Meet Cathy Metera our agent in Uzes.
Current State Of The Market
What is the current state of the local market?
At the moment it’s settling a little bit with price adjustments, not really decreasing, but certainly prices are not increasing.
How have sales performed since 2008
In 2008 to 2012 it increased, since then it has been settling or there has been a slight decrease.
Which types of property are not selling?
The stone properties with no outside space, village houses with tiny terraces, or no outside space are very difficult to move.
Is |LOCATION| a buyer's or seller's market?
It is a buyers market.
Which type of property is most popular?
There are two types, modern properties for the lowest budget, i.e. below €400,000 and stone properties with gardens (stone Mas) for the higher budget.
Who Is Buying?
What nationalities are driving the |LOCATION| buyers market?
We’ve got French clients, but they are not local people, about 80% of our clients come from outside the area. We also have English, Belgian Swiss, Swedish and Australians.
Are specific areas of |LOCATION| popular with particular nationalities?
No, we don’t have any ‘Ghettos’ we have a lot of foreigners, but all the villages are very cosmopolitan.
Are clients buying as a single purchase or for a portfolio?
Adding to a portfolio.
Walkthrough Of The Different Areas
Could you describe the different locations?
The first area will be Uzes historical centre itself, here there are stone houses and apartments. People come here for the historical and cultural aspects of Uzes and to have all amenities on the doorstep. There is everything you might need, small shops, cafes and bars. There are two weekly markets, it is a classified Mediaeval town, with a pedestrianised centre and it is very carefully preserved.
The second area would be Uzes immediate surroundings, here you will find modern apartments which are easy to lock up and leave. They have easy access for cars, often with lifts and sometimes with a pool, this type of property does not exist in the historical centre. In the villages around you will find modern villas with easy access to the centre and here you will get a garden.
The next area would be the countryside in Uzes towards Nimes and towards Avignon. I would target these areas which are East and South of Uzes for easy access to airports and fast train stations (Nimes and Avignon).
The last area is the North and West of Uzes, this area is very hilly, here you will get more house and more land for your money. There will be more countryside and more rural properties and these will be a little lower in price. Here you will find stone houses mainly.
Are there any new developments or renovations?
There are not many new developments, but when there are any they will be apartment complexes and they will be developed with a garage and a lift, close to Uzes centre. In the centre there is an interest in houses to renovate, but it is rare as this area was discovered about 25 – 30 years ago, so most of the property has been renovated already.
Help With The Buying Process
What are the local annual |LOCATION| property taxes?
There are the two taxes tax foncieres and tax d’habitation and each of them will be in the bracket between about 800 – to 1,000 per year.
Should buyers get a full structural survey?
No, I explain to clients about the mandatory technical report and if I need to make some improvements or changes to the property I will recommend that they consult a building company, but not a surveyor, it is not common here at all.
Should buyers instruct a solicitor from their country?
No, because we do have English speaking lawyers and we do also follow the A – Z of the selling process. So usually it is less expensive for the buyer and more efficient without having a third party in between.
Do you have any inheritance tax advice?
We would recommend they consult the English speaking Notaire, in this area they are used to foreign buyers and can give the correct advice.
Do you translate documents?
The official sales documents are produced in French. We do not translate them systematically but sometimes provide an oral translation and could spend a couple of hours going through the documents word by word.
Are any of your |LOCATION| properties leasehold?
No, we only have freehold. If the property is an apartment then there would be shared ownership of the communal parts and the costs of their maintenance would be shared.
Can you recommend an insurance agent?
Yes we have a good local agent that we can recommend, who is quite reactive in sending quotations in time for the house to be insured for the final sale.
Maintenance and Renovations
Do you have a maintenance team available?
Not within the office, but I work with two or three other companies that I trust and recommend. We can arrange for guardians, cleaning ladies, pool maintenance, small jobs and even administrative follow up, advice on tax etc.
Do you recommend any local builders?
If you do not have a builder who is registered in France, you will not have the correct insurance for the work. If the builder does not come from this area, he may not be so cautious as he does not have a reputation to keep. We are in a very historic and protected area so local builders are very careful about the work that they do.
Are there any local grants available?
No.
Visiting To View Properties
Do you recommend an airport transfer company?
Not especially, but we do have a local taxi company which has a large crew, but this is not the cheapest as it is a half hour journey to the airport from here.
