Nord Pas de Calais competes with Brit-favourites Normandy and Brittany in terms of popularity among overseas property buyers. In part this is because of its UK-friendly location, but it has much more to offer than just this.

 "The key attraction in all these areas is proximity and ease access via the Channel ports," says Peter Wheelton from VEF. "As far as Nord Pas de Calais is concerned the last year has seen a marked tendency towards the purchase of permanent as opposed to secondary or holiday property with 50 per cent of buyers now seeking the full-time option. Proximity and ease of access with tunnel, ferries, fast catamarans and Eurostar to choose from, plus changing working patterns which increasingly allow people to work from home, are responsible for this."

Nord Pas de Calais, one of the smallest regions of France, benefits from good road networks, linking the area to Paris and other important towns and cities. The TGV has also made the route from Paris to Nord Pas de Calais easier and quicker for property buyers interested in the area.

Located in the far north of France, Nord Pas de Calais shares a border with Belgium, which accounts for the Flemish influence obvious in the area.

Despite its industrial nature, being responsible for much of the 19th century French manufacturing revolution and the only major conurbation outside of Paris, the region is popular with tourists due to its stunning countryside, quaint villages and various annual festivals and fairs. Nord Pas de Calais is also home to the clean and touristic Opal Coast, which contains the fashionable Le Touquet resort and shares a climate similar to that of the south of England.

Wheelton continues: "In Nord Pas de Calais there is also a good stock of property in all categories at prices which are between a third and a half of the prices in London and the Home Counties and the region is beautifully rural and unmistakably French. The local tourist board slogan sums it up pretty well – 'This is real France and its real close'."

Although Nord Pas de Calais property remains relatively inexpensive compared to that in Normandy and Brittany, prices look set to rise over the next few years as investors recognise the potential of this multi-faceted area. 

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Article first published 14 January 2008