Published in French Times November 2004

British Buying Up Toulouse

Toulouse, la ville rose, is a young, lively, and attractive city. It has one foot planted in its Occitan past, whilst the other strides out confidently into the twenty first century. The gastronomic and cultural traditions of the south west mingle with cosmopolitan influences imported by the city’s diverse population.

British people buy in and around Toulouse for different reasons. According to Jonathan Pugh at Agence Mercure based in the centre, a small number, especially those who travel a lot, fall in love with the city and buy a pied-à-terre, usually an apartment in a hotel particulier (large, character property) in one of the older quarters. Families are some times attracted to the countryside just outside Greater Toulouse, especially to the west, for the proximity to the city, the airport and the International School of Toulouse at Colomiers. Parents arriving in France with children under 11 years old often feel comfortable sending them to state school, but when they are older sometimes elect the international school option. Then of course there is a large body of British people who choose to live further out in the departments around Toulouse. As a general observation Mr Pugh now finds there are more young families settling in the region, where one partner flies off to work on a Monday morning, and returns on a Friday night.

The biggest number of British people living within Greater Toulouse and its immediate surround are connected to the aerospace industry and the other international businesses based in and around the city. Those employed on shorter contracts tend to rent but those on extended contracts, or who have elected to stay, often choose to buy.

The areas nearest to Airbus, Motorola and the other big international employers, mostly to the west of the city, have, unsurprisingly, become the most sought after by British buyers. An infrastructure of British institutions to support the population has built up in the area eg the Mums and Tots group at Léguevin and the Bell pub at Pibrac. Mr Pugh says that Colomiers has developed because of Airbus, associated businesses and the airport. Ten years ago it wasn’t recognisable as the town it is today. Estates have sprung up to meet the demands of the French and international work force employed in the area.

On the whole demand for properties around here out-weighs availability. Christine Cammas at L’Immobilière du Golf at Seilh says that often in towns such as Pibrac houses are sold within the British community. The shortage of available housing has helped push prices up.

According to Mr Pugh prices in Toulouse in general are going up 10-12% a year. Parisians coming down with the decentralisation of certain companies and rapid access to the capital by air is adding to the pressure. Madame Cammas agrees. She says that the price of villas in Toulouse has gone up by 57% in the past 5 years and the price of land rose by 18% last year alone. She adds that it is difficult now to find a four bedroom property with a pool in the popular areas to the west of the city for less than 300,000€. She has just sold a four bedroom house in Blagnac with a small garden and a small pool for 311,000€, and in only 3 days. Quite spacious 4 bedroom properties (over 100m2 living space) without a pool can be found for about 290,000€, less if they are older or need work. Four bedroom properties tend to be the most popular with British and other foreign buyers for the extra guest room for visitors. Both Mr Pugh and Madame Cammas agree it is unlikely that prices in and around Toulouse will come down. Mr Pugh thinks they have stabilised for the moment but could take flight again at any time, Madame Cammas believes they will continue to rise. As she points out, whilst prices in Toulouse have certainly risen steeply in recent years it has been a kind of ‘catch-up’. Toulouse is the fourth biggest city in the country but only ranked the 11th in terms of price per square metre, so there is still room for prices to go up.

Those looking for more for their money have to make choices. Madame Cammas says it is difficult to tempt people working in the industries to the west of the city over the Garonne and on the whole buyers are opting to go further out. She is finding that the Grenade area, to the north, is becoming popular, partly because it still enables buyers to minimise contact with the ringroad. A villa there, in good condition, with 4 bedrooms, about 120m2 living space and over 2500m2 of land might be under 270,000€. Mr Pugh sees the market moving even further out to L’Isle Jourdain, just into the Gers, and even Cadours. Sizeable village houses (150m2+) with 4 bedrooms and in good condition, but not much land, can be found for under 230,000€. There are some wonderful, large character properties heading out into the Gers, but unless they need a lot of work, usually come at a price.

Other more expensive areas in and around Toulouse include Labège, St Orens, Ramonville and Castanet to the south east. Among other reasons is the proximity to Toulouse’s second industrial pole, which includes international companies such as Astrium. Prices are similar to around Blagnac and the west. Mr Pugh says that Côte Pavée, a district to the east of the city but still within the ringroad, has also become an exclusive area. It was once used by the city’s workers but has become gentrified in the last 8 – 10 years. Châlets, bordered on one side by the Canal du Midi, has been prized since the start of the twentieth century. There are some elegant houses here with intricate decorative features and ironwork.

Madame Cammus believes that an important zone for future development is around Auterive, a town to the south of the city, which now has improved access to both Toulouse and the Pyrenees along the newly built A66. Just south again, into the Ariège, prices become very reasonable indeed.

If you are thinking of moving to the Toulouse area and would like assistance finding a suitable property and buying your house contact property consultants Couleurs-de-France. Details about their services, including courses on the ins and outs of buying a property in south west France, can be found on their website www.couleurs-de-france.com, telephone 05 61 09 54 39.