Monclar Property Insight

Often mixed up with Monclar de Quercy, in the Tarn et Garonne department, this picturesque little town is part of the highly regarded Quercy. Due to its central position in the inlands, halfway between Marmande and Villeneuve-sur-Lot, “Monclar d’Agenais” features rolling settings and a breathtaking rustic architecture, from mills to fountains or dry-stone buildings.

Overview

Monclar is a hill-top village overlooking the Tolzac valley, north of the river Lot. The surroundings are littered with cereal and fruit crops – producing foremost the tasty prune Agen area is famous for.

Property buyers in Monclar should sensibly be nature and ‘art de vivre’ lovers as these are the very wealths/assets of the area. Foreigners are unsurprisingly seduced by the locals’ connection with the “terroir”. Investing in Monclar has proved to be a great way to get to know the French culture while adopting the relaxing, simple lifestyle proper to the south west.

Monclar Immobilier & Property Market Trends

This lovely bastide town not only retains the charm of unspoilt southern France but also offers great values when it comes to property market. Given that architecture is rooted in Quercy’s past history, every estate is – thankfully – highly respected and protected by the local council and larger organisations.

Even though it comprising only approx. 1,000 inhabitants, Monclar is highly regarded for its architectural heritage: about 345 buildings are listed in the national institute’s inventory as “part of the regional heritage” and some of them are even submitted to deep researches and analysis in terms of architecture and history.

Locals have indeed good reasons to be proud of their stylish village, but the price for such notoriety is that property prices have clearly soared. Average prices for an ancient house are between €300,000 and €450,000/ sq m, given that most properties have a huge plot of land, several buildings and on top of all that, a great view over the valley.

Foreign investors and tourists are not flowing there – which allows Monclar’s inhabitants to keep their quiet rhythm of life.

To get updated info about housing prices in the Dordogne, please browse our French Property Market Reports published in the News Section every month.

3 Reasons to Buy a Property in Monclar

Apart from being part of St James way, Monclar is appreciated for its delightful produce and rustic heritage. Unspoilt surroundings and rolling countryside are definitely refreshing and offer great holiday deals for those of you who long for quietness.

• Local agriculture: Monclar is renowned for being a precious cereal, fruit and oil-growing area. The tasty Agen prunes indeed derive from the local “pruniers d’Ente”, a type of plum trees typical of the region. As a result, market garden produce are very popular and locals are glad to go for shopping to the well-provided street market.

• Tolzac Valley: Monclar being a hill-top bastide town, medieval buildings are part of the scenery. From Rodier’s Manoir to the Chapelle des Prélats little chapel, let alone the other four churches nearby, the Tolzac valley is a real goldmine for every history enthusiasts!

• ”Terroir food”: “la cuisine du terroir” as said in French (referring to the local rustic, hearty cuisine) is one of Southern France’s assets. Monclar is littered with cosy tables d’hotes and auberges where the landlords would be pleased to make you discover Lot et Garonne’s delights. Staying there may give you some ideas if you plan to cook the famous prunes!

Property Styles and Architecture in Monclar

During the 13th century, Monclar was relentlessly lusted after by both Brits (from the Mayenne) and French (from the Quercy). Being a strategic place, the market town has been developing since then, offering 16th and 17th-century rural estates for sale as well as homely chambres d’hotes et gites ideal for short breaks.

• Maisons de notables: part of Monclar’s first development, this majestic property style is common in the central streets of the town. Many of them have been turned into public places (like the post office and the police station) but some of them are similar to maisons de maitres, including sheds, warehouses and/or stables, in the countryside. One of the main features is the manor-style architecture with rich ornaments on the front and long-pitched slate roofs.

• Maisons de Maîtres: as the area is mainly sought-after for its lush nature, many merchants and farmers settled their exploitations in or around Monclar. The remaining properties account today for good value in the south west of France: they include several outbuildings to restore – built with local materials, generally limestone or cob – and acres of land – which have a great potential of development.

• Fermettes and farmhouses: less massive than their big sisters, the Maisons de Maitres above, the local farmhouses foremost provide several buildings as well – bakery, pigeonnier, stable or cowshed being the most frequent. Similar to the ones of the Dordogne department, Monclar’s farmhouses are made of limestone or flint, the outbuildings form generally a U or L shape (according to the size of the land). This type of property used to be owned by the few important farmers’ families of the region.

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