Saint Gaudens Property Insight
Saint Gaudens, ville fleurie, is in the Comminges area - South of Haute Garonne - 94km from Toulouse and 65km from Tarbes. With its 12,000 inhabitants, Saint Gaudens is the sous-prefecture of Haute Garonne, the traditional capital of the area and one of the prettiest towns in the department. The town faces the Pyrenees and thus is very close to Spain. It is a natural junction between the ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. In its surroundings, you may see a panoply of castles and ancient churches. Archeologists discovered the oldest Gallo-Roman villa ever found in the area. Its name comes from a martyr called Gaudens, a young shepherd who was a victim of the Visigoths at the end of the 5th century because he refused to give up his faith.
Overview
Capital of the area, Saint Gaudens is a dynamic town in the South of Haute Garonne. If offers a large number of sports and hobbies to be practised such as fishing, mountain bike, hiking or horse riding. Rugby league - a variant of the rugby union with only 13 players - is also the pride of the town: Saint Gaudens’ team played in the French Championship in 2006-2007. The town also organises an international tennis tournament, called Open Gaz de France. This is the biggest female tournament of the region.
Saint Gaudens possesses the largest collection of Valentine porcelain in the world. In 1829, a family called Fouque-Arnoux settled in the town and started producing porcelain in front of a village named Valentine.
Between Toulouse and Pau, and close to Spain, Saint Gaudens offers typical landscapes. In the South, the Pyrenees and a preserved nature, peaks, snow fields, paths and waterfalls. But its surroundings are also rich in wooden scenery, hills and hillsides.
Saint Gaudens Immobilier & Property Market Trends
Property prices in Saint Gaudens have dropped since December 2007 and are now fluctuating. The average price of real estate in the town is about €1,235/sq m. Considering the national average - €2,200/sq m - prices are very cheap in Saint Gaudens. This is the perfect place if you are looking to settle in the area. You may take advantage of the location (near to Spain, to the sea and to slopes), of property prices and will easily find a bargain! Prices of apartments are lower than prices of houses. Indeed, an apartment will cost about €1,850/sq m whereas a house will cost only €1,228/sq m. Thus, as a main home or as a buy-to-let, buying a property in Saint Gaudens is not risky and can even appears to be the best investment you could do nowadays.
To get updated info about the property prices in the Haute Garonne department, please browse our French Property Market Reports published in the News Section every month.
3 Reasons to Buy a Property in Saint-Gaudens
- Location and transport links: in the town, you can easily move thanks to the transport services offered by the municipality. Three options: transport on demand (used by people coming from the most remote towns), town shuttle (serve the most remote quarters) or the field shuttle (serve 9 towns of the area). Saint-Gaudens’ railway station leads to Toulouse, Bayonne and Paris amongst others. Three airports are close to Saint Gaudens: Toulouse, Tarbes and Pau and travel to London, Paris, Madrid, Bristol, Lyon and Brussels. By car, Saint Gaudens is 800km from Paris, 94km from Toulouse, 65km from Tarbes, 110km from Pau and 40km to the Spanish border.
- Economy: the South of Haute Garonne is not renowned for its economic dynamism. However, Saint Gaudens being the capital of the area, it taps the economic flows of the southern department. Indeed, it attracted the industrial activity of international groups, regional companies and holds a skilled and diversified subcontracting. As a result, this is probably the most dynamic town of the South of the department.
- Lifestyle: as in the South of France in general, lifestyle is always pleasant. Sun, close to the sea, gourmet food, quiet places, nature, far niente, everything is gathered in Saint Gaudens to satisfy its residents. The town also offers opportunities to know more about the area, department and region, thanks to its castles, museums and churches. No one can be bored in such a quiet place in the South of France.
Property Styles and Architecture in Saint Gaudens
Saint Gaudens has no typical architecture style. You will find classic properties which can be found in any other town. However, the price and the location remain attractive.
- Farmhouses: they are usually of very large size as originally used as farms and possess outbuildings such as barns. They often offer a beautiful landscape since located near the mountains and in the countryside. You may have to renew them since they are sometimes quite old houses but it will allow you to decide the outside and inside decoration of your new property.
- Town houses: they are often located close to all commodities which is a good advantage for people refraining from using their car. The particularity of Saint Gaudens may be that beams and are often exposed and give the house a certain charm. You can also find town houses with a garden, a fireplace and wood panels.
Click here for more info about the Architecture in Midi Pyrenees.
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