“Unheard of for forty years… In Nîmes, we need to review the PLU”, the warning cry from Karen Winkler in the face of the uncertainties of new real estate in Nîmes

“We have never experienced such a difficult situation in forty years”says Karen Winkler, head of Habitec in Nîmes. “The new property market is completely sclerotic even if a recovery in existing properties gives us hope for a revival”analyzes the one who, like his colleagues (read above), points the finger at political instability, the absence of a budget and the end of aid measures.

She herself had to stop two programs, “building permits obtained but which will not come to fruition”. These were projects of around fifteen housing units “which attract more buyers but whose exit price is too high”.

Because prices are a barrier for buyers: “We are on average at €4,200/m2 but we cannot go any lower otherwise we lose money. A colleague recently told me that he sells too expensively but has no choice.” Especially since local developers have been shaken up by the boom in land prices. “Montpellier developers have raised prices by 30%, even 50% on a Chemin des Limites project which, ultimately, does not come out.”

“A review of the PLU is necessary”

The abandonment of the Zero Interest Loan (PTZ) also blocks sales. “Out of a small residence of 40 housing units that we have just released on rue du Puech-du-Teil, five housing units are still vacant, and three sales have failed due to lack of PTZ or because the buyers are unable to sell their own property. It's stressful for us.”

Karen Winkler also expects a lot from the upcoming revision of the PLU. “The regulations require us to build 70% of P3 and P4 but we don't sell them. While we have a real demand for P2. This constraint is contrary to the market, we really need to free up the space…” And she explains that today the PLU standards are not applied. “We are even 50% below : we build R + 2 instead of R + 4 and we have projects with a footprint of 40% instead of 85% permitted. But if we presented a project with the maximum standards, it would be refused.” But you will have to wait at least two or three to have a new PLU.