Loire-Atlantique Property Insight

Part of the Pays de la Loire region, Loire-Atlantique is named after the Atlantic and the Loire which is the principal river that crosses the departement before flowing in the ocean by an estuary. Loire-Atlantique is one of the five departements of the historic Bretagne, but however, it does not belong to the administrative Bretagne. It accounts for a population of more than 1,230,000 inhabitants, and its main town is Nantes.

Overview

Loire-Atlantique is the departement that has the lowest altitude of France with an average of around 115m. Water is a main element with one of the longest estuary of Europe between Saint-Nazaire and its prefecture, Nantes. The departement comprises not less than 130km of marvellous seashore comprising beautiful sandy beaches. Between the so-called côte de Jade and côte d'Amour, several renowned sea resorts abound such as La Baule, Pornichet or Le Pouliguen. Water is also present in the marshlands of Brière, in lakes or even in the oyster-farming ports and the famous salterns of the enchanting medieval town of Guérande spread on 2,000ha that produce the well-known Guérande fleur de sel.

Loire-Atlantic offers an unspoilt and varied nature. Hiking tracks give the opportunity to discover it in a pleasant way. Historic patrimony also punctuates the area. Thus, the stunning castle of the Ducs de Bretagne in Nantes reminds the interesting history of Bretagne as many other sites across the departement.

The richness of the area is constituted by the towns and villages, each of them possessing a unique charm. The port of La Turballe and its sardine fishermen, Batz-sur-Mer and its surfers, La Brière and its 3,000 thatched cottages.

Loire-Atlantique Immobilier & Property Market Trends

A specificity of the property market in Loire-Atlantique is that the prices are very disparate. Even if the average of prices was situated around €3,100/sq m (the national average was €3,200/sq m) at the beginning of 2009, the price of a property varied a lot depending of the area. To generalize, we can say that the area of Chateaubriant is quite cheap, but the prices increase when approaching the seafront. Thus, the sector of Saint-Nazaire where many sea resorts (La Baule, Le Pouliguen, Pornichet, Pornic…) lie is very expensive with an average of around €4,500/sq m. The price in Nantes is around €3,100/sq m, but there again, a strong disparity exists depending on the quarters where the property is situated.

For those who are interested by specific houses as thatched cottages or renovated longères, it is to know that the opening price is around €500,000. The splendid villas of the seafront and exceptional properties can even exceed a million euros.

To get updated info about the house prices in Loire-Atlantique, please browse our French Property Market Reports published in the News Section every month.

4 Reasons to Buy a Property in Loire-Atlantique

• Beautiful coast & beaches: if Loire-Atlantique has an asset, it is undeniably the beautiful coast it comprises. It richness is that it is really varied, with small wild coves but also large beaches of sand comprising all the common installations that can be awaited, such as beach volley court, boat clubs, deckchairs, etc… The best way to discover this magnificent coast is to follow the sentiers des Douaniers which is a long track along the coast departing from Pornic. It surely offers the best point of view on the coast and the Bourganeuf bay.

• Activities: Loire-Atlantique is the perfect place for those who are fond of water sports. The ocean offers great opportunities of sailing, kayaking, but also to practice kitesurf, bodyboard and skimboard. The nature lovers will appreciate the numerous way to discover it, such as in hiking or mountain biking. The many fishing ports offer hours of pleasure, while the several spas that abound in Loire-Atlantique offers hours of relaxation. Really, activities are numerous and diversified. Some of the best golf courses and adventure parks are located in the area.

• Location – transport links: with around 2 million of passengers per year, the airport of Nantes Atlantique is the first airport of the great west. It serves a dozen of French towns, the French overseas departements and several international destinations such as London, Milano, Geneva… The TGV (high-speed train) is also well developed in the departement and set Nantes at two hours from Paris and Saint-Nazaire at 2h40.

• Rental opportunities: the most popular places where people go on holiday during summer is mainly the coast. Thus, people tend to go at the Mediterranean Sea or the Atlantic Ocean. Loire-Atlantique possesses some of the most famous ones of the Atlantic coast, such as La Baule or Pornic. Thus, the rental opportunities are very strong, mostly along the coast, during Summer. The most popular and then expensive month for rental remains August.

Local Property Market: 5 Popular Towns

• La Baule: La Baule is a famous sea resort that already welcomed many celebrities. Its endless sandy beach, its casino and its renowned spa center are amongst others responsible for its popularity. It attracts many tourists, but not only during summer as it is also pleasant during other seasons. Thus, it offers good rental opportunities.
• Le Croisic: located on a small peninsula, Le Croisic is a small town renowned for its pretty port. It is a popular sea resort that has its soul linked to the ocean. It is surrounded by various landscapes and the so called wild coast is simply mind-blowing in terms of beauty.
• Nantes: Nantes is the most important city of Loire-Atlantique but also of the region. Not far from the ocean and its beaches, it becomes always more and more popular. So much that in 2004, the Time qualifies Nantes as the most pleasant city of Europe. The population of Nantes is also quite young and thus many cultural activities and events exist.
• Pornic: Pornic is a remarkable town on the ocean. It possesses a lovely fishing port next to a beautiful castle. It attracts many tourists that come to benefit from its beautiful beaches, and thus, offer many rental opportunities to the people having a property there.
• Saint-Nazaire: Saint-Nazaire is a living town that lies at the ocean. It is also known as the town that comprises not less than twenty beaches and is very pleasant to live in. Its port gives it its international reputation as it welcomes famous shipyards.

Property Styles and Architecture in Loire-Atlantique

At the borders of Bretagne, Poitou and Anjou, the Loire-Atlantique departement presents a diversified architecture that comprises low houses covered with round tiles next to Vendée, houses with slate roofs at the heart of the departement and thatched houses in the natural regional park of Brière.

• Thatched houses: the natural park of Brière accounts for 3,000 thatched houses, which represents not less than 60% of the total thatched houses in France. The houses are covered with a roof made of reed that grows in the marshland of Brière. The majority of these typical houses were built during the 17th century and were quite modest, often with a unique room of a low volume. The walls are thick and comprise small openings.
• Longères: beautiful and charming Longères can be found in the departement. The specific architectural element of these houses is that they are built in length. Thus, the main building can comprise several others outbuildings all stuck to the others to form a row. Usually built of granite, they normally offer single storey accomodation. Today, the attic of these houses was converted into a fisrt floor room to increase the total living area. The most common is to find Longères with slated roofs.

Click here for more info about Architecture in Pays de la Loire.