Investing in the Pyrenees, or midi-Pyrenees as the region is often known, has become a very popular option in recent years for investors from the UK and across Europe.
While investors were busy moving in on the more accessible areas of northern France, the undiscovered region of the Pyrenees remained untouched. This led to a recent leap in popularity, as investors went off the beaten track and tried to stretch their cash that little bit further.
Toulouse is the capital of the midi-Pyrenees and is a very popular and lively city which has incredible opportunities in terms of education and employment. As a result of the buzzing atmosphere and cutting edge ambience of Toulouse, property prices are at the highest in the region.
Those looking at investing in property in the Pyrenees would be better off looking towards Gascony. Here, investors can find a touch of real France with beautiful countryside scenes and rural properties that are often a lot cheaper to buy than apartments in the larger better developed cities.
Famously, the Pyrenees have some fantastic mountain resorts and this has become a real joy for skiers at all levels, during the winter months. These same resorts are fantastic for walkers and climbers during the summer months, resulting in all round appeal for holidaymakers. Anywhere with all year round appeal is highly likely to produce good rental yield and is a solid source of income for any investor.
Another interesting part of the Pyrenees is the city of Albi. Located on the River Tarn, this historic and beautiful city has a lot to offer investors, as it is generating a healthy return in terms of both rental yield and capital gain.
In terms of location, the Pyrenees are in the south west of France bordering on Spain, making it very accessible for travellers from all parts of Europe. Accessibility is key when it comes to the property market, and as such it doesn't get much better than the Pyrenees. The region boasts four airports and is less than 3 hours away from Barcelona; the channel ferry connections are also within reasonably close proximity.
All of these factors have made the Pyrenees particularly popular lately and house prices in this region have grown, on average, by 12 percent a year over the last 4 years, making it one of the fastest growing regions of France.
Developers in the region have started to realise the potential of the Pyrenees and are now offering incentives to investors including leaseback and guaranteed rental schemes. Examples of recently available properties include a two bedroom apartment in Toulouse for 90,000 Euros on a 5.55 percent leaseback and a three bedroom property in the Hautes ski resorts for 115,000 Euros with a leaseback for 4.5 percent, with two weeks use annually.
Investing in property in the Pyrenees is definitely something for the future. Investors looking for the next boom area are flooding to the Pyrenees, and with good reason.
Excellent rental yields are on offer and property is still very affordable, allowing those who want to try something a little different the opportunity to ride the crest of the property investment wave!
