France's new second-home haven?

Investors searching for second homes in France should investigate Nice, argues one expert…

Nick Dowlatshahi, Managing director Leapfrog Properties, commented: “Other areas of France may be cheaper but Nice is still an affordable prospect for investors looking at the market.

”People searching for a second home in the city could find that they obtain a two-bedroom apartment for a comparatively cheap price. Locations like Nice are obtainable and more within reach than places such as Cannes. On top of that, the area is currently booming. For short-term lets, Nice is good as there's so much going in. It will always be popular”

Boz Gill, the Nice-based agent for French property experts VEF added: "The new tram system has had a huge effect on Nice, and the further inland you head from the Med, the lower the prices, so Nice is now more affordable to the average buyer".

Figures from the French National Association of Estate Agents have shown that in the year to the end of March 2008 house prices in France rose by 3.1 per cent. The highest increase in the country was 13.1 per cent in Le Havre.