With its medieval architecture and its marina, the fortified town of Vannes has everything to delight tourists exploring the Gulf of Morbihan. The charm operated by the municipality is such that many of them decide, in fine, to settle there: “We have a lot of buyers from neighboring cities like Nantes and Rennes, but also from Parisians”observes Jean–Philippe Beaulieu, director of the Century 21 agency in Vannes.
The town is linked to the capital by the TGV in a little over 2.5 hours, which, since the rise of teleworking, plays a role in the decision-making of Ile-de-France residents who buy. But the city is as attractive as its prices are high.
In one year, according to data from notaries in Brittany, the prices of old apartments have increased by 10.8% and that of houses by 12.2%. “Buyers want charming apartments, in the city center, with exposed beams and old-fashioned parquet floors. Their prices vary between 4,000 and 5,000 euros per square meter. Stylish houses are also highly sought after and their prices range from 500,000 euros to 700,000 euros for a flawless property”, he adds.
Difficulties for students
Properties with work are cheaper, but very rare, at 300,000 euros. “For the market as a whole, sales times are short, around thirty days or even less”, notes Hervé Bourriaud, Nestenn real estate agent in Vannes. Homeowners dominate the market and investors are turning to other channels: “For the past three or four years, they have preferred to focus on seasonal rentals”underlines Jean–Philippe Beaulieu. The city, which is very attractive from a tourist point of view, lends itself well to furnished rental on a platform. The regulatory framework is limited, for secondary residences, to the declaration of its activity to the public services.
During this time, many testimonies, published in the local press, report the difficulty that students have in finding accommodation in the city. However, according to a study by LocService published in 2021, Vannes is the third student city in Brittany and alone concentrates 7% of the demand for student accommodation in the region.
The vast urban renewal operation of the city center, decided at the end of 2021 by the public authorities, should make it possible to put more than four hundred housing units back on the market. But the work should end in… 2026, and new constructions are not numerous enough to compensate for the shortage.
You have 47.73% of this article left to read. The following is for subscribers only.