juice. It is very appreciated in summer as it is refreshing and sweet.
• Cultural heritage: as already mentioned, Eauze was built above a former Gallo-Roman town, capital of the Novempopulania province, the Elusa town. In 1985 archaeologists found one of the greater Gallo-Roman treasures in France, completely preserved. The treasure gathers around 30,000 coins dating back to the 3rd century AD. They also found a case with many precious and priceless items. Another part of the museum shows how Roman used to live at that time. It is a fascinating museum that only costs €4.50 for a normal fee; however it is free the first Sunday of each month (from Novembre to March).
• Way of life: Eauze is a typical Gersois village, with its beautiful countryside dominated by vineyards and sunflowers, and its peculiar joy. On Thursday morning you can go to the street market to buy your fresh fruits, vegetables, meet, cheese, bread, etc. It is also the opportunity to meet with the locals, even if in summer there are also a lot of tourists. Eauze feria, ie local festival, is during the first week of July. During this week the whole town participates at the party and everything is about joy and having fun.
• Gastronomy: the south west is renowned for its delicious gastronomy and Eauze is not an exception. In addition to the delicious Armagnac and Floc de Gascogne as already mentioned, you will have to taste the foie gras. In the Gers department you must eat foie gras with a glass of white Floc, while the Rosé Floc is delicious with a melon, do prefer a local melon, such as the Melon de Lectoure. If you prefer sweets then taste the Croustade, which is a kind of apple pie made with Armagnac and very thin dough.
• Outdoor activities: in Gers people like to take advantage of their beautiful countryside and they practice a lot of sports. Main sports in Eauze include rugby, tennis, golf, basket ball, football, cycling, judo, etc. The Saint Jacques de Compostelle walkway stops in Eauze, which attracts many visitors and tourists.
• Potential: Eauze and its surroundings are ideal places for people willing to relocate in the Gers. When it comes to making a living, the area has a very great potential if you contemplate setting up a business such as a guest house. Other opportunities are agricultural ones such as growing vines, manage a classic farm or organize combine a farm and a guest house in a ‘farm stay’ activity.

Property Styles and Architecture in Eauze

Eauze is located in the western part of Gascony, which explains why it is much influenced by the Landes’ property styles. Before the 17th century, stones were not used that much, hence in and around Eauze you will find half-timbered properties, front-gabled houses making a large use of wood as well as Maison landaise-style properties.

• Half-timbering properties: in the town, very cute half-timbered houses can be seen in the town centre and give a great style. Most houses in Eauze were originally ‘colombage’ ones. They are generally built with a mix of cob between wood frames, sometimes with bricks. Corbels are also much used (wood beams jutting out of a wall to bear the weight of the roof or storey above). Some properties are not too well maintained and could easily become splendid with a minimal restoration.
• Front-gabled houses: these properties generally comprise only a ground floor and are anyway shorter than elsewhere in the Gers. They are quite wide too and thus their classic shape is that of a triangle. Some of these houses comprise wood and are gorgeous – they really recall that Eauze is an agricultural town above all. Some houses are both of maison landaise inspiration and half-timbering.
• Stone houses: these properties are also influenced by the Landais property styles. Stones are generally exposed and wood is much used to create half-timbering structures such as walls (inside the house in fact) in rooms. Wood is present everywhere in the house (this is clearly a Gersoise influence that we can find in Chartreuses too) with wooden windows, shutters and doors as well as exposed beams and often a monumental chimney.

Click here for more info about the Gers Architecture.