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That did not take long.
The mayor just got re-elected and it took him less than a week to announce the next massive change to the city. And it is a big one.
He is planning to demolish everything from the National Theater to the Palais d'Expositions, including the Acropolis, and turn it into a park. Effectively extending the Coulée Verte park all the way from the sea to the exhibition centre in the east of Nice.
The only two things remaining will be the Modern Art Museum, which will be suspended in mid-air, and the famous "Tête Carrée" (Square Head) building. It is hard to state how transformative this will be. The article is behind a pay-wall but you can click on the box to watch a short video advert to see it for free, and it is worth it to see the simulated before and after pictures. It looks incredible.
Looks amazing and just across the street from us!
Nice is pretty much COVID free.
After offering free blood tests to the whole of Nice, the initial results are in and looking good. Out of 50,000 people tested, only 1.5% of results came back positive.
Dr Philippe Seyral, head of testing, says "This shows that the virus spread very little through-out Nice, and pretty much doesn't spread here at all any more."
The doctor credits the measures taken as possibly having an effect, such as encouraging working from home and the lock-down period. He notes that we are right next door to Italy, which suffered a lot from the epidemic.
Will the heat affect the effects of COVID? The humidity? Will there be a second wave in the Autumn? There are so many unanswered questions. Nearly 8,000 detailed questionnaires were filled in by those tested and immunologists are working hard on the answers. In the mean time, he recommends continued caution just in case. With the borders opening just in time for tourist season, and symptoms not showing for up to two weeks, he recommends continued vigilance.
Christian Estrosi has been re-elected mayor of Nice for the 3rd time.
In the least surprising election result, Mr Estrosi comfortably walked back into office with at least 60% of the vote. The much loved mayor can now get back to work.
Though he has so far nearly never put a foot wrong, having recently taken up cycling to work he promptly turned half the city into cycle lanes. This caused a bit of a backlash where congestion simply got pushed into the smaller roads and so the excesses have been rolled back. After catching the COVID virus he also issued a couple of unrealistic directives, such as opening the beaches for "swimming only" and the restaurants where "guests are expected to wear masks whilst moving between tables", which were not a problem as the locals were quite comfortable completely ignoring them.
Overall he has done a fantastic job. The streets are safe to walk late at night. The new parks and piazzas are amazing. The (partially) underground tram that goes all the way to the airport for €1 (or €1.50 for a single) is a huge success. Nice has gone positively forward under his stewardship and it looks like things are only going to get better.
Will the economic impact of the pandemic slow him down? His ambition is to extend the Coulis Vert park all the way to the river, destroying the Acropolis and any other buildings in the way. To build one of the largest conference centres in Europe by the airport. To build what will effectively be a new city between the airport and the Ikea that will be opening later in the year. He will be unifying the differenct police forces under one roof, increasing co-operation, with access to the over 600 CCTV cameras he has installed around the city centre. The list is a long one. If one person has shown he can turn big words into big deeds, it is Mr Estrosi. We look forward to a continued bright and sunny future!
The borders are now open!
The French borders are now open again. Officially they opened on Monday but we drove to Italy on the weekend and not a single police car or authority figure at the border toll booths. Everything is back exactly the way it used to be before the pandemic.
Easyjet has already resumed domestic flights but now international flights within the EU are resuming over the next few weeks. It expects to be back up at 50% of its previous roster of flights in July, and at 75% in August. Of course ability to travel may fluctuate depending on any rise or drop in coronavirus infection rates.
Speaking to one rental company, their bookings are already at 60% capacity for the month of July. It sounds like it will be a profitable summer after all, though obviously impacted by the pandemic. There are no social distancing measures in Nice so the bars and restaurants appear as normal. No news on festivals and concerts so do not count on any this summer.
Why do French apartments never have floor plans?
This is a question I often get asked. The answer is that the owner thinks it will sell whether they have one done or not so why bother. This article has some interesting statistics. For instance, in the larger cities 75% of owners think an apartment is "easy to sell". In the current market this is generally true. However further down it says around 40% had to lower their price to get a buyer and were disappointed by the final selling price. Of those, most of them said that the apartment was not priced correctly at the beginning. It wasn't so easy then, was it? Half of the problem is some agents giving the highest valuation possible to secure the sales contract, and the other half is sellers believing it.
Aside: If you want to see a floor plan, ask to see the "diagnostics" as inside there is usually a sketch of the apartment which will give the layout, though it will not be accurately to scale.
