HOUSES AND PROPERTY FOR SALE IN Hauts de France

If you are looking for property in the Hauts de France, you will be in good company. French buyers love it because of its strategic location. It has excellent access to Paris as well as to London, Brussels, and Amsterdam. Meanwhile, British buyers drive out of the Eurotunnel, and off the ferries, and instantly relax as they see the French countryside and stop for a café au lait in an authentic French village. Hauts de France has a wonderful coastline and if you venture off the A16 (which links the ports of Dunkirk, Calais, and Boulogne-sur-Mer) you will find sandy beaches and pretty seaside towns. The upmarket resort of Le Touquet-Paris -Plage is well named, as many Parisians have a holiday home there. It is full of boutiques, chic restaurants, a famous casino and two championship class golf courses. Inland the Hauts de France has a rolling countryside, with some notable forests. The capital, Lille, is an attractive city and an important economic hub.

The Hauts de France is the most northerly region in France and borders Belgium, it is also connected to England via the channel tunnel.

The two largest airports in the region are Lille-Lesquin which has domestic flights, as well as flights to 13 other countries (although not the UK), and Paris-Beauvais in the very south-west of the region. From Paris-Beauvais you can fly to Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds-Bradford, Edinburgh, Belfast, and Dublin, as well as 26 other countries. Of course, the other Paris airports are easily accessed from Hauts de France too.

The region is well connected by train, primarily through Lille-Europe station, which is in the heart of Lille. It offers direct connections to London, Paris, Brussels, and other major cities. The Eurostar journey time to London is 1hr 22 mins. There are other popular regional stations in Calais, Arras and Amiens.

Hauts de France is easily accessible by road with the A1 autoroute running to Paris and the A2 connecting to Belgium and the Netherlands. The A26/A16 provides access to the ferry ports of Calais, Boulogne, and Dunkirk.

The ferry ports offer regular crossings to the UK and the Eurotunnel is particularly popular, as the shuttle between Folkestone and Calais takes just 35 minutes.

The property market in Hauts de France is driven by domestic demand, it should be noted that this is the second most densely populated region in France, after Paris/Ile de France. This is primarily true of Lille and the surrounding area that borders Belgium. There is still plenty of unspoiled countryside to enjoy. Three of the five departments (Pas-de-Calais, Nord and Oise have seen prices stabilise over the last 12 months, while Aisne and Somme have seen rises of around 6% over that period.

Most second homes are to be found on, or near, the coast. Le Touquet-Paris-Plage has a population of just over 4,000 but swells to 250,000 during the summer. Known as “Paris by the sea” it was particularly popular with affluent British visitors in the 1920’s, which can be seen in the eclectic architecture and property styles. Inland there are plenty of country houses to be found, and the landscape is rolling and forested – owners feel a long way from the urban landscape around Lille. Many holiday homes are owned by Belgian and Dutch buyers as they are seen as excellent value.