HOUSES AND PROPERTY FOR SALE IN Midi-Pyrénées

Authentic French towns and villages, unspoilt countryside and terrific value for money – both in terms of property values, and the general cost of living. The Midi Pyrénées offers exhilarating skiing and snowboarding, with lift passes at a fraction of the price of other European ski areas. Stop for a coffee, cold drink or lunch and you will appreciate the difference in the bars and restaurants too. Away from the mountains you will find the region is criss-crossed by attractive river valleys. Follow the Garonne, Tarn, Gers or Lot and you will find some of the prettiest towns in France. Don’t forget too that the Canal du Midi starts in Toulouse.

Toulouse is also one of the most dynamic cities in the country and is the centre of the European aerospace industry. It is the driving force behind the booming economy in the Midi Pyrenees – ensuring that demand for property remains constant. This is a region where you can buy with both your heart and your head.

This is a vast region, with a glorious history. You can get a sense of this when visiting some of the fascinating towns and cities. Albi, Auch, Cahors, Lourdes and Rodez all have a wonderful heritage, and attracts tourists from all over the world. You will also find more than a sprinkling of the “plus beaux villages de France” in the region. Perched on the edge of a limestone cliff, Rocamadour has a population of just 600, but receives more than 1.5m visitors a year. Cordes-sur-Ciel is a little quieter, but equally as pretty, with an exceptional Gothic heritage.

The biggest airport in the region is, not surprisingly, Toulouse -Blagnac. It has direct flights to 76 destinations in Europe, North America, the Middle East, and Africa. There are also some smaller, regional, airports in the Midi Pyrénées, popular with holiday-home owners due to their ease of access. Rodez airport has flights to London, Dublin, Paris, and Brussels, whilst the airport at Tarbes-Lourdes serves London, Dublin, Paris, Brussels, Rome and other European destinations.

The Midi Pyrénées also has several major train stations. Toulouse-Matabiau is the largest and busiest, with a regular TGV service to Paris, Bordeaux, Marseille and beyond. Other major stations can be found in Tarbes, Auch and Cahors, with many SNCF trains connecting towns within the region.

When coming by car you will find direct access via the A20, which connects Toulouse to Paris, and the A64 which runs from Tarbes, through Pau and across to Biarritz and the Spanish border. The A61 connects the region to the Mediterranean (and on to either Barcelona or the Riviera)

For an in-depth analysis, read our latest Occitanie market comment (below), which includes average prices in all the major towns and cities.

In reality, there is no such thing as a Midi-Pyrénées property market, instead there are dozens of micro-markets, spread across the eight departments. However, it is fair to say that demand for property has been at record levels, across the region, for the last few years. There has not been enough new stock coming on to the market to satisfy this demand. Prices have risen in all eight departments over the last 12 months – the average rise is around 2%, with a slightly higher increase in Haute Garonne. This, is only to be expected as Toulouse is in the Haute Garonne, and property here is extremely popular due to the major corporate employers in the city. It also has a very high student population, meaning that rentals are extremely hard to come by. It is an excellent location for property investment.

The strongest demand is currently for country property. Buyers are attracted by the low prices and beautiful surroundings. Larger properties, with light and airy spaces, a home office and a garden are particularly in demand. International buyers have traditionally been keen on renovation and refurbishment projects. These are still popular, but many buyers are now looking for old, stone, houses that have already been sympathetically restored. The increasing costs of labour and raw materials mean that houses in good condition are being snapped up.

The top-end of the property market is also healthy. American buyers in particular have been taking advantage of the strong dollar to snap up chateaux, country estates and manor houses. But the main buyers of these prestige properties are French. Coming from Paris, Lyon and Bordeaux they see the terrific value of property in the Midi Pyrénées and have been prevalent in the market.