You may have noticed the same apartment is often listed multiple times, sometimes at difference prices. The reason for this is only around 24% of properties are listed exclusively with one agency. A seller usually picks an agent based on whether they like them, or if there is a family/friend connection. There is rarely any interview process. So how can an agency get an exclusivity?
According to this article, 75% of owners are prepared to hand exclusivity to an agency if they add value to the property at their own expense. For 83% they would like the agency to pay for and organise "home staging", and 60% would like the estate agency to fix their plumbing and maybe put in insulation. I can say we won't be seeing Million Dollar Listing New York appearing in France any time soon. Half the agents will not invest in a proper camera, and prefer to use their broken iPhone to take property photos. We are only slowly starting to see 360' tours. I think we will see a disconnect between the dreams of sellers and the what actually appears on your screens for some time to come.
Immobilier : les Français prêts à donner l'exclusivité sans frais supplémentaires
www.mieuxvivre-votreargent.fr
Les propriétaires sont prêts à donner l'exclusivité à leur agence immobilière mais sans frais supplémentaires pour mettre correctement en avant leur bien...You are so right about getting proper photos done!
Interesting article Phillip . Do you have an equivalent property portal to Rightmove in France ?
Normally I reserve this page for real-estate related news only. However I know a number of my clients now live in Nice but would like to go visit family abroad. Starting tomorrow, Nice are giving everybody in the city free tests for Covid 19. Simply register at the web site below and you will get back an email giving you a time and place to turn up. Hopefully by the time you are tested, there will be some quarantine pass for those proven to be risk free.
Des tests sérologiques gratuits pour les Niçois
www.nice.fr
Vous souhaitez savoir si vous avez été en contact avec le coronavirus Covid-19 ? La Ville de Nice permet à tous les Niçois de bénéficier gratuitement d’un test sérologique par prise de sang p...Hugely appreciated Philip, thanks for the heads up !
Sean Connery's house is up for sale!
Well not really. Bought in the 1970's by Mr James Bond himself, he owned it for so long that even after it changed hands several times since it is still known today as "Sean Connery's house".
The villa is 6 stories high, with an internal lift, is 1,000m² inside and has 5,000m² of gardens... all with the most stunning views over the bay of Nice and the sea. It has indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a spa, gym, chef's kitchen, and from the photos the renovation looks spectacular.
Considering its unique location and the land it sits on, along with its size, features and finishings, it's on the market at a not entirely unreasonable €30m. Of course we are open to offers from qualified buyers.
Next time you are heading from Nice toward Villefranche, you can see it here: www.google.com/maps/@43.6919592,7.2940936,3a,15.9y,161.72h,94.31t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sotV6RiTIDnT...
Life returns to normal in Nice.
The bars and restaurants open today. Featured in the photo are people enjoying an early morning cocktail on the Cours Saleya. The bustle of activity shows people are eager to enjoy their new found freedoms again.
Speaking of back to normal, a subtle thing you may have missed is that all the fountains have been turned back on!
Great to see. People are anxious to travel from the uk but the government has made an awkward decision on the quarantine which France has reciprocated. I don't think it will last...
Let’s hope they come to their senses!
The mayor capitulates, re-opens Quai Lunel.
In a rare climb-down, Christian Estrosi has re-opened the Quai Lunel to cars. It still remains one-way from the Port to the Promenade but it removes Rue de Foresta as a choke-point for cars between Place Garibaldi, Rue Emmanuel Philibert, Rue Foresta, Quai Lunel and the Promenade des Anglais.
It was never a good idea but it does show people power in the collaborative process between local governments and residents. The local paper claims a demonstration of 30 people Saturday on Rue de Foresta but I walked past and counted less than half that. Nonetheless, by Monday night the roads were transformed yet again and now Tuesday morning things are as seen in the photo.
Flights from Nice are starting again in June.
At the start of the month we will see flights to and from Corsica, Lyon, Paris, Frankfurt and Zurich.
From the middle of the month these flights will be expanded to Bordeux, Lille, Toulouse, Vienna, Brussels, Sofia, Budapest, Krakow, Geneva... and London.
We have flights booked in July- will we have to isolate?
Quick update regarding beaches and the bars/restaurants.
The beaches in Nice and to the west, for example Antibes and Cannes, are open. Those to the east, such as Villefranche and Beaulieu, are closed.
