The Covid pandemic has sent property prices soaring in coastal areas, as city dwellers in France rushed to buy second homes or buy-to-let investment properties.

Price increases of around 20% for houses occurred in many coastal areas, notably along the Atlantic coast in Biscarrosse (29.6%), La Rochelle (+22.2%), Saint-Pierre d'Oléron (+21.9%), Andernos-les-Bains (+21.3%), and Saint-Malo (+20%). In Le Touquet-Paris-Plage apartment prices increased +20.8%, although in many other areas price increases for apartment trailed those of houses. Similar price increases occurred last year in many provincial towns, as we reported recently.