Nérac Property Insight

Nerac’s popularity relies on the former province known as “Pays d’Albret” – this charming area bordering the Landes forest, the hillside Agenais and the rustic Val de Garonne. Located along the river Baïse, Nérac seduces foreigners, offering a leisurely lifestyle, lush nature and plenty of outdoor activities – an ideal destination for both adventurous holidays and relaxing breaks.

Overview

Due to the Baise valley luring merchants, investors and – more recently – visitors, the neighbouring quaint villages have been increasingly dynamic. Nérac has particularly managed to take the most of such a situation, offering a plethora of water activities and rural property styles.

Nerac is indeed still authentically French and has great bargains on offer if compared with the bordering Gers department which has been very popular amongst the British population and consequently more and more expensive over the last couple of years.

Nerac Immobilier & Property Market Trends

Thanks to recent town planning and taxation laws (such as the ZRR for “rural revitalization” which allows tax deductions), prospective buyers are encouraged to invest into new builds and holiday properties that may respect and protect the local historical heritage.

As a result, investments have been soaring and more than 62% of people have their own property. The average prices for a house in Nérac rapidly increased between April and August 2008, but given the overall property market, they have been decreasing accordingly since then – reaching €1,600/ sq m at the beginning of 2009.

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

4 Reasons to Buy a Property in Nerac

Nerac used to be the “capital city” of the picturesque Pays d’Albret, a former part of the Gascony province governed by the Duc d’Albret, referring to the south Garonne area. You will discover below why the locals like naming this part of southern France “the French Never-land”.

• River Baïse: “Baïse en Albret” connects the wooded Landes area filled with pines with the rolling hills renowned for their cereals cultures and vines, and all this area is honeycombed with medieval buildings and fairy tales. Pleasant boating tours are now proposed from Nérac’s port to make visitors discover the outstanding surroundings.

• Buzet vineyards: beyond the worldwide renowned Bordeaux wines, southern France holds other delightful produce born from the Neracais nature’s bounty. Buzet wines are just perfect to rinse your mouth!

• Local handcraft: glassblowers, stone cutters, cabinet makers and engravers are some examples of how the rich historical heritage is still part of Nérac’s fabric.

• Leisurely lifestyle: from woodpigeons hunting to rugby, Nerac inhabitants know how to enjoy life and make the most of their time. Everyday life there is indeed – refreshingly – full of character and tradition.

Property Styles and Architecture in Nerac

Not only is Nerac’s lifestyle rooted in ancient times. The local architecture is also some valuable evidence of the history of the whole region – buildings being the best witnesses of the regional history, from the medieval chateaux to Henri IV’s touch.

• Ancient stone houses: due to the agricultural potential of the Lot et Garonne, huge single-storey stone houses are the most common property style around Nérac, providing a pleasant piece of land. It often happens that such rural homes form small hamlets.

• New builds: in order to improve Nérac’s appeal and respect the local heritage and environment, the town council – supported by national architecture organisations – introduced huge housing estates involving sustainable materials.

• Mills and castles: like in many other towns of south western France, Nerac’s architecture is rooted in the 15th and 16th centuries. By the river Baïse, it is common to meet a lovely water mill or an authentic chateau which used to be the dwelling of some wealthy Gascon family. The most important is D’Albret Family’s Castle in the heart of the town.

Click here for more info about Aquitaine Architecture.