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Buyer Guide

Is buying a castle in France a good investment?

France is a country with a unique architectural heritage as it features more than 40,000 castles across its entire territory. In fact, many people cherish the dream of owning one of them and live the fantasy lord life. However, even if the acquisition of such a property is no longer exclusively confined to the wealthiest, it is appropriate to ask the right questions before going for this kind of project that is anything but trivial.

What are some advantages of having an apartment on the top floor?

Top floor apartments are often perceived in a negative way due to the rising summer heat or their particularly high purchase price. These disadvantages, however, are not always true, and an apartment on the top floor can also have many advantages.

Livable barges on the Seine River

Living on a boat, listening to the sound and being rocked by the water... This is the lifestyle chosen by many barge owners. An atypical lifestyle, which brings you closer to nature, closer to the water, and is in a way like a childhood dream come true. A dream whose price can quickly climb depending on the location, the surface and the condition of the boat.

Luxury real estate near Monaco

The Principality of Monaco is surrounded by exclusive French towns and cities on the French Riviera, offering a wonderful lifestyle. Prices for these properties, located between land and sea, are particularly high. From Beausoleil to Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, Èze and La Turbie, these towns bordering Monaco attract tourists and investors looking to enjoy an exclusive lifestyle during the holiday season or throughout the year!

The advantages of an apartment located on the garden level

Many buyers or tenants searching for the ideal property often overlook the apartments located on the garden level. The reason for this lies in the bad experiences of some tenants and owners who vehemently share their distress, especially on the Internet. However, the garden level real estate market presents, like any neglected niche sector, many opportunities for those who know how to pay attention to it.

La Californie of Cannes in a few words

Among the 10 neighbourhoods that make up the City of Cannes, La Californie, which overlooks the bay, is undoubtedly one of the most exclusive. It is bordered by Pointe Croisette, in the South, and Le Cannet in the North, and is part of the Cannes-Est canton. La Californie is a residential neighbourhood, renowned for the elegance of its buildings and the preservation of its green spaces. It attracts many owners, especially those looking for a second home in the sun. Living in this district is the preserve of the elite, considering that the average income of its inhabitants is about 30,000 euros.The sun shines all year round and the site attracts tourists for its oriental gardens - in fact, La Californie has been awarded the label "Villes et Villages Fleuris" (Towns and Villages in Bloom) with 4 stars out of 4. However, it is situated away from the main tourist trail so its inhabitants can enjoy a calm lifestyle.

The most important real estate laws in France

Pinel's Law, Carrez's Law, Alur's Law, these names seem familiar to us, without us sometimes knowing what they mean. These various laws generally bear the name of the minister who passed them. However, when it comes to real estate, each new political majority brings its own ideas, each new presidency wants to innovate. Indeed, real estate is a theme that affects all French people, all of whom are concerned at a given moment by the purchase or rental of a property, whether it is an apartment or a house. Here is a quick overview of four emblematic laws in the real estate sector.

Seller Guide

Who are the foreign buyers acquiring properties in Paris?

Paris real estate market attracts many international investors, with diverse needs and finances. These investors fall into two distinct categories: those in search of a family home who may or may not already live in Paris, and those who are looking for a vacation home while in the city. It is also interesting to note that French expatriates represent a significant percentage of these investors.

Differentiating a castle from a manor, a daunting task?

In the luxury real estate sector, the terms manor and castle often rub shoulders with each other, without it being clear on what differentiates one from the other. In most people’s mind, the castle generally refers to the feudal castle, designed to defend the town and its population from its enemies, while the manor evokes a large country house, as there are many for example in the English countryside. Nevertheless, to understand the true subtleties of the two types of prestige properties, it is necessary to conduct a semantic search and therefore to be able to establish a clear distinction.

What is a building by destination in the property sector?

In the property sector, there are many different ways of classifying different types of property. There are classifications based on age, historical value and location, but also with regard to furnishings, as is the case with buildings by destination.

