Living and renting in Sainte-Maxime

The neighbourhoods first, because that choice shapes everything else. Seven neighbourhoods, seven ways of living, and what each one offers depending on whether you have children, a car, or neither.

Next, getting around. How to travel within the town, where to park, how to reach Saint-Tropez without the coastal road in August, and what the sea shuttle changes for anyone working on the other side of the gulf.

Then the beaches and the seven kilometres of coastline, followed by the town calendar and its events. You will see in particular what the seafront becomes from October to May, when it belongs to residents.

Finally, how we work: why we let by the year, and what we look for in an application. We set out our criteria in advance, so everyone knows where they stand.

January and February give the town back to its residents. The shops in the centre stay open, the seafront belongs to walkers, and parking becomes a formality again. On the housing side, moves are rare: send your application and let it work for you.

March and April wake the town up. Terraces reopen, second homes see their first weekends, and the rental market starts moving. So this is the right time to get in touch, because notice periods land now.

From May to September, the town changes scale and the pace picks up. It is also when most homes come free. A quick applicant with a ready file finds somewhere on good terms.

October and November close the parenthesis. Traffic flows again, appointments fit into the week, and the town returns to its everyday size. Many of our tenants name this season as their favourite.

One question comes up on every call: does everything close in winter? For services, the answer is no, and that is what makes year-round life comfortable here.

The primary schools, the secondary school, the library, the cinema, the covered market, the food shops, the doctors and the pharmacies all run year round. The Carré Léon Gaumont, which brings together the library and the cinema, keeps the centre lively out of season.

Only a few beach establishments and seasonal shops take a break, then reopen in spring. So choose your address on what is alive in January, and summer will be a bonus.

For shopping, the centre works entirely on foot. Beyond that, the retail parks nearby and Saint-Raphaël stay close by car, and the bus network serves both the town and the gulf.

One coastal town is not the same as another, and the difference shows in winter. It is worth setting out the landmarks before choosing your address.

Sainte-Maxime is the most populated town in the gulf of Saint-Tropez. So it has primary schools, a secondary school, a library, a cinema, a covered market, doctors and local shops.

These facilities are exactly what makes it possible to live here, and not simply to stay. A family finds everything it needs within ten minutes.

That is also why we built our portfolio here rather than elsewhere in the gulf. A town that works twelve months a year can house people twelve months a year.

Many of our tenants work in Saint-Tropez, Grimaud or Cogolin, and live in Sainte-Maxime. That pattern works well, provided you plan the journey.

The passenger ferry crosses the gulf and so avoids the delays on the coast road. Check the timetable for the current season before fixing your hours: it changes through the year.

Towards Fréjus or Saint-Raphaël, the road follows the coast or cuts inland. Worth noting: these towns appear on the list of designated high-demand areas in the decree of 10 May 2013, unlike Sainte-Maxime, which changes the notice period for their tenants.

A successful move depends as much on the neighbourhood as on the home. The doctor, the dentist, the school, the duty pharmacy and the garage take a few weeks to find, and then they matter every day.

We are happy to share that address book over the phone, with no ties and nothing to gain. Our business is letting homes, not recommending shops. We do, however, know exactly what stays open all year.

This question deserves asking before you choose an address. A seasonal town is judged on its February as much as on its August, and Sainte-Maxime stands up very well to the comparison.

All our availability appears on the Properties page, with the floor area, the rent, the service charges, the energy rating and the occupancy status. We list nothing anywhere else, so that page is the reference.

Each listing also states what is still to be confirmed, when that applies. So you know exactly what is settled and what will come later, with no surprises at the viewing.

To be notified when a home becomes available, submit your application. It stays valid across the whole portfolio, and we call registered applicants first. That is the simplest way not to miss out.

A rental website could simply line up listings. We chose to write, because most of our calls open with a question that is not about the home itself.

Can you live here without a car? Are the schools good? How long does it take to reach Saint-Raphaël in the morning? These answers often weigh more than an extra square metre in the living room.

So we answer them once and for all, clearly and directly. A tenant who moves in knowing what to expect stays several years, and that is exactly what we are looking for.

These pages also serve those still hesitating to take the step. Take the time to read them before you send your application : you will then ask the right questions on the phone.

The Sainte-Maxime seafront runs from the town centre to les Éléphants, with beaches of different characters. Some house beach establishments and watersports, others stay quiet and family friendly.

From October to May, the whole stretch changes use and belongs to residents. The promenade becomes a running route, parking becomes simple again, and the winter light does the rest.

That is an argument we gladly put to applicants. A home ten minutes' walk from the coast serves all year, and not only during the school holidays.

Add the marina, the seafront promenade and the coastal paths, and you have a complete setting for winter weekends. Our tenants on chemin des Virgiles and on chemin du Préconil reach the seafront in a few minutes.

These articles cover what we are asked most often. If your question is still unanswered, call us on 06 07 85 66 10, Monday to Friday, 9am to noon and 2pm to 5pm.

We are glad to answer, even if you are not yet applying for one of our homes. Indeed, someone who knows the town before arriving settles in better, and that is good for everyone.

And when a question comes up often, it ends up becoming an article. That is how most of these pages were written: answering the phone teaches you what people really need to know.