Narbonne Property Insight

With its 51,000 inhabitants, Narbonne is the first town of the Aude department in terms of population. The Canal de la Robine (World Heritage site since 1996) and the Aude River both run across the town. Narbonne is the most widespread and diversified land of the whole department and is situated 15km from the Mediterranean Sea. Besides, the town is located at a fundamental geographical junction, being the crossroads of road, motorway and railway networks.

Overview

Narbonne has a past full of history which most visible signs are its architectural marks (Saint-Just cathedral, Archbishop Palace or the “Roman horreum” for instance).

One of the most touristy regions of France, Narbonne boasts on the one hand of the several assets of a seaside resort (5 km of beach, marina…) and on the other hand of the assets of an urban centre full of historical treasures (heritage, museums, Canal de la Robine…) in an incredibly beautiful environment (ponds, vineyards, mountain…).

Nowadays, Narbonne is a dynamic town in which you can easily settle thanks to its mild weather, its location and its proximity to the sea and the mountain. This is the perfect region to live (activities are available all year long so you won’t be bored), to spend holidays (tourism is developed in Aude) or if you plan to invest.

Narbonne Immobilier & Property Market Trends

As in Carcassonne, most properties are ancient; almost a third of properties were built before 1949. However, the town’s administration tends to restructure properties in Narbonne and thus offers subsidies to improve properties comfort, renovate the front façades, build garage and the access to the floors.

In 2009, the average price for a property in Narbonne is 2,037€/ sq m which ranks first in terms of dear property prices. This may be explained by the proximity of the sea (in particular Narbonne-Plage), the dynamism of the town and a high demand on properties. However, Aude remains one of the cheapest departments of Languedoc-Roussillon.

76.2% of properties are main homes (59.1% are individual houses and 40.9% are apartments). The majority of properties has 4 rooms and only 4.9% are studio flats. As a result, property market trends in Narbonne are very similar to that of Carcassonne (large land to build a house, low demand for small properties…).

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

4 Reasons to Buy a Property in Narbonne

• Weather and environment: due to its Mediterranean climate, Narbonne benefits from 300 sunny days a year. This is a major asset if you are looking for a second or main home; a beautiful weather will allow you to go wherever and whenever! Summers are very hot but winters are mild. As regards environment, Narbonne committed itself in an environmental project - the building of a Theatre area - the first one in France which is totally sustainable. It thus promoted renewable/sustainable energy and waste management. Furthermore, the town tends to encourage people to let their cars in the agglomeration in order to make the traffic easier in the town centre and help inhabitants rediscover Narbonne.

• Transport: Narbonne is easily reachable by all means of transport. This is why properties in this region are sought-after by British buyers. By motorway, the A61 leads to the west Carcassonne, Toulouse and Bordeaux) and the A9 takes you to the east Montpellier, Nîmes, Perpignan) and to Spain (Barcelona). National roads are parallel to the motorways and therefore serve the same towns. By train, you may use the Bordeaux-Sète line via Toulouse and the Tarascon-Port-Bou line. This is the largest railway station of the Aude department. Many high-speed train lines may lead you from Perpignan to Paris and Lille or from Toulouse to Lille via Lyon. In the town, you can travel easily thanks to the 3 bus routes which serve the town centre and to the shuttles if you want to go in the agglomeration. Moreover, during the summer period, some shuttles serve Narbonne’s beaches (Narbonne-Plage, Saint-Pierre-la-Mer and Gruissan). Paris-Narbonne: 787km, Montpellier-Narbonne: 97km, Toulouse-Narbonne: 160km, Barcelona-Narbonne: 250km.

• Education: Narbonne receives more than 4,000 pupils in its 31 schools. It also has several secondary schools, high schools and a branch of Perpignan’s University with more than 1,000 students. Thus, your children may attend school and study without any problem and discover an educational culture different from their native one.

• Dynamic town: Narbonne received the « Art and History Town » award, is listed as a « ville fleurie » and a touristy town and is renowned for its rugby team (Racing Club Narbonne Mediterranée). Indeed, you can practise lots of activities all year long (sport, visits, walks, shopping…). The town centre is surrounded with many boulevards, confined streets, squares and ancient buildings. Moreover, the town kept its old charm with its fountains and its pedestrian streets where you can feel an amazing southern atmosphere!

Property Styles and Architecture in Narbonne

• Stone houses: typical house of Languedoc-Roussillon, stone houses are extremely widespread in this region. Lovers of charming houses will probably find the perfect house to live in. The choice is wide and you can easily compare all the properties in order to find the good one which fits your needs.

• Villas: almost always newly built, villas in Narbonne often include a swimming-pool, a large garden and a terrace. This is the ideal type of property if you are looking for a second home. The average price for a villa in Narbonne is about €300,000.

Click here for more info about the Languedoc-Roussillon Architecture.