Discover another side to Brittany - The Southern Side
Discover another side to Brittany; the Southern Side Perennially popular, Brittany has been a well-established choice of holiday destination and a base for expatriates for many years now. However, instead of dropping anchor the minute you dock, why not travel a couple of hours down from the ports, and you will find a quite different coastline in the Southern Morbihan, with a fantastic microclimate; all within easy reach of the UK.
So why has the South coast of Brittany remained such a firm favourite for so long and why should you consider Southern Brittany as a wise investment choice, whether seeking a permanent home, holiday home or business venture? After all, an area may be the ideal spot to enjoy a week’s holiday, but does that necessarily make it a location to relocate to permanently, and will it provide a return on your investment? Read on to find out more…
Natural Beauty: Whether you are seeking a permanent home or an investment home, nothing beats opening up your window shutters and being greeted by a breathtaking view. Whereas you may be able to calculate the average price per square metre of properties within a certain area, it is the added extras that make the difference between being the house that gets lots of viewings and the house that gets lots of offers. The Morbihan offers rolling green hills, bustling ports with a thriving café culture, sandy beaches, which stretch into the distance and dramatic cliffs, which glisten gold at sunset. Whether you choose an isolated farmhouse or a custom-built holiday chalet, the view is virtually guaranteed!
Family Entertainment: Absolute key to ensuring an income if wishing to let a property out is ensuring your property is accessible to a wide range of entertainment facilities. The chocolate box cottage isn’t going to get repeat bookings if your visitors have exhausted every local tourist activity within a 50km radius by day three of the fortnight’s booking. The South Brittany coast won’t leave you twiddling your thumbs after four days! It may be that the grandparents enjoy yachting, hill walking and museums, the grandchildren love running around on the beach, & learning about animals, whilst Mum and Dad are happy to mooch around the weekly markets, sampling oysters, galettes and the occasional cup of cider; there is something for everyone and you can appeal to all age groups in marketing your property as a holiday rental. Wherever you spend your time, be it at Branféré, the safari park you enjoy on foot, at La Bretesche, the international standard golf course, or at the numerous weekly markets held in the numerous petites cités de caractères, one thing is for sure; prospective gîte guests will be booking ahead after their first visit.
Worried you’ll miss the liveliness of the big town? It is possible to enjoy a relaxed, laidback lifestyle here, whilst still being able to dip into the hustle and bustle of Vannes, Rennes and Nantes if seeking a city fix. One of the many advantages of buying in an established tourist-focussed region is that you get to enjoy all its facilities, all year round. Infact, for those of you looking to move here permanently, you may find that visits from grandchildren and extended family are all the more frequent when you have chosen to live in such an easily accessible and interesting area. Spending a week with Granny & Grandad is more thrilling when it involves swimming in the Gulf of Morbihan, yachting lessons and eating gooey crepes oozing with caramel sauce. Much more fun than an afternoon bowling and a burger!
Climate: Everyone hopes for sunshine when they move abroad. The Morbihan coastline enjoys a warm micro-climate. It is a little-known fact that Vannes enjoys as much sunshine as Toulouse (over 2,000 hours per year), relatively little rainfall and average maximum temperatures of around 22 degrees Celsius. Parts of the Morbihan are sufficiently warm to support flora normally reserved for the Mediterranean! That said, it is not so stifling that it excludes those of a more delicate complexion.
History: Brittany enjoys strong Celtic connections. Loire-Atlantique may be perceived to be connected to the Pays de La Loire but it was historically part of Brittany, and contains what many people still consider to be Brittany's capital; Nantes. This department was separated from Brittany in 1941 by the German occupation. Although Saint Nazaire is a major commercial port, Nantes, the regional capital, offers visitors a cultural heritage dominated by Gothic art and the Renaissance. The inhabitants of Loire-Atlantique continue to view themselves as Bretons. Brittany was the base for a number of megalithic sites dating from the megalithic era and there are many examples of standing stones, the most famous located at Carnac.
A Wise Investment: If choosing to buy a holiday home, you can relax knowing that if wishing to seek an income from your property, owning a gîte in Southern Brittany means you have selected an ever popular holiday destination sure to attract holidaymakers. Provided you market your property appropriately, there is every opportunity to earn from your investment. Some regions, particularly coastal regions, are so extortionately priced, that they appeal to a very limited market e.g. high end wage bracket second home owners. However, this is an area, which genuinely offers something for everyone. Its residents are an eclectic mix of local families living in affordable housing; second home owners both French and expatriate, in properties spanning the entire price range and retired permanent residents who have sought out their little piece of paradise for their twilight years. If you are seeking an exclusive property with all mod cons in walking distance of the beach, we have it. Likewise, if you wish to invest a more moderate sum of money we have both smaller properties on the coast available and larger properties marketed at a more accessible price due to their location which is a little more inland, yet just a short drive away from the same attractions.
Accessibility: Driving is a pleasure in Brittany. There are no toll roads charges.
Easily accessible by rail, road and car, Brittany is never too far away; not even a volcano will get between you and your new home if you take advantage of the numerous ferry crossings which are available! There are discounts for frequent travellers, some of which your guests can benefit from too. Crossings go between Plymouth – Roscoff, Poole – Cherbourg, Portsmouth - Cherbourg, Caen & St. Malo, Dover – Calais, Portsmouth – Le Havre.
For those travellers who prefer a quicker option, flight paths are open between Nantes – Leeds-Bradford, Dublin, Shannon, Cork, East Midlands, Stansted, Brest – Luton, Manchester, Exeter, Birmingham, Southampton and between Rennes – Belfast, Dublin, Exeter, Manchester, Southampton.
Leggett Immobilier have a wide range of houses to suit all budgets and all needs. Although originally established in the Dordogne, we now have a strong team of agents commerciaux with a diverse portfolio of property in the Morbihan and Pays de Loire regions. Whether seeking a luxury property overlooking the port, a budget renovation project within a short drive of the sea, or a modern village centre home, you can guarantee they will have it. For more information, visit frenchestateagents.com.
