Why it’s high time to invest in the French Riviera property market

First published: 28 July 2015

They say the south of France is a millionaire’s playground, but there are many great reasons why you shouldn’t let this scare you off from investing in property here. ADVERTISING FEATURE

Quite frankly it would be foolish to assume that the luxurious lifestyle, the great weather and beautiful surroundings would ever deter a great variety of investors.

It is this level of investment combined with the continuing success of the area which makes the south of France a great place to turn small wins into huge profits.

It can often be very attractive to stick to what you know, especially when what you know works. However if you are just investing in up-and-coming areas in the North of England for example, you’re only going to repeat the same return on investment time and time again, and this is no model for growth.I personally discovered this when I overheard some great advice at a recent seminar: “You need to grow with your investment.”

This struck a chord with me, because at least 60 per cent of the problem property investors experience is not upping their game to move with the times. An up-and-coming area will do one of two things; it will either flourish rapidly and hit a sudden peak, or promise enormous growth but deliver a very little as people are already onto “the next big thing”.

An area with a reputation for wealth and proven continual growth is a much smarter investment, as it comes without this risk.

The south of France is a million miles away from other foreign ventures. The Spanish market may be going back up again, but look what happened to prices over the last few years. The Spanish crash simply didn`t happen down here. To its credit the South of France, including Monaco, Nice, Cannes, St. Tropez et al, is not one of those holiday fads. It has been, and will remain to be, home (1st or 2nd) to populations of investors, bankers, well-known musicians, high profile sports people, stars and serious business owners.

What does this mean for your investment?

If you choose to invest in the local market here on the Cote d’Azur, you will see what I have observed: enormous interest in your property and with the great range of prices, a little bit of interest goes a long way. You can find some great properties for your money here. One of my London-based clients phoned me up very sheepishly when looking for a house down here, almost embarrassed by their ‘small’ budget. In fact, what that did get him was a nice three bedroomed house with a pool in Nice, as they are buying now. In a year`s time, who knows what will happen to the exchange rates and house prices.

What’s more, you’ll have property in this idyllic spot to do with as you please, it’s never too late to check out the current market, in fact, I’d strongly advise it.