The bars and restaurants are expected to open next Tuesday. An official announcement will be made this Thursday but right now Nice is in the "green zone" so that should go ahead. All the restaurants seem pretty confidence it will happen as they are all getting ready to open.
Moving to France is now allowed.
When travelling over 100km within France, an 8th box has been added so you can tick "moving to your new French home" (whether purchased or rented). Until now, only removals were allowed. To download the new form see here:
www.interieur.gouv.fr/Actualites/L-actu-du-Ministere/Deconfinement-Declaration-de-deplacement
In other news, Easyjet will resume flights from June 15th. They will begin with domestic flights within UK and France. No news on Nice to UK yet.
New reason for travel over 100km in France
www.connexionfrance.com
A new reason has been added to the obligatory form for travel over 100km: to allow people to move to a new home.easyJet say Gatwick to nice will also start on 15th June.
I think it is "moving within France" is now allowed not to France, in other words this is not one of the allowed reasons to enter France from abroad from what i could ascertain.
Gatwick-Nice 15 June unless that changes...
The Mayor of Nice has declared war on the car, and he is not afraid to say he took advantage of everyone being distracted by the pandemic.
There will be around 60km of new cycle lanes over the next couple of weeks. This includes between the Port and the Promenade, the main north/south axis of Boulevard Gambetta, and the road that runs in front of the main train station Avenue Thiers. Though those will be the most visible, they will also extend into the more residential areas to the north and east of Nice.
Local business has been welcoming in the more touristic areas, but a little less so further north past the train station where things can be a little more congested. However the Mayor is determined to press ahead and make the changes permanent. He cites a count of 1,700 cyclists per day using the Gambetta cycle lane as a measure of its success. He is even considering a new tram line going up Boulevard Gambetta, but that depends on how busy the bus line becomes.
The biggest upcoming change is the proposed complete pedestrianisation of Boulevard Gambetta. This will be a HUGE revolutionary change to the area. There will be obviously a big knock-on effect on property prices in the vicinity. There will be a meeting between the town hall, residents and local businesses to discuss proposals on the 15th June.
A couple of clients have sent me links announcing that Notaire fees will be dropping by 1.9% on Friday. If it sounds too good to be true, well it is.
First "because of the virus" the drop has been pushed back to 1st January 2021. See linked article.
Second the drop is only in the fees the Notaire receives, but most of the "Notaire fees" quoted as the transaction cost in buying a property in France goes to the government.
If you buy a property in Nice priced at €500,000 then your Notaire fees will be estimated at €36,400. Of this, €4,475 actually goes to the Notaire and it is this sum that will drop by the 1.9%. As of next year it will be 'only' €4,392. So the amount of tax to be paid in the transaction will drop from €36,400 to €36,317, a saving of €83.
A nice bonus but not a factor in your purchasing decision.
Covid-19: la baisse des frais de notaire, prévue ce vendredi, est reportée
immobilier.lefigaro.fr
INFOGRAPHIES - La baisse des frais des notaires aura finalement lieu le 1er janvier 2021, «en raison des conséquences du Covid-19 sur l’activité des notaires».AirBnb are seeing a surge in inquiries... but that has not yet translated into bookings.
Over the past month there have been over 21 million searches for accommodation here in France for the holiday season. However most of them have not led to firm bookings. The reason for this is that most people are waiting to see what happens on June 2nd, when if the region remains a "green" zone the bars and restaurants will be allowed to reopen.
With the travel restrictions in place, 85% of the searches are for homes in other parts of France. Of these around 43% are looking for a coastal retreat, followed by 16% in the countryside and 7% in the mountains.
Interestingly, around 1/3 of searches were for within 80km of their own home. After the quarantine, it seems a lot of people are looking to reconnect with family and friends. Along with the beaches and the bars, perhaps we are realising there are other things we have taken for granted?
Les Français rêvent devant les annonces Airbnb pour les vacances d'été mais ne réservent pas encore
www.lavieimmo.com
Du 15 avril au 15 mai, les utilisateurs français ont effectué 21,2 millions de recherches de locations touristiques pour leurs vacances d’été. La très ...The stretch of road from the end of the Promenade to the Port has now become a single lane going one way from east to west. This came over-night this week, without consultation, and it makes quite a difference. There is now very little traffic passing between the Old Town and the beach.
