Fontenay Le Comte Property Insight

Overview

Fontenay Le Comte is a town of 14,350 inhabitants located in the Vendée department and part of the Pays de la Loire French region. It is the subprefecture of the department. Located in the southern Vendée, the town benefits from a great microclimate, which is not its only asset.

The French commune is renowned for its architectural beauty amongst Vendée towns. Indeed it is often quoted as one of the most charming towns of France. Ancient streets and a gorgeous architecture give an exceptional character to Fontenay Le Comte, and the town is built over three circular levels: the walled town centre, the Renaissance quarters and then the more modern part. Surrounded with greenery and interesting natural sites, the town is also a heaven for nature and sport lovers.

When it comes to real estate, Fontenay Le Comte could be described as expensive but there are many compensations, plus many bargains can be driven. Indeed it is easy to rent a property there, property prices are stable because of the strong character of the town and the good climate is renowned. All of this draws quite a lot of visitors and prospective buyers to the area.

Fontenay Le Comte Immobilier & Property Market Trends

Fontenay Le Comte, located 25 miles from the Atlantic, offers great prices when compared with the Vendéen seaside resorts. However the area is getting more and more famous which means that some traditional property styles are less and less available.

House Prices in Fontenay Le Comte - 2009

Even with potentially higher prices in Fontenay Le Comte’s town centre, we notice the very good value of properties in the area in and around the town. Indeed you will save €40,000 on average compared to prices elsewhere in the French department. Apartment prices however are more indexed on the departmental value, indicated in the table below.

Apartment Prices - 2009

Do not be frightened by apartment prices in Fontenay Le Comte. Indeed, even if some properties can seem expensive, the rate or return on investment is quite high as demand is sustained. Rental opportunities are numerous too. In short, Fontenay Le Comte is an ideal town to settle if you wish not to empty your purse totally when buying in France or as a first place to purchase before buying along the Atlantic coastline itself.

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

5 Reasons to Buy a Property in Fontenay Le Comte

• Good food: local specialities comprise pastry, honey and duck casseroles. Ducks are raised respecting the animals as much as possible and the final produce reaches a high level of quality. Local wines are are really worth a taste. The local fruits are excellent, you can also visit orchards to taste the best ones.

• Nature and sport lovers’ heaven: Fontenay-Le-Comte is an ideal starting point to discover the outstanding nature around. From there you will be able to explore the Poitevin marshland with its lovely canals that you can visit aboard a rowboat. Mervent forest is also a must-see. For sport lovers, the area is also ideal with the Atlantic nearby, forest around and many other activities available. Just in the rest of Vendée, horse riding is one of the favourite activities of the locals.

• Transport links: by plane: Fontenay Le Comte is swiftly accessed through La Rochelle and Nantes airports. Budget airlines are available. By car, the town is only 3 hours from Paris. By train, get to Niort by high-speed train (Eurostar available) and then reach Fontenay Le Comte in a 40 minutes drive. Bus transfer available from Niort. The area is often praised for its easy access in spite of the absence of station in the town. This will consequently not slow down the development of a tourism-related business such as a guest house or a rented property.

• Town of character: the town offers very interesting museums and touristic assets: the main museum is located in an ancient presbytery offering great works of art. You will also be able to discover traditional clothes that the locals wore in past centuries. Guided tours of the town are also available. The town, organized around the river, is honeycombed with ancient buildings and narrow streets. Terreneuve’s castle is also a great place to discover. This character is famous among visitors who vote overwhelmingly for the town although it’s not a coastal resort.

• Climate and weather: Fontenay Le Comte is located in the southern Vendée which benefits from a wonderful microclimate. The most favoured part of the department is the coastline. However, Fontenay also benefits from this great weather due to its location within 40 minutes from the Atlantic. The number of sunshine days is around 225 per year which is very good. Temperatures are around average in Vendée too, a great asset drawing many visitors to the area.

Property Styles and Architecture in Fontenay Le Comte

The most noticeable property type in Fontenay Le Comte is the classic Vendée farmhouse. With their distinctive red tiled roofs recalling Poitou Charentes houses, they are typical from the area. Indeed these gently sloping roofs are a sign of the mildness of the climate. The structure of these properties is made of wood and stones and shutters are sometimes painted.

Offering much space and sometimes outbuildings, they make ideal holiday homes or gites. They can come with a cellar too. Other farmhouse-style properties are the charentaise properties, less commonly seen but however showing similar hallmarks.

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