Do you meet clients at your office or pick them up?
I meet them in the office because Uzes is a very small town and most of the properties are within walking distance.
Local Area Information
What are your favourite weather months?
The best for me is the month of May, because it is getting warm, but not too hot, the gardens are green and not yet dry, all the flowers are magnificent at that time, and the worst I would say is January the area is quiet after all the Christmas events. But at the end of January there if the truffle fair to look forward to.
Do clients need to speak the local language?
Not to come and visit and purchase a property as there are English speaking people all around, either in this office or Notaires and so on. Once it gets to a matter to living here part of the year, we can recommend the French teaching association to help them to enjoy themselves while they settle in and learn the language.
What are the crime statistics for the area?
Here it is really low. We do recommend that clients don’t leave a property unattended for too long, have a neighbor take a look now and then.
What schools are there locally?
All the villages will have primary schools and there are several secondary schools of which one is known all around France for the quality of it’s teaching. The international school is 1.5 hours away in Aix en Provence. Several of our owners have their children in the school at Aix en Provence.
What local places of worship are there?
All the villages have temples for protestants and churches for catholics. There is a tiny mosque in a small town house in Uzes.
What local healthcare is provided?
There is a small local hospital. Half an hour from here is the major town of Nimes where there is a big university hospital.
What days are national holidays?
National and Local Holidays 2014
Jan 1 New Year's Day National holiday
Apr 18 Good Friday Local holiday
Apr 20 Easter Day Observance
Apr 21 Easter Monday National holiday
May 1 Labor Day National holiday
May 8 WWII Victory Day National holiday
May 25 Mother's Day Observance
May 29 Ascension Day National holiday
Jun 8 Whit Sunday Observance
Jun 9 Whit Monday National holiday
Jun 15 Father's Day Observance
Jul 14 Bastille Day National holiday
Aug 15 Assumption of Mary National holiday
Nov 1 All Saints' Day National holiday
Nov 11 Armistice Day National holiday
Dec 24 Christmas Eve Observance
Dec 25 Christmas Day National holiday
Dec 26 St Stephen's Day Local holiday
Dec 31 New Year's Eve Observance
Are there any major festivals or events?
There are many festivals, in January we have the truffle fair, then, in June, the dance festival all around the town. The classical music festival takes place in July with concerts in historical buildings like the Cathedral of Saint Théodorit. In August we have the wine fair and the bull runs are also in August. We have a Cartoons festival, it is a very active town.
15 minutes from here is the famous Roman Pont du Gard and in late spring or summer they have a magical spectacle of Sound and Light there http://www.pontdugard.fr/en/event/fairies-bridge
What are your favourite restaurants?
La Table de Julien which has very delicate French food and you need to book in advance. The next one, Terroirs, is on the main square of Uzes, near the fountain, this is a local restaurant. La Trop’uzienne is an excellent restaurant serving home made vegetarian food. The last one is an Italian restaurant the Trattoria Via Curti, the food is very good and very interesting, it is in an old church and full of antiques, which are for sale and it has an outside courtyard where you can eat.
Which gym would you recommend?
There is one lady who does individual courses or classes, these are very popular with foreigners, she is called Mimi Liss she is a most dynamic French/English/American trainer in Uzes, she is American in origin, married to an English man and living in Uzes for the past 15 years.
What leisure activities are popular?
There is a golf course in Uzes and all around we have a well known river called the Gardon river which has a lot of canoeing on it. Also there are many outdoor activities like biking, running trailing etc.
Where are the best places to shop?
Uzes is not really good for clothes shopping, there is a very good furniture shop call Atzana they sell furniture which matches well with the local house styles. The factory is here in Uzes, they export worldwide, but we have a local factory shop here. Blanc Cassé is also very good, they sell curtains and tailor made fabrics. Atzana is my favourite shop.
Purchasing
Are there are any new laws affecting property in |LOCATION|?
For the past two or three years there have been many changes, the Capital gains law is changing all the time, the duration taken into account has changed. Every year they have some sort of new incentive to help the people and new penalties depending on the amount of the gain.
Are there any new transport links being constructed?
Yes, not in Uzes itself, but a fast train station for Nimes is going to be built outside the city of Nimes, currently the old station is working, but it does not have easy access, so it will speed up everything. Currently Avignon is the most used TGV station because it is 2 hours and 40 minutes to Paris.