In terms of tourism it is a step forward to making the area more attractive. Especially with the newly renovated street Cours Jacques Chirac now between there and the Cours Saleya. For locals, it does make an awfully long detour to drop anything off. I am not sure how viable this is long term due to Rue Barla already being one of the worst noisiest trafficked roads in Nice already. All west-east traffic will now also be funneled down that road to access the Baisse and Moyenne Corniches. I am not sure how much more congestion it can take. Opening up Place Garibaldi in both directions may help.
The UK and France have a reciprocal deal where arrivals from France will be exempt from any quarantine measures.
Hotels in Nice remain open but cannot serve food except for room service. Still no news on when the beaches, bars and restaurants will re-open.
French passengers exempt from UK quarantine plans
www.bbc.com
The UK government says the new measures will not apply to those travelling from France.Update by the French governement from yesterday afternoon. Travellers from the EU and from the UK will NOT have to be quarantined for two weeks upon arrival in France. A more formal statement will follow soon.
Coronavirus: pas de quarantaine pour les voyageurs arrivant de l'espace Schengen
www.lefigaro.fr
Une liste de «pays à risque» doit être communiquée sous peu par le gouvernement.Do let us know when the restaurants are opening so we can book our flights!
What if you have medical documentation to show that you have antibodies and are coming outside of UK/EU
France has decided to enforce a 2 week quarantine period for anybody entering the country between May 11th and July 24th. The market pretty much dies over August so anybody looking to buy in Nice should think about booking their flight for September
For my accepted buyer list, live remote video tours will resume from the 12th May, and I will be managing offers and contracts from here.
Travellers face quarantine as France extends health emergency
www.france24.com
France has decided to extend a "state of health emergency" imposed to fight the coronavirus pandemic for two months until July 24, Health Minister Olivier Véran said on Saturday, adding that incoming...Right now two weeks quarantine in my place in Nice would be welcome. I wonder if you have a recent test, they’ll wave it as they do in other countries.
Whilst we are on lock-down, I will answer a question that crops up occasionally with clients which is "Do you do new build?". Although it has double the commission, and for French residents there are a number of tax incentives which means buyers do not even need to see the property, it is not the kind of property I want to sell in Nice.
There are several reasons for this. The first is location. Because the prime areas are mostly listed buildings, it is almost impossible for a developer to find a site. There are a tiny handful in the Carre d'Or and only one in the Old Town. They are similarly sparse in the Musicians Quarter and the Port, but more poorly located. The last thing you want to sacrifice is area.
The second is the charm. Though Nice may claim roots back to pre-historic times, the buildings are we know them started around 12th century. Most Old Town is 15th-17th century, then it expanded across the now covered river which is the Coulee Verte park, to the Carre d'Or and Carre d'Argent. With the Victorian era, which also saw the construction of the Promenade des Anglais, we see now the swathe of bourgeois and Nicois buildings. The high ceilings, large windows, and balconies. From the First Word War we saw wave after wave of architecture, from Art Deco to the more simple and concrete post '60s. You can see this predominently in the Musicians Quarter. This layering of architecture over the centuries has given Nice its unique charm. Of course it's possible for a new build to respect the historic legacy but add extra value in terms of a more modern lift or larger balcony. The one in the Old Town is a good example. In my experience, over the past 20 years, there has been a 50/50 chance of it looking 'cheap' and sticking out like a sore thumb. In the case of one I remember off Boulevard Victor Hugo, the advertising posters showed a beautiful building with balconies and open views, but I instantly recognised the plot of land as a courtyard car park surrounded by high buildings. Blatant false advertising in my opinion.
So you sacrifice the charm for a better price or more modern building? This is the killer for me. And the linked article shows why. In Paris it is roughly the same price between new build and an older apartment. In Bordeaux and Lyon you pay an 8% premium. In Nice the price difference is a whopping great 40% difference.
Which brings me to my final point which is resale. I have sellers come to me and when I give a valuation object because they "need to get back what they paid for it". Unfortunately for my buyers that is not their primary consideration. People spend hours trawling the Internet and something over-priced quickly stands out. A newly renovated apartment in and older building nearly always makes more sense.
If you want to rent it? Not only would you have rent it for 40% more to get the same return but would somebody going on holiday prefer to rent in a new build or a traditional Nicois building? Go to a site like AirBnb now, zoom in to what you think is the prime area, and then bookmark the top 10 that catch your eye. If more than 1 in 10 is a new build then comment below "New!", otherwise comment below "Old!". I am guessing the latter will get more responses.
Let me know your thoughts.