The property market in Toulouse
The property market in Toulouse
Why Toulouse?
With 450,000 inhabitants, Toulouse is the fourth largest town in France and capital of the Midi-Pyrénées region. 'The pink town' owes its nickname to the beautiful brick used for the old houses in the town centre, however the significant growth of the town has created a lot of new, more modern residential areas.
Toulouse is an industrial technopole; Airbus remains at the forefront of a significant aviation sector, however computing and biotechnologies are also well represented. Toulouse is also the third largest French university town after Paris and Lyon. In the area of transportation, the town benefits from the fourth largest regional airport in France, direct rail links with Paris, (in 5-6 hours today, however the arrival of TGV should reduce this time to three hours), and direct access to the highway network.
Toulouse is one of the three towns where the prices have increased the most during the last two decades – however with an average price that is a lot more affordable than Bordeaux or Lyon, flagship towns in the property market.
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Where to buy in Toulouse?
There is a significant difference in the prices between the centre and the working-class areas. The property prices of the Capitole and Saint-Étienne areas can climb to more than 4,000 EUROs per square metre, in comparison with the average price being only 2,510 EUROs for the town. In the Busca, and Carmes areas, one can mostly find old apartments; opportunities for new apartments are infrequent. Small apartments are sold at a much higher price per metre square than larger ones, and cannot be sold as easily; therefore, if you have the intention of buying in the centre, avoid studios and single room apartments.
The areas of Saint-Georges and Les Chalets are also highly sought after. Beyond, Saint-Cyprien and Saint Michel are eclectic areas where one can notably find art galleries and The Abattoirs, now a museum, as well as a mixture of new and old buildings and shops. It is here that young couples and families buy and they are also the areas favoured by students; one can find one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments in older properties as well as newer properties.
For families, the middle-class residential areas are the most attractive; at Côte Pavée and Guilhmery one can find town-houses, as well small residences offering two-bedroom and three-bedroom apartments. Outside the ring road the prices decrease; accessible via the metro, Ramonville and Rangueil host the university and several engineering schools, whereas the hospital is at the centre of the Blagnac and Purpan areas, that are served by the tramway. Lardenne is another area for the family that mixes manor houses and family residences in a village atmosphere. Blagnac, Colomiers, and Tournefeuille are the most active areas because of the prospect of a third metro line – however be careful, the route has not as yet been decided upon definitively, thus exercise caution to avoid unpleasant surprises.
It is also necessary to note that Croix-Daurade is now being developed, a change that will quite profoundly change its character; the developers have bought the small houses which the area possesses to construct buildings, and where the value of the land sometimes exceeds that of the house!
How to buy – the terms and conditions
For new property, the Property Exhibition, (Salon de l'Immobilier), in mid-March is an event not to be missed. At the same time, one can meet developers, builders, and real estate agents. Toulouse benefits from a very active property market; for example, the developer from Montpellier Haussmann has established themselves in the town.
An old house in the centre is a target that is very difficult to find. Consider searching with the help of a SIA 31 Agency member, that will give you access to the total portfolio of all of the associated agencies.