ENGEL & VÖLKERS, your real estate partner in Nice

Nice, renowned throughout the world for its famous Promenade des Anglais, has long attracted artists and the European elite. Our luxury real estate agents will give you a better insight into this popular destination when buying or selling your dream property.

A guideline to have your property classified as a historical monument

French cities, towns and villages are full of an extraordinarily rich historical heritage, a symbol of a long and eventful history. Nowadays, as a result, some homeowners who inherited or acquired their property, may find themselves at the head of a potential historical asset. Manors, castles, mansions or apartments can all be subject to the protection of their heritage by the public authorities. For landlords wishing to have their properties classified as a historical monument, here is a quick guideline that you can refer to.

Real Estate Sale Provence and Côte d’Azur – Request a Quote

You want to sell your property on the best terms? Our team from Hyères to Menton will assist and guide you through the selling process. The quote of your house or apartment’s value must be as fair as possible. At Engel & Völkers, we use our expertise and knowledge of the Côte d’Azur real estate market to make an assessment.

Real Estate Advisor

The key skills of the estate agent's profession

The profession of Real Estate Sales Agent involves managing the relationship between a property-owning client and a potential client, either a tenant or a buyer.

Magazine articles

Emmanuel Barrois: The glass alchemist who reinvents contemporary architecture

Emmanuel Barrois and glass are above all a story of chance. An unexpected encounter with a stained glass artist, which changed the direction he was about to take in his professional life. At the time, the young agricultural engineer on a humanitarian mission was trying his hand at photography. The few months he spent behind the lens led to a report on the history of heritage, during which he swapped the camera for glass for good.

The Nice carnival and its flower parade

The “Battle of the Flowers,” vast floats, costumes and illuminated parades etc... The Nice Carnival is back in 2022 for its 149th edition - a flamboyant celebration inspired by this year’s theme, the “King of the Animals.” It is France’s largest carnival and one of the best known in the world, alongside Rio and Venice.

2024: A Space Odyssey

A major aesthetic wave of the 1950s and 60s, the "Space Age" is once again the stuff of dreams, as if the architecture and design associated with the pop idea of a future in space were coming back into its own. One of Engel & Völkers' trendy inspirations for your next property project?

Meet Master Glassmaker Caroline Prégermain

In the heart of Paris, Caroline Prégermain perpetuates and modernizes ancestral know-how. She is a master glassmaker. It's a fascinating craft, a skilful blend of technique and creativity that gives rise to a work of art as spectacular as it is delicate: stained glass. For as long as she can remember, Caroline has been fascinated by glass. By its transparency, by its color, and by the life that emanates from the material when it comes into contact with light. The young teenager, who had initially opted for wood and metal sculpture, eventually graduated from the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Appliqués et des Métiers d'Art Olivier de Serres, specializing in stained glass. It was a choice of the heart that Caroline made almost 40 years ago, and one that has been a matter of course for her ever since. There have been moments of doubt, especially in the early days when stained glass wasn't as popular as it is today: "Glass really came back into fashion 4 or 5 years ago. Back in the 90s, interior designers weren't thinking of using stained glass, as it echoed the Belle Époque and religious decor. That's why master glassmakers were mainly involved in renovations and heritage projects," she recalls.

Le Corbusier, the story of a controversial architect

Over 50 years after his death, Charles-Edouard Jeanneret-Gris, better known by his pseudonym Le Corbusier, continues to be the topic of much discussion. With his postwar designs now classified as UNESCO heritage sites, he left an everlasting mark on the history of twentieth century architecture. Nonetheless, despite the widespread success of his work, the man himself remains controversial today.

Architectural styles in Paris

The history of Paris has a strong influence on its architecture. When it comes to Parisian architecture, the name Baron Haussmann springs immediately to mind, but building styles from other periods can be found everywhere. Architectural styles have followed political influences since the early 19th century. If you are looking for a property of character in Paris, take a look at the different real estate architectural styles and the history behind them.

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