Angers Property Insight

Angers is the administrative centre of the Maine-et-Loire department. With 156,965 inhabitants (the Angevins}, the town is the centre of the metropolitan area called ‘Angers Loire Métropole’ (gathering of 31 towns and villages). Angers is the former capital town of Anjou, a former French province. The town has a strategic location as it is situated close to the Maine and Loire rivers. Angers is also a City of Art and History.

Overview

Angers has a great setting. The nature is preserved and life is pleasant. The area was granted an award at the concours des villes et villages fleuris. This French competition promotes the development of parks and floral gardens in towns and villages, attributing one to four flowers to the towns which deserve it.

The port of Angers was very important in the past in terms of fluvial activities. Given its location, the town is a crossing point between Paris and the Vendée and Loire-Atlantique departments. Angers is a good model from cultural, economical, ecological, social and urban points of view.

Located at 1 hour and 30 minutes from Paris by train (high speed line), Angers attracts anyone who dreams about a ‘green and blue town’. With a lake, 14km of navigable ways and plenty of gardens and parks, this town has all the assets to seduce both French and foreign holiday makers.

Angers Immobilier & Property Market Trends

With an average price of €2,246 /sq. m., Angers still offers affordable prices concerning real estate. About properties to rent, the average price is of €9.88 /sq. m. /month, way below the national one of €12.22 /sq. m. /month. The majority of dwellings in the town are apartments (72%) and many people rent their accomodation (68.5%). Angers accounts for a total of 12 districts, each one having of course its own identity, thus varying property prices depending on the area you want to find yourself in. Properties built recently are of course more expensive with for instance prices between €2,610 and €3,480 /sq. m. for new apartments to buy. Given the increasing population, the demand for properties is pretty high.

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

5 Reasons to Buy a Property in Angers

• Outstanding nature: as said before, water is important in Angers with the Maine river passing through the town. The area offers great landscapes where people can enjoy wonderful views and being in harmony with nature. Angers’ metropolitan area spreads on the Valley of Loire, which is classified by the UNESCO. The regional natural park ‘Loire-Anjou-Touraine’ belongs to the territory of Angers and Tours ( Indre-et-Loire ).

• Cultural life: many festivals and shows are held in Angers. The town is home to the national orchestra of the Pays de la Loire region, as well as theatre and dance centres. You can for example find: Les Accroche-Coeurs (various shows in the streets), Gypsy Swing Festival (Gypsy music), Festival d’Anjou (theatre plays), Festival Angers-BD (comic books festival), Premiers plans and Cinémas d’Afrique (cinema festivals).

• Attractive town: apart from having a great setting with an unspoiled nature, Angers’ inhabitants also boast a great architectural heritage with among others a wonderful castle which dominates the town. Executives and employees are attracted by the dynamism of the companies which are established in the area, as well as by the diversity of activities offered. All the facilities of a big city are present there. Angers is also a student town: it is home to more than 20 colleges and welcome about 30,000 students every year. In other words, Angers has all the assets needed to attract people. More and more persons come to settle in this town and discover the charms of the Pays de la Loire region.

• Location – transport links: situated in the middle of the Nantes - Le Mans axis, Angers has a very good location within the department of Maine-et-Loire. Several motorways pass close to Angers such as the A11, A87 and A85. A tramway line is planned for 2010. ‘Angers-Loire airport’ has flights to England (Belfast, Glasgow, Manchester, etc.) and the rest of Europe (Amsterdam, Francfort, etc.) to offer.

• Return on investment: with all these students attending university every year, Angers is definitely a profitable town to invest in. The sustained demand for properties in the area should offer a good return on investment. Buying a studio flat may be the best thing to do when investing there.

Property Styles and Architecture in Angers

• Town houses: these properties located in the city centre are perfect for a first investment. Town houses usually come with a small-to-medium piece of land and a garage. Most of the time attached, these properties are great as they are close to all amenities (schools, shops, train stations, etc.).
• Apartments: given the important number of students in the town, you will find plenty of apartments in Angers. From a studio flat to a 5-room apartments, the choice is wide. Prices may vary according to the location and date of construction of the dwelling. Investing in such a property is definitely worth it, especially if you plan on doing a buy-to-let investment.

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