Buying a Lakeside or Waterside Home in France

A romantic waterside property in a tranquil spot is the dream for many househunters – Carolyn Reynier finds the best places to buy around three of France’s most beautiful lakes

For those who like small beaches and nautical activities galore, we’re looking at property in the picturesque villages and hamlets around three beautiful French lakes.

Firstly, the 1,300ha Lac de Pareloup on the Lévézou plateau in Aveyron (Occitanie) is the fifth largest artificial lake in France. The hills and lakes of the Lévézou – which are situated between the prefecture Rodez and subprefecture Millau – lie close to the Parc naturel régional des Grands Causses.

Next, in the verdant Pays Voironnais in Isère (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes), the natural crystalline Lac de Paladru is surrounded by hills. Nearby medieval Voiron is one of three gateways into the 86,000ha Parc naturel régional de Chartreuse and several Alpine ski resorts.

Finally, the 35km-long emerald green Vouglans, France’s third largest artificial lake, is in the Pays des Lacs et Petite Montagne in Jura, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté.

LAC DE PARELOUP

I talk first to Marie Fabre at MCF Immobilier Conseils at Pont-de-Salars just north of Pareloup in Aveyron. The village straddles the small lakes of Bage and Pont-de-Salars, has shops, services and schools, and is a popular destination, with demand outstripping supply, she says. Old stone terraced village houses may have up to four bedrooms and a rear garden. Roofing is lauze (large heavy flat tiles) or slate to protect houses from inclement weather, notably snow. You’ll pay around €150,000 and can still find properties for renovation. Stone farmsteads and barns in and around the village have been, or can be, converted into dwellings. A barn for conversion may cost about €60,000-€70,000; a renovated one will sell for €160,000-€180,000. These Aveyron lakes are popular with tourists, so conversion to gîtes or other tourist accommodation is worth consideration. Heading south towards Pareloup, smaller Prades-Salars offers similar property but has no shops. Houses are larger so prices are generally on a par with Pont-de-Salars. Canet-de-Salars, three kilometres from the lake, doesn’t have any shops either. Salles-Curan at the southern end of Pareloup has two distinct sectors: on the lake, where houses sell for “exorbitant prices” says Marie, and in the village centre, which has similar prices to Canet and Pont-de-Salars but there are shops and services. On the lake, there are both old and more recent properties. No new construction is possible thanks to the Loi Littoral, which protects not only coastal areas but also large lakes. Lakeside properties – the expression you’ll hear is pieds dans l’eau – sell for €300,000-€700,000 and come with pontoons, which buyers use to moor their jet skis and boats, says Marie.

On the opposite bank have a look too, at Arvieu and its beach at Notre Dame d’Aurès. “All the activities you can do outdoors in nature you can do in the Pont-de-Salars sector,” she says.

“Aveyron lakes are popular with tourists, so conversion to gîtes is worth consideration”

LAC DE PALADRU

The Lac de Paladru, a private lake in Isère, is surrounded by five communes, says Virginie Dombes of Comptoir Immobiler de France. On the western side, Paladru and Le Pin now form Les Villages du Lac de Paladru, Montferrat lies to the northeast, next is Bilieu, with Charavines at the southern tip. The lake lies between the Lyon-Grenoble A48 and Lyon-Chambéry A43 motorways. “We’re really at the crossroads, easily accessible, yet we have the countryside and a certain much calmer way of life,” she adds.

There’s a mix of larger family homes and second homes. Properties with lake views come at a price and rare pieds dans l’eau properties with a private beach come at an even higher one. Old properties are built in stone or with pisé (rammed earth), typical of the region. “Today, no building is permitted within 300m of the lake,” Virginie tells me. Prices for a small two-bedroom lakeside chalet may start at €180,000, rising to €1m and over for a substantial 200m2-300m2 family home with pontoon and lake access.

Those houses without lake views are still close to the water. Prices start at €120,000-€150,000 for a small house that requires work, rising to €600,000-€700,000 depending on the property type. “On average you can have something sympa to renovate or freshen up for €250,000 to €500,000,” says Virginie.

The layout of the communes is similar; they all have a few local shops (commerces de proximité), while Charavines and Montferrat also have pharmacies. Bilieu is a popular commune thanks to its sunny exposition and close proximity to motorway junctions.

Charavines is larger, more developed, and has a sunny public beach. It’s busy during the summer, so if you’re looking for peace and quiet, head for the other communes.

