Despite the global downturn, there is a considerable amount of new build activity taking place in the southen French region of Languedoc-Roussillon, with contrasting projects offering buyers the choice between vineyard villas, traditional-style village houses and ultra-modern pads within a golf resort.
Domaine de Lavagnac
 A short drive from the charming medieval town of Pézenas, in Languedoc’s Hérault departement, the Frere Group is transforming the Domaine de Lavagnac - a former wine estate once dubbed the Versailles of Languedoc – into a five-star hotel.
This 192-hectare estate and its 17th-century château will feature not just a luxury hotel but also a spa, and an 18-hole golf course designed by Frere Group’s chairman Charles Cox (a former professional golfer), in partnership with Ray Hearn, a leading US golf architect, complete with clubhouse and tennis courts.
To cater to every need, the project will boast a central square with a supermarket, shops and bakery, while dotted around the estate will be 500 villas and apartments. Prices start from €395,000 for a two-bedroom apartment, purchased via a leaseback agreement, up to €1.6 million for the largest properties.
What sets these homes apart is their ground-breaking architecture; the developer has opted for ultra-modern designs, complying with the wishes of the local planning authorities who were looking for something with a little more va-va-voom than Provençal pastiche, so it’s “bonjour” to contemporary design, with oodles of glass, pale stone floors and all mod cons (think computer-controlled ovens and fridges).
For the first 100 purchasers there is free membership of a 25-year leaseback scheme, which entitles the management company to rent out the property for six months every year and provides a tax break, while the scheme guarantees a rental income of an impressive-sounding 7 per cent a year.
Château Les Carrasses
 At Château Les Carrasses, in the village of Capestang, in Languedoc’s Hérault departement, a former wine estate is being transformed into luxury residences built around a revamped domaine, with villas starting at €207,000.
Built in 1886, Château Les Carrasses will feature 28 contemporary homes, with a choice of 1- to 4-bedroom villas, townhouses and apartments, fashioned from existing buildings within the grounds of the estate. No two homes will be alike, but all come fully furnished; property management and a rental scheme have been factored into the package.
A major feature of the Languedoc lifestyle can be experienced by owners, who will enjoy a share of the domaine’s annual yield from its vines; the developers have even given thought to storage of the precious bottles, with each property having its own private wine cellaring facility.
Les Jardins de St Benoît
 Elsewhere in Languedoc, on the edge of the village of Saint Laurent de Cabrerisse, a local developer has completed a luxury development called Les Jardins de Saint Benoit. Comprising 171 one, two and three-bedroom villas with prices starting at €205,000, this country-club style resort is a highly attractive, beautifully presented package.
Villas are finished to a very high spec, and the three-bedroom houses have private swimming pools. The site is run along the lines of a resort, with a vast central swimming pool surrounded by landscaped gardens, a well-appointed spa and a gourmet restaurant with a large terrace, with stunning views across the countryside.
Properties at Les Jardins are available to purchase on a leaseback basis; at the time of writing, there are 8 one-bedroom, fully-furnished houses left for sale, at €205,000 excluding VAT. The developer also plans to build four, three-bedroom houses on an adjacent plot, which will be priced at €460,000 excluding VAT; owners of these stand-alone Languedoc luxury homes will be able to enjoy all the facilities of the resort, while benefitting from extra space, private gardens and individual swimming pools.
Buying via a leaseback scheme means that the buyer agrees to the management company letting out their property to holidaymakers for nine years, in return for a full 19.6 per cent VAT rebate on the purchase price and a guaranteed rental of around 4 per cent a year (the level of income depends on how long the buyer wants to spend in their Languedoc home; if they choose to occupy their villa for just two weeks a year, they will get more; spend longer, and rental income decreases accordingly).
For more information about leaseback ownership of Languedoc property, read the article within our Property Advice section here.
Watch this space for details of more new Languedoc property developments; in our next Property News Flash we will be bringing you details of a small-but-perfectly formed luxury resort, to be built in Pézenas itself, and a unique Languedoc luxury property project involving hotelier Gordon Campbell Gray (founder of iconic London boutique hotel One Aldwych).
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