What better place to purchase property for sale than in the popular Hérault department of Languedoc, in the south of France. The source of the Hérault river, which gives its name to the department, is 1288 metres high on the slopes of Mount Aigoual in the Cevennes national park,the original name being Arauris testifying to the gold washed down by the river. It reaches the sea at Grau d’Agde 168 km from the source passing through picturesque gorges in the upper reaches leading to a smooth and languid flow as it crosses the plain to the sea.
The topography ranges from the coastal plain to the mountains and the type of properties reflect this range. On the coast from La Grande Motte to Valras Plage there are a wealth of apartment blocks and villas for sale, most of these providing attractive holiday homes, although perhaps not the best choice for year round living as in the winter they become rather bleak and deserted unless located in the larger towns. Starting in the east La Grande Motte was built in the 1960’s and 1970’s, the characteristic pyramid apartment blocks being the work of the architect Jean Balladur. La Grande Motte receives 2 million tourists a year. There is an extensive range of apartments available for sale in the area from a studio of 26sq.m. with parking space,an important feature, for €138,000, to an air conditioned property of 106 sq.m with 2 bedrooms and a 200 sq m. terrace for €787,000. The same price is being asked for a villa near the centre of town, a rarity in this area,of 210 sq.m. in a garden of 600 sq.m.with 4 bedrooms and a swimming pool.
The port of Sète with 40,000 inhabitants is the most important French fishing port in the Mediterranean also handling over 4 million tons of commercial cargo per year. There is an extensive residential area and easy access to several kilometres of beaches.Apartments of all sizes are available from a studio of 27sq.m. for €47,000 to a 3 bedroom apartment with air conditionaing and a 33sq.m. terrace overlooking the harbour for €550,000. Sète is a lively community all the year round famous for its water jousting dating back to 1666 - and is a popular spot for house hunters looking for property for sale.
Further west is the seaside resort of Agde a town dating back to the 5th century BC.The Ephèbe museum houses the most important collection of bronzes found under water in France.Studio apartments are available from €76,000, and a range of larger apartments are for sale at a range of prices. A villa on the marina of 137 sq.m. with boat mooring is on the market for €980,000.
Inland on the coastal plain lie a host of small villages,many dating back to Roman times and beyond,all offering the attraction of small communities and a way of life that is a little less frenetic than the coast. Those adjacent to Montpellier such as Sommières and St.Martin de Londres are a little more expensive than the villages further away as they attract commuters from the city. A typical 2 bedroom village house in good condition in Sommières with an outside terrace is for sale for €189,000, a typical old vine growers house for €295,000.In St.Martin de Londres a totally renovated village house with 2/3 bedrooms and a balcony is for sale for €242,000 and a modern house of 150 sq.m. with a pool is available for €335,000.
Further west the small market town of Clermont l’Hérault, 30minutes from Montpellier is near Lake Salagou,an artificial lake built in the 1960’s which offers fishing,bathing and all manner of watersports.There is a lively market every Wednesday morning.Properties are available both in the town and on the surrounding hills.A renovated house in the town with 3 bedrooms, a garage,two balconies and a courtyard is for sale for €208,000, and a traditional 19th century house of 140 sq.m. with 3 bedrooms on land of 450 sq.m. for `$282,000. Outside the town modern villas can range up to €546,000 for 4 bedrooms on 2500 sq.m. of land with a magnificent swimming pool.
St .Chinian further west, a village of some 2000 inhabitants is known for the quality of its wine.A 100 sq.m. house in the village with 3 bedrooms and a garage is for sale for €129,000. Outside the town there is a large country house for sale in traditional stone with 5 bedrooms on 670 sq.m. of land with a swimming pool,fully modernised with air conditioning for € 320,000.
Moving away from the sea into the foothills the villages are perhaps more traditional and less effected by the increasing popularity of the area.A village such as Olargues in the Orb valley,voted one of the most beautiful villages in France, is famous for the XIIIth century “Pont du Diable” over the Jaur river. Houses in the old village are hard to come by but there is one for sale of 100 sq.m. with 4 bedrooms for €95,000. Outside the village there is a range of ruined houses and barns to be renovated. These are difficult to find these days as most of them have already been rebuilt. This one is for sale for €160,000.
Apart from the attractions of the Mediterranean sea with its wonderful climate, the charm of the Hérault to buyers of property lies in the diversity and magnificence of the landscape, the richness of its history, the abundance if its vineyards and orchards, and a way of life that is relaxed and less stressful than that found in Northern Europe. In addition the property market offers a huge range of properties for sale at prices that seem unlikely to do anything but increase in years to come as more and more people seek homes in the Languedoc area.
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