Overseas buyers of luxury French property keen on outdoor space

Overseas buyers of French property increasingly desire outdoor space, according to luxury British developer Caudwell Collection.

The firm says 75% of apartments sold or under offer at its Parc du Cap development have gardens. This mirrors wider reports that suggest gardens have become increasingly important for buyers as a result of the Covid-19 lockdown.

Announcing its mid-year sales review for Parc du Cap, which is located in the South of France, Caudwell says results have been positive despite pandemic challenges.

A total of eight apartments have been sold so far this year, with a further five under offer.

The developer has also experienced a wider breadth of buyer nationalities this year, with investors coming from Germany, Cyprus, Kuwait, Russia, Latvia and Ukraine, alongside Britain and France.

"We’re thrilled to see such a robust sales review at the mid-point of what has been a tricky year for everyone so far," says Reynald Lapitz, chief executive of Provençal Investments (the French subsidiary of Caudwell).

"This extremely challenging situation has made everyone reassess what is important – family time together, outdoor space, natural beauty which we’re blessed with in the Côte d’Azur – so we hope the positive sales trend will continue as travel restrictions continue to ease."

During the lockdown period, Caudwell introduced a range of measures to overcome travel restrictions and encourage sales. These included virtual tours, digital signing and webinars.

Since lockdown measures were eased in France, the developer has received more requests for apartment extensions as Parc du Cap owners seek more spacious holiday homes.

These requests are being accommodated by combining residences with neighbouring apartments, meaning additional three-bedroom units are now available.

Parc du Cap is a luxury development situated in the exclusive yachting community of Cap d'Antibes. Units comprise a combination of one, two and three-bedroom apartments, as well as four-bedroom penthouses with private rooftop pools and terraces with panoramic views.

It's a gated development which comes with 24-hour security and concierge and an underground car park. The cost of a one-bed apartment starts at €590,000, rising to €850,000 for two and three-beds. Meanwhile, prices for a four-bed penthouse start at €4,500,000.

Caudwell Collection was launched by British businessman, entrepreneur and philanthropist John Caudwell in 2009. It has two other developments - Les Oliviers and Le Provencal - in Cap d'Antibes and a landmark development underway in London's Mayfair.