Buying Apartments in Nice

I am looking to buy an apartment in Nice %26amp; already had a lot of useful info from All about nice (thanks again)

This question is to all the people that have bought a property.

What do you think are the benifits of having a property instead of renting when your in Nice.

Thanks Stuart

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We bought four years ago and have seen value increase by around 100% or more. So one consideration may be you get a good investment return. Not that thats any way the most important. And the saving on rentals a year is greater than the equivalent return on savings, so youre winning twice financially over renting.

But theres more important stuff than money. Because its your own, you come back as often as you can - which means you begin to consider this wonderful city your home and not %26quot;a holiday%26quot;. That changes how you view the whole business of the French, the language and culture. Thats a fancy education.and it comes free.

Far from getting bored and %26quot;moving on%26quot;, you own therefore you take time to make the most of everything. You might even say its the difference between a wife and a girlfriend, if you get my meaning. You are committed to Nice. (Unless of course youre Elton John and when bored you just buy another home elsewhere to add to your collection)

And when retirement comes up, you can think of staying months at I time or moving permanently, at no cost. Now thats attractive!.

And if I had rented, I wouldn%26#39;t be here now on TA every morning answering dumb questions on how to get to the airport.

Thats about it.

No regrets. Only wish I%26#39;d done it sooner.

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I agree absolutely with everything NiceLife has said. We found ourselves visiting more and more frequently and eventually concluded that buying was the best solution. But you do have to want to get into French language and culture. Now we go to our French conversation class every week and count the days until we are next in Nice. It really does become that addictive.

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ive been really lucky as everytime we visit nice we are able to rent the same appartment in a residential old fashioned appartment block and i wish it could be mine!! Wen staying next to people who actually live there all the time and making friends with the residents it makes you feel part of the culture.

i would definately say dont hesitate about buying, the investment value would be a selling point alone, true, but like nicelife said its the education that you get when immursed in a foreign culture that is the real asset to owning your own french property.

Another bonus over buying as opposed to renting is you will be able to go whenever YOU like not whenever there is availablity!

happy house hunting

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Thanks for the feedback, you all give me confidence in buying

The hunt is on, %26quot;so many apartments so little time%26quot;

Thanks again

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Greetings JockinNice,

I presently own an apartment in the lovely residential section of Cimiez in Nice. Situated between the Chagall and Matisse museums, it has two bedrooms, one and a half baths, and a large

beautiful private garden. If you are interested in more details, please contact me at: BruceF1934@ aol.com

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We bought a flat in Nice seven years ago, then sold it and bought in Villefranche after five years. Prior to buying in Nice we had a flat on the south coast of England for six years.

The advantages are pretty obvious. Personally, I don%26#39;t much like Nice in July/August but Spring and autumn are wonderful and you can get weeks in winter that are like a perfect English April. The snags appear after you buy.

Many French estate agents are even more ruthless than those in the UK and the French legal system is so cumbersome that they have no fear of you taking legal action if they tell whopping lies. It is very much up to you to check that everything they tell you is true.

The block your flat is in will be managed by a syndic, whose job it is to maintain the block and the common areas. The syndic gets commission on all work done, so it is in their interests to find as much work as possible at the highest price possible. We found that the maintenance of the building in Nice cost about three times that of the one in England. Do remember that if you are used to doing basic maintenance yourself on your own home, paying professionals to do the same work is much, much more expensive.

Property taxes in Nice are particularly high. In our last year of ownership we paid 1,055 euros in Tax Foncier and 1,408 in Tax D%26#39;Habitation. There are other places along the coast where taxes are much lower. For Example we paid 340 euros in Tax Foncier in Villefranche this year. These taxes are paid by the person who owns the property on 1st January. Buy on the second and you will save a year of taxes.

It is common to use the notaire, the lawyer who does the legal work, recommended by the estate agent. The same person is usually also working for the vendor. We discovered after our most recent sale that the notaire was a friend of the people who were buying and had organised various things to their advantage. Next time we will find our own notaire, probably one who is based in the UK.

The best agent we have dealt with is Benjamin Mondou of Century 21 at Mont Boron. Benjamin is very efficient, speaks excellent English, always answers emails and, so far as I can tell, is totally honest. You can contact him at lafage@casaland.com. Tel:0492008282.

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Hello Londonbob

Thanks for your input, i will keep what you said in mind,

thanks again

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Londonbob

The point about the taxes is really interesting as it obviously has nothing to do with size. We paid TF 1191 and TDH 1478 this year for our villa but TF 176 for the ski flat. I had assumed it was down to size but not so. It is down to how much the local government need to pay for services and improvements. The villa is in a thriving coastal resort where the local Marie seems to plant more palm trees than I have hot dinners. Also it has a large all year round population. The ski flat has one road, no palm trees, the town only exists for 6 months of the year. So far less costs and a mentality that does not seem to need to spend vast amounts of money. So if buying in France one of the important questions you must ask is what are the taxes. With the above costs plus pool, garden, alarm, syndicate. electricity,phone,maintenance costs I have decided that I could rent a very nice place for the same amount so I%26#39;m out of here!

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I have a 2 bedroom 85 sq m apartment in central Nice with a balcony. I pay 325 Euro per quarter for all taxes and the Syndic. In contrast, my local council rates charge in Belfast is set to rise to £300 per month next year.

Since I am only there for 6 weeks a year at present electricity costs are minimal but don%26#39;t seem that different from the UK. In winter, I actually save money compared to what I would pay to heat my house at home.

I am paying 1100 Euro to have all my shutters (7 pairs) taken away, refurbished and painted. The manager of the Syndic arranged for this to be done while I am away and I phoned him today to confirm that they will be re-installed before my sister-in-law and family arrive at the apartment next week. This work was arranged through the Syndic manager but confirmed as a reasonable estimate by an independent agent consulted by me.

The manager of the syndic also arranged for an engineer from DARTE to come and fix my cooker, willingly and with no mention of money. He has also made phone calls on my behalf when my French proved not up to the task.

A few weeks ago, the notaire who handled the purchase of the apartment sent me a cheque for 658 Euro when it emerged that the costs for his services had been slightly over-estimated (I bought the apartment in December).

The charming chair of the residents%26#39; association has made my acquaintance (in perfect English) and ensured that I am aware of the plans to refurbish the public areas of the building next year and repaint the outside in 2008. Also, I do of course receive regular letters from the Syndic manager, who is happy to explain any matters to me, again in perfect English.

So don%26#39;t believe everything you read: buying in France can be a pleasure! And as for Nice, don%26#39;t forget that within a year or so the redevelopment of Place Massena and surrounding areas will be complete and the new trams will be running. Nice will then be the envy of the rest of the Cote d%26#39;Azur and the talk of the holiday and property markets. If you don%26#39;t believe me, look at all the new apartments being refurbished or built, such as the massive new development behind Rue de la Liberte.

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Deramore don%26#39;t get me wrong I%26#39;ve had 15 fantastic years here but the cost of a house is much more than an apartment. In fact you seem to have quite a bargain there cost wise. Not sure why your taxes are so low compared to LondonBob%26#39;s Nice apartment. You also seem to have a sympathetic syndicate and that is a fantastic help. The ski flat is no problem as it is a residence de tourisme so all I have to do is turn up but the house has worn me down mentally and wealthwise but I would not have changed anything. However kids grow up and want to do other things as do parents so as I said sadly, I will cry buckets, it is now time to move on.

I%26#39;m sure you will agree though that people must realise that there are pros and cons to weigh up and above all ask all the pertinent questions.