Uzerche Property Insight

Uzerche is a lovely town located in the Correze department, in Limousin. Its 3,200 inhabitants (the Uzerchois) boast an outstanding setting. The town is encircled by a bend in the Vézère River - a tributary of the Dordogne river - and offers wonderful landscapes. It was built on a rocky spur dominating the Vezere river at 342 metres of altitude. Called the ‘Limousin’s pearl’, this picturesque old town has many assets.

Overview

Uzerche has a very rich heritage, especially its medieval fortifications remaining from the past. At the 13th century, Pepin the Short decided to build massive ramparts around the town. This 18-tower wall made Uzerche unassailable during the various religious wars.

Since its creation, Uzerche has been occupying a strategic role. depuis ses origines une position stratégique. From the antiquity, it was a crossroads of major communication routes and quickly became an administrative, political and religious centre.

Uzerche received the award ‘Village-Étape’ that rewards towns (of less than 5,000 inhabitants, close to a motorway) whose inhabitants strive to offer quality services to the visitors.

Uzerche Immobilier & Property Market Trends

The Limousin region is renowned to be an attractive one in terms of property prices. Nature lovers are keen on visiting this region that has plenty of wonderful sceneries on offer. There are bargains to be driven in this rural area. Nice old barns are awaiting to be renovated. Once restored, these properties can gain in value and become a pleasant place to spend your holidays and relax!

House price in Urzeche are affordable. In July 2007, they were pretty high with an average price of €2,100 per square metre. But property prices have been decreasing a lot since then due to the financial crisis and buying a house there cost about €1,870 per square metre in March 2009.

On the 1,561 properties of Uzerche, more than 73% are main homes and 72% are detached house. It is consequently easy to find large detached house as the majority of dwellings have at least 3 bedrooms. 13% of the properties are vacant. Why not investing in a lovely house there?!

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

5 Reasons to Buy a Property in Uzerche

There is a reason why Uzerche is dubbed the Limousin’s pearl! Apart from a wonderful and quiet setting, the town has a great architectural and religious heritage as well as welcoming locals. Let’s discover this lovely area of France, you will not be disappointed if you like nature and rural life!

• Architecture: the nobility introduced wonderful houses with turret in the whole town. The following locution can be justified by this fact: ‘Qui a maison à Uzerche a château en Limousin’, meaning ‘the one who has a house in Uzerche has a castle in Limousin’. The town has another architectural particularity: many gardens can be found in terraces, close to the Vezere river. These gardens held up by walls contain flowers, orchards and vegetable gardens. They are actually a solution to the lack of agricultural potential of the area.

• Religious heritage: a Benedictine abbey was built at the 10th century in Uzerche. The Saint-Pierre abbey-church is a proof of this rich religious heritage from the past. Located at the top of the rocky spur, this monument of Limousin Roman art can not be ignored.

• Scenery: Uzerche offers many places where you can relax and enjoy the tranquillity of the area. Its outstanding setting will seduce you.

• Transport links: Uzerche has a good location in the Correze department: 30km north-west of Tulle (prefecture) and 35km northern of Brive la Gaillarde. It is situated close to the ‘Occitane’ motorway (A20) that starts at Vierzon in Cher and finishes at Montauban in Tarn-et-Garonne. This motorway passes through 7 departments, being consequently an important axis of communication. Also accessing Uzerche by road is the easiest way, even if you can also reach the area by train or plane - Limoges’ international airport.

• Cheap properties: as said previously, the Limousin region belongs to the cheapest areas of France. Investing in a property in the Correze department is worth as prices are very low. You will indeed be able to buy a huge house at an affordable price that you would pay ten times more in another region (e.g. Provence, Languedoc Roussillon) for instance.

Property Styles and Architecture in Uzerche

• Mansions: Uzerche is home to many mansions dating back to the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. These properties are decorated with outstanding sculpted doors as well as gates. Amongst others, the Hôtel Joyet de Maubec, château Tayac or château Pontier show the rich historical heritage of the town.

• Half-timbered houses: you will also find in Uzerche numerous old half-timbered and granite houses roofed in the traditional way with gorgeous local material. The maisons à colombage are a real heritage from the past. The ground floor is constructed of stone and the first floor is made of cob mixed with wood beams. The roofs of such properties are generally composed of slates or ‘lauze’ (local stone). The dominant construction material used in the Limousin region is granite. Limousin half-timbering houses also have large windows with many small window panes.

• Stone houses: as an medieval town, Uzerche has plenty of stone houses. With small windows and doors, archways inside and outside of the house as well as small towers, these properties are really amongst the most beautiful architecture styles of the area.

Click here for more info about Limousin Architecture.