House hunting in the Gard and Southern Ardeche

[Lori]

Hi all:

We are looking to buy a house. We started this search just before the pandemic began. Our hope was to find something in the Vaucluse, where we had previously owned a home for 14 years before selling it. At the time our budget was healthy enough. However, the market went wild after the Pandemic was in full force.

So, we have expanded our search to include the Northeastern area of the Gard (30) and the Southern Ardeche. We had previously considered the Aude and the Herault, but we would like to stay closer to the Vaucluse if at all possible.

If anyone on here lives in the Gard or the Southern Ardeche, do you have any advice to offer? Places to avoid, favorite places? All information: weather, access to commerce/healthcare, crime, etc. are most appreciated.

We would like an individual home (not mitoyenne if possible). It needs to have enough terrain to be piscinable (preferably in ground pool). Hoping to stay under 320,000€

Thank you !

[exile]

I am in the Northern Ardeche, so outside of your area, but as a general comment, outside of Privas and perhaps Aubenas, most main health resources - hospitals, clinics etc - tend to be in the Rhone valley and possibly on the other side of the Rhone - ie Drome. In the South, Arles may well be an alternative but again it points to resources being some distance away.

[Antonia]

I live on the Gard/Ardeche border and the drought this year is terrible. Mains water is now only to be used for drinking and sanitation. Don't even think of topping up your pool. I've just had to turn mine off as the level had dropped below the skimmers. Next door is losing everything in his vegetable garden because his borehole has run dry.
Stay away from the forests, the fires are getting worse. If you do buy a property near woodland be aware that it is a legal requirement that you clear all undergrowth and thin out trees within a 50 metre radius of any construction. So don't build your pool too far from the house as it will just expand your area of clearance. Around here they have a weather event called an 'episode Cevenol'. Basically warm air over the med picks up water from the sea then carries it inland until it reaches the Cevenol mountains where it rises, cools, and drops it's payload. Cue flash flooding. We haven't had any significant rainfall since last November and the ground is rock hard so, when we get the first one of the season, I'm expecting it to be a doozy. Normally they start around November but I have known them in August. Also something to consider if you decide to move to the Gard is that the river Ceze virtually cuts off the north from the rest of the department. That can make access to services very difficult when traffic gets congested on the bridges. Sometimes for me it is quicker to drive into the ardeche than 5km down the road into town.
Now that I'm on my own I had planned on selling up in three years time and move further north but, after this summer, I'm going to try and get out even sooner. Three months of sitting inside with the shutters closed is doing my head in.

[MAD87]

There are several Facebook pages where private sales are showcased.

[Lori]

Thank you all. Very helpful. I'll try to find the Facebook pages.

Good luck Antonia. The info you provided was exactly what I needed to hear.

Exile - we have seen a few interesting properties around Privas and Aubenas. This one was interesting (but far too big) SE of Aubenas.

https://www.ardeche-immobilier.com/annonce-104/

[Polly]

My husband and I have an apartment in the Gard, where we used to spend up to 6 months each year until brexit.

We’ve mostly spent autumn, winter and spring there, as it’s too hot for us in summer, even a ‘normal’ one; winters can be bitterly cold, but we don’t mind wrapping up well as we have sunshine on many days when it’s bitterly cold.

I had a quick look at websites for houses in the Gard and was pleasantly surprised at how many were available in the €280,000-€35,000 range, even in our, more central, area of the Gard, which is regarded as quite expensive. Some even had in-ground pools, too.

https://www.green-acres.fr/en/prog_show ... y_id-dp_30

The areas around Anduze, “the gateway to the Cévennes”, St-Jean-du-Gard and Alès are lovely, although Alès itself is very much a working town with very good facilities.

Although medical attention is generally very good in most of the Gard, as I know from friends it’s more sparse in the northern area of the Cévennes, with doctors and dentists more difficult to find, particularly in country areas, as you’ll know.

Good luck with your search.

[Lori]

Thank you Polly.

We had been advised to avoid Alès. We've only been there once. But, I'm not sure how far out and in what direction(s) (from Alès) the situation improves.

Yes, it has always been hot in this entire region. This year, of course, is exceptionally hot and dry.

I've seen many of those houses on Green Acres.

[Polly]

We know a few people who live varying distances from Alès and appreciate the facilities to be found there, particularly the market. Friends lived the closest, off the ring road in a very quiet area for about 12 years; they moved back to the UK to be near family.

It’s definitely better than when we first drove through it around 30 years ago - it was really dreadful, a lot has been done to make it look more attractive.

[Lori]

Good to know. Thank you. We won't rule it out. Prices seem much lower in the Alès area. Not totally sure why.

[tagh]

Isnt that where the loup garou roams at night?