Holiday Home
Perfectly suited for the three-comma club!
Get an insider’s take on the essential locations in France to buy that holiday home and announce your entry to the three-comma-club.
From French vineyards to glamorous village of Saint-tropez, Olivier Bourrain shares why these regions are perfect for a holiday home.
THE GORGEOUS VIEWS
Cannes
To enjoy one of the most breathtaking sea views on the French Riviera, you will need to go to ‘La Californie’ or to ‘La Croix des Gardes’ on the hills of Cannes. In the most expensive street of ‘La Californie’, the château de Soligny, an exceptional 19thcentury mansion bears a guide price of 55 million euros (i.e., S$89.1 million).
Cannes offers 300 days of sunshine and three casinos. Luxury boutiques are lining up on La Croisette waterfront promenade and Michelin-starred restaurants cater to the palate of a cosmopolitan expat community. In Cannes, you will feel like a movie star!
WITHIN THE VINEYARDS
Bordeaux area
French vineyards can represent to savvy investors a profitable investment in many ways: wine sales, oeno-tourism and luxury B&B and just a few of the options. More than 130 châteaux of the 7,400 wine-producing estates in Bordeaux’s region are Chinese-owned. Owning a vineyard and a château is as much about status as about lifestyle. In the Saint-émilion area, wine connoisseurs can purchase a 5-hectare vineyard with a castle at around €2 million/ha (S$3.25 million/ha).
JET-SETTER’S PARADISE
Saint-tropez
The glamorous village of Saint-tropez is popular with international jet-setters and known for its nightlife. Drink a coffee at the Sénéquier café on the harbour before heading to Pampelonne beach for a laid-back afternoon by the Club 55. At night, the ‘place to be’ is Les Caves du Roy (PS: Be nice to Patrick!), the VIP Room or the Papagayo.
If you are a member of the three-comma club (i.e., a Forbes billionaire), you may find a property in a gated community where you land your helicopter and avoid traffic congestion for less than €80,000/m2 (i.e., S$129,610/m2).
ITS HISTORY BABY
Bourgogne-franche-comté region For buyers willing to own ‘a little piece of France’, the Holy Grail is a French Château in the Loire valley, in Sologne or in Bourgogne that is easily accessible, with no sound or visual nuisances, perfectly renovated by traditional craftsmen, preferably with outbuildings, stables and woods.
Would-be castle owners will undoubtedly be tempted by a €25-plus million (S$40plus million) real piece of art from the 19th-century, perfect for a holiday retreat or income-generating activities (hotel, seminars & conferences, weddings…).
A BANKER’S REFUGE
Paris
The city of lights remains the city of choice for the ultra-affluent who acclaim the French art de vivre and Paris’ architectural landmarks, Michelin-starred restaurants, cultural richness and luxury boutiques. With the 2024 Summer Olympics on the horizon, Paris attracts more and more international real estate buyers who consider owning a Parisian property as a reserve currency.
An exceptional, fully renovated townhouse with garden, swimming pool and concierge services in a secure environment of the historical heart of Paris has an asking price of almost €40 million (S$64 million).