Overall in France during 2010 the number of new built house permits issued for all types of build increased by about 3.1% over 2009, but there were some large regional variations – notably, the Pays de la Loire, which saw a 40% increase in the number of building permits issued.
You can do a lot with statistics, and I imagine that this increase is largely the result of a poor showing the year before, but I have certainly noticed a proliferation of new homes being built in Loire-Atlantique over the past year or two. Mostly, these appear to be privately-owned and I guessed it was a combination of “English-style” property ownership trends starting to spread to this under-populated region of France, rising prices, and continuing low-interest rates that was fuelling it. I also wonder whether the planned new airport for Nantes and the Pays de la Loire is having an effect.
Have you noticed the same? Is it due to a real demand for new housing in the region or is it investment-led? Can the region sustain the growth in housing or are we set to see lots of unfinished or uninhabited properties?
I would be interested in your comments…
