Honfleur Property Insight

Honfleur is a French town located in the Calvados department and in the Lower Normandy region. With 8,200 inhabitants called the Honfleurais, the town is situated along the south side of the Seine estuary, in front of Le Havre.

Honfleur is mainly renowned for its colourful harbour, many times painted by impressionists, such as Monet, Boudin, etc. Besides, these artists, along with some more, created the Honfleur School, which participated to the Impressionist movement creation.

Overview

Thanks to its strategic location, at the estuary of the Seine River and in contact with the sea, the town became a key point during the 100 years war. Indeed, the town was fortified in order to prevent English from entering in France through the Seine River. After the 100 years war, Honfleur had a prosperous time. At that time, the town was one of the key departure points to the new continent. Then, thanks to trade with the new world, the town expanded until the French Revolution. Afterwards, substituted by Rouen as a main harbour, Honfleur started to decline until the 19th century.

Nowadays Honfleur is a quiet town which has benefited from a strategic location, a beautiful natural environment and a historical heritage in order to attract tourists.

Honfleur Immobilier & Property Market Trends

National prices to buy a house in France in 2009 are around €3,200/sq m. With €3,000/sq m Honfleur prices are as what could be expected from such a charming town. The entire Calvados department displays rather high prices (in average €2,900/sq m); this is because the area is quite touristic and very popular amongst British people.

Buying a property in Honfleur can be a good investment for a second-home, thanks to its closeness to England, however it is above all an excellent investment for a buy-to-let. Indeed, with 65% of residents being tenants, the town offers great rental opportunities.

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

4 Reasons to Buy a Property in Honfleur

• Culture, art and historical heritage: Honfleur displays a large historical, cultural and art heritage beside the wars and destructions it had suffered since Middle Ages. One of the most beautiful monuments is probably the Sainte Catherine Church, which is the largest wood church in France. It is a unique combination between wood architecture, with Gothic and Renaissance styles. The Saint Etienne Church is also worth visiting. It is the elder church of the town as it was built during the 14th and 15th centuries. It is made of chalky limestone stone and of Caen stone, and nowadays it is home of the Navy Museum. The two granaries for storing salt must been visited, as they represent the economic power the town used to have. They were built during the 17th century and are interesting piece of architecture.

• Tourism – sights: the town is located along the seafront, and as a consequence it attracts many holiday makers, but also many artists willing to paint the colourful harbour. In addition to having a walk in the town and along the seafront, you can visit museums.

• Environment friendly: Honfleur is willing to reduce its ecological print. As an example, in November 2004, a new sewage treatment plant was built, and it has the characteristic to use plants to clean up water. This process is called Phytoremediation.

• Location – transport infrastructure: Normandy main asset is its closeness to England, which makes the journey so easy and cheap. There are two passenger harbours, one in Caen-Ouistreham (77km from Honfleur) and another one in Cherbourg (188km). The first docks in Portsmouth, while the second one in Rosslare Europort, in Ireland and in Poole and Portsmouth. Lower Normandy is also well linked to Paris and the rest of the country thanks to developed motorway and train networks.

Property Styles and Architecture in Honfleur

• Manors: in Honfleur countryside you will find this kind of large properties. They are about 400sq m big, and come with an entrance hall, a large living room with stone fireplace, a big traditional Norman kitchen, a dining room. Up the stairs there are the bedrooms with a bathroom. The house come with a huge piece of land, it can be a garden or a wood. Usually built up the hill, from the property you have a breathtaking view over the Normandy countryside.

• Norman detached house: this kind of house is also found outside the town. They are built in a traditional Normandy design. The inside ground is covered with floor tiles. On the ground floor you will find the kitchen with a living room, a dining room, a reception room and a bathroom. On the first floor there are the bedrooms with another bathroom. The property also comes with a spacious garden and sometimes with a swimming pool and a piece of wood.

Click here for more info about the Architecture in Basse Normandie.