Val-de-Marne Property Insight

Val de Marne is a French department located in the Paris-Ile de France region. Its name comes from the Marne River which flows through its land. It has borders with Seine Saint Denis in the north east, Seine et Marne in the east, Essonne in the south, Hauts de Seine to the west and Paris in the north west. It accounts for 1,310,345 inhabitants (2009). The prefecture of Val de Marne is Creteil.

Overview

The creation of the department in 1968 aimed at gathering well-off population and working class so as to give an opportunity to the right-wing political parties to control the conseil general. The department, located close to Paris, is mainly urbanized. However, it is home to some rare farming spaces in the south east.

The Val de Marne department offers a diversity of landscapes and many points of interest. About 2,550ha of woods and numerous parks and gardens are an invitation to relaxation. Strolling in the Marne banks and in the town centre will let you discover all these gems: castles, museums, churches, bridges, 25 isles, rural villages, mills, great monuments and so on!

Val de Marne Immobilier & Property Market Trends

In 2009, property in Val de Marne is sold €4,080 /sq m. This average is abode the national average of €3,197 /sq m. However, those who want to settle in Paris-Ile de France region will quickly notice that property prices in the region are high. Moreover, Val de Marne is cheaper than other departments such as Hauts de Seine (€5,066 /sq m). Houses and apartments in the small crown are often higher than those in the large crown, which is farther from Paris.

Rentals in France for the same period cost €12.22 /sq m a month, against €17.79 /sq m a month in the Val de Marne department. Proportionally then, you will probably buy your house at a high price, but you will also be able to rent it at a higher price. With 52.1% of tenants in the department, the rental market is good. You should find many opportunities to rent your property there, especially in Creteil, near the famous university.

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

4 Reasons to Buy a Property in Val de Marne

• Tourism – Sights: the Marne River banks and its open-air café and isles constitute a lovely and amazing site where tourist love spending time. There, they find a change of scene. Vitry sur Seine is home to a contemporary art museum dedicated to contemporary art in France since 1950. Creteil’s lake allows its visitors to practise sailing and the discovery of birds. The Château de Vincennes and Château de Grosbois are two gorgeous sites not to be missed.

• Economy: the department economy is devoted to health companies and cinema amongst others. Many hospitals and research centres are located in Val de Marne. Logistics also plays a major role thanks to its great infrastructures at the entrance door of Paris. The international market in Rungis fully benefits from these opportunities.

• Location – Transport links: the department possesses a strong transport network, by air, road, train or boat. Paris-Orly airport is the second largest one of France after Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle. These two airports will let you travel to almost any destination in France, Europe and in the world. Railway network is also well-developed. The so-called RER trains drive all over the Paris-Ile de France region. The department is also easily reachable by road and motorway.

• Education and university: Val de Marne is home to a major university called Paris XII Val de Marne. It is located in the town of Creteil. Due to its reputation, this university welcomes a great number of students. The rental market is thus dynamic and offers good rental opportunities for investors. Apartments may be the ideal property type if you are looking for a buy-to-let investment.

Local Property Market: 2 Popular Towns

• Creteil property: offering good rental opportunities due to the presence of a university, Creteil is moreover not the most expensive town of Val de Marne. It boasts a great architectural heritage, good transport network and a diversity of activities. Living in Creteil is pleasant: numerous gardens, flowers as well as tranquility are on offer.
• Vincennes property: the town boasts a gorgeous historical past and is thus rich of interesting monuments and sites. Renowned for its castle, property prices are however high. A good place for investors as rental opportunities are numerous.

Property Styles and Architecture in Val de Marne

Apart from apartments which represent 72.9% of the total dwellings in Val de Marne, you can also find two main property types:

• Meulière houses: they are typical properties of Paris’ suburb. Some of these houses are built in a new-art style for the rich Parisians who want to relax in the countryside around the French capital. Some properties have wrought iron, bricks and ceramics decorations. Meulières houses are mainly located in the ancient streets of Val de Marne towns.

• Manors: some prestigious properties can be bought in the department. They are heavy and luxury properties. Manors come with numerous large rooms, huge land planted with trees (which actually looks like a park), attic, cellar, several kitchens and bathrooms. The terrace is ideal for receptions. Some of them may have an old-style but others are quite modern.

Click here for more info about Paris-Ile de France’s Architecture.