Schools, shops and neighbours: daily life in our areas

The chemin des Virgiles is the most family-friendly of the four. You can walk to the schools and the shops, and the area stays lived in all year. That is where our largest flat is, with its two loggias and its separate kitchen.

The rue Léon Gaumont, finally, is the town centre itself. Le Panoramic faces a busy street, with a street-facing window for the commercial unit. The market, the Croisette beach and the harbour are all within ten minutes on foot.

Which areas still live in February

That is the question to ask before choosing an address here, and it is the one nobody asks. An area can be perfect in July and dark in January, with closed shutters on three quarters of the buildings.

The rule of thumb is simple: the further you go from the seafront, the higher the share of main homes. The hillsides and the residential areas keep a permanent population, schools, neighbours and shops that do not open only in summer.

All our homes sit in those areas, and that is no accident. You cannot run good year-round tenancies in an area built for the season.

A week in the Préconil

The day starts on foot: the school is a few minutes away, the bakery is on the way. The supermarket closes the loop on the way home. In practical terms, a family lives here with one car.

The grounds of Le Domaine des Coralies serve as a back garden. Children play there under the trees, adults meet at the boules court. The play area stays inside the gate, which changes life for parents.

On Saturday, you walk or take the bus to the market in the centre. On Sunday, you head down to the seafront. So the week runs without ever depending on summer traffic times.

Les Virgiles, for families

The area climbs gently a few minutes from the centre. You can walk to the schools and the shops, and the area stays lived in all year. It is the one we get the most enquiries about.

Two developments sit side by side here. Le Domaine du Préconil sits behind its gate, with a caretaker, a pool and grounds. The small estate on chemin des Virgiles stays smaller and very quiet, with its houses and its gardens.

That is also where our largest flat is, with its two loggias and its separate kitchen. Moreover, turnover is the lowest of all our addresses: people stay for years.

Les Figuières, the countryside

Route du Plan de la Tour climbs up into the hinterland. You gain silence, greenery and a real sense of countryside. The development is small, gated and staffed, with a pool and a boules court.

The price you pay comes in journeys. A car becomes necessary, even for the bread. In return, you get through the summer in peace, far from the noise of the centre.

It is the right compromise for anyone working from home. Indeed, several of our tenants have set up their office there, for exactly that reason. The connection holds, the neighbours are few, and the sea stays five minutes away.

The centre and Le Panoramic

Rue Léon Gaumont means the town on foot. The market, the library, the cinema, the harbour and the Croisette beach are all within ten minutes. Le Panoramic faces a busy street, with a street-facing window for the commercial unit.

You do hear the summer, it has to be said. From July to the end of August, the street stays alive late. People who enjoy it all say the same thing: they like the buzz, and they would not want a silent valley.

The rest of the year, the centre becomes a residents' neighbourhood again. You shop without a car, you pass the same faces, and the shopkeepers know you. That is what tenants coming from the centre of a big city are looking for.

Neighbours and rules

Three of our addresses are managed developments. Each has its own rules, its own pool hours and its own recycling arrangements. We hand over these documents at signature, and we explain them rather than have you sign them in silence.

The recurring topics are always the same: noise after 10pm, visitor parking and weekend DIY. A word at the right moment settles almost everything. Therefore, call us before a situation takes hold.

We step in when it is needed, and we do not take sides before hearing both. In practice, serious disputes are rare in our developments. Tenants stay a long time, which helps a great deal.

What service charges cover

In a managed development, the service charge provision covers the upkeep of the communal areas, the grounds, the water according to how it is shared and, where applicable, the pool and the caretaker. It is reconciled once a year. In practical terms, it can go down as well as up.

A development with a pool, a lift and a caretaker costs more than a small estate with no facilities. That is logical, and we stand by it: you pay for the service you use. Always compare the rent including service charges between two adverts, though.

We show the provision on every listing, next to the rent. A budget calculator also appears on every property page. So you know before you call whether the home fits your budget.

Making it your own

You can paint, put up shelves and arrange things as you wish, as long as everything stays reversible. Just ask us for written agreement before you start. In practice, we say yes almost every time.

For anything touching load-bearing walls, floors, plumbing or appliances, the answer depends on the home and on the development. Talk to us first. That way, nobody discovers building work at the final inventory of condition.

The photos in our adverts show furnished homes, but most are let unfurnished: the decor is shown for guidance only. All of them do have a fitted kitchen, however, with an oven, a fridge, a washing machine and a dishwasher.

First steps

Arrange home insurance before you collect the keys, then put the meters in your name. Next come broadband, your change of address and school registration if needed. In practical terms, a week is enough if everything starts at the same time.

For school, contact the town hall, which confirms the exact catchment for your address. For a GP, book early: the surgeries fill up. Moreover, local clubs and associations remain the easiest way to meet people.

Finally, keep our number to hand: 06 07 85 66 10. We manage our homes ourselves, so you always speak to someone who knows the flat. Therefore, a problem gets sorted quickly.

Our developments

We let homes at five addresses, spread across four areas of the town. Three are gated developments, and two have a caretaker. All of them provide a private parking space.

We have owned them for a long time, and we manage them ourselves. In practical terms, when you call, you speak to someone who knows the flat, the building and the neighbours. So a question gets an answer straight away.

Each listing gives the floor area, the rent, the service charge provision, the energy performance certificate, the aspect, the parking and the availability. Moreover, a budget calculator works out your rent-to-income ratio. So you know before you call whether the home suits you.

What they mention first

Private parking comes top, by a long way. Next comes the quiet, then the walking distance to schools and shops. The pool only appears after that.

The second point comes up more rarely in adverts: a stable neighbourhood. A building lived in all year is nothing like a building whose occupants change every week. Indeed, you know your neighbours.

The third, finally, comes down to the way we work. We answer ourselves, we act quickly, and we say things straight. So the relationship stays simple for the whole length of the tenancy.

In short

Four areas, four ways of living in the town. The Préconil valley for life on foot with children. Chemin des Virgiles for quiet family life. Route du Plan de la Tour for silence, and rue Léon Gaumont for the town centre.

All our addresses provide a private parking space, and three of them sit behind a gate. We manage these homes ourselves, so you always speak to someone who knows them. A problem therefore gets sorted quickly.

To see the homes available, open the page of flats to let. Each listing gives the floor area, the rent, the service charge provision, the energy performance certificate and the availability. Moreover, a budget calculator works out your rent-to-income ratio in two clicks.

Frequently asked questions