You can drive the 14km around the lake, and cycle or walk around three-quarters of it on a dedicated path. You still find properties for renovation or that just require a lick of paint to freshen them up. Virginie says demand for seasonal letting accommodation is on the increase, but although some properties are closed up during much of the year, around 70% of residents live here year round. “It’s not at all deserted the rest of the time.”

There are a few apartments (€80,000-€180,000); some residences have been built a stone’s throw from the lake and some apartments have a glimpse of the water (€230,000 for two bedrooms). Voiron has a “very pretty town centre and is relatively dynamic”. You’ll pay €30,000-€80,000 more for a town-centre apartment.

In the Chartreuse boutique, you can learn how the Carthusian monks make their famous yellow and green liqueurs from a secret recipe. As a teenager, I holidayed in Chambéry with the Sevez family, suppliers of my wine-shipping father’s Chambéry Gaudin vermouth. I have fond memories of skiing at St-Pierre-de-Chartreuse, close to the Grande Chartreuse monastery.

Virginie says the climate is good, not too hot, not too cold. “In 45 minutes, we’re in a ski resort, in two and a half hours we’re at the sea. And we’re close to the Italian border, too.”

LAC DE VOUGLANS

Finally, Lac de Vouglans in Jura is near the Swiss border. We’re looking at property around the northern end – ancient baronies and ruined strongholds testifying to turbulent times. I’ll leave you to discover the southern end for yourselves: it’s a long lake…

On the western side, the original château at Orgelet was built in the 12th century. Major development took place more recently in the 1960s with the creation of an industrial zone and housing estates, says Thomas Lugand of IAD. The old two-storey houses were built in cut stone from local quarries, most of which no longer exist, so stone often came from dismantled châteaux. You’ll pay €200,000-€250,000 for one not needing work, and about €150,000 for one that does.

The sloping topography means that houses above the main road have a garage or similar on the ground floor, with the living area and access to the garden above; houses below the main road are set up inversely. “They were constructed in the old ramparts so made do with things as they were,”

Thomas says. You’ll find farmsteads and barns, renovated or ready for conversion, in the surrounding countryside where Simmental and Montbéliarde cows graze to produce Comté, one of my favourite cheeses – in fact, I’m nibbling a 30-month-aged Comté de Noël while writing these words. The last barn Thomas sold (for €35,000) was at Onoz south of Orgelet.

Heading north, La Tour-du-Meix is divided into two sectors. In the older upper St-Christophe quarter, near the château ruins, houses close to the Port du Meix (one of three ports on Vouglans) can have lake views and price tags of €400,000-€500,000. The village centre is located inthe lower quarter.

Largillay-Marsonnay has not profited from the expansion of tourism because it’s a little set back from the lake, although there is actually access to a beach. “Not a lot of people know that,” says Thomas. Prices are lower and yes, there is a ruined château. Pont-de-Poitte on the lake developed thanks to its proximity to Clairvaux and its Port de la Saisse, mainly used by fishermen.

Clairvaux-les-Lacs has two lakes – the Grand Lac and, well, the Petit Lac. The big one is the commune’s main tourist attraction; the small one is much less well-known to visitors. In the village centre there are stone houses on the former château ramparts. As a child, Thomas says, he visited the tunnels linking the houses so that during the medieval wars, residents could circulate underground to reach the ramparts to fight.

Prices are on a par with Orgelet. You’ll find more recent housing dating from the 1940s in Hautecour, an extension of Clairvaux. It’s often the modern properties that have lake views – and price tags of €400,000- €500,000 and higher. If Thomas had to classify the communes by house prices, he’d put Clairvaux first by far, then La Tour-du-Meix, Orgelet third and last Pont-de-Poitte.

This corner of Jura remains authentic, it’s not overdeveloped, explains Thomas. Yes, there are lots of folk during summer, but at Clairvaux you only have to go 500m and you’re surrounded by forest. “You can be in completely isolated sectors, where you meet few people, where telephones don’t necessarily work,” he says. “If you want to cut yourself off from the world, you can still manage to do that.” So if you do, you know where to go.

levezou.fr

tourisme.paysvoironnais.com

terredemeraudetourisme.com/lacs-jura/lac-de-vouglans

3 REASONS TO BUY HERE

These lovely lakes in Aveyron, Isère and Jura offer year-round or holiday living with good tourist accommodation potential

Waterfront homes, old stone village houses and modern properties, barns and farmsteads renovated or for conversion

Easy access to airports: Montpellier/Rodez for Aveyron; Grenoble/ Chambéry/Lyon for Isère; Lyon or Geneva for Jura

Lead photo credit : © FABIEN VAYSSETTES, P JAYET