There are many things for which the South of France is famous but, unfortunately, affordable property is not one of them, with a bolthole on the Cote d’Azur likely to set you back more than a few pretty pennies.

Move inland and it’s a different story, but for many people the sea is the prime attraction, so they want to be near it.

This is one, but certainly not the only, reason why Irish buyers are becoming increasingly attracted to the LanguedocRoussillon region, which stretches from Nimes south to the Spanish border in the Pyrenees mountains.

This is a somewhat peculiar part of France in that as you head for the Spanish border, you will see a growing influence from Catalonia, leading to its description in much of the local Catalan press as ‘Catalunya Nord’.

Perpignan, the region’s capital, is a rugby-mad enclave that is becoming quite popular with the Irish. Accessibility to the area from Ireland has increased exponentially in the past five years with numerous budget airlines flying into what are principally small, regional airports such as Perpignan and Carcassonne, as well as Girona just over the Spanish border. You can also fly to Barcelona if you wish.

Just 15 minutes east of Perpignan you will find the sandy beaches of the Mediterranean, while an hour’s drive southwest will bring you to the ski resorts of the Pyrenees.

This is quite a picturesque corner of France which is dotted with vineyards, but it has traditionally attracted French, rather than foreign, tourists. It is only recently, with the growth of the budget airlines, that northern Europeans have come in any numbers.

As a result, the region is still very unspoilt and is most definitely not a package holiday destination. The nearby beaches of Canet, St Cyprien, Argeles and Barcares have seen a good deal of low-key development in recent years; there are more than 20 kilometres of blue flag beaches, typical French restaurants, chic clubs and lots to entertain the kids.

Although property prices are much lower than in the Cote d’Azur, they are currently quite buoyant, particularly around Perpignan. The TGV high-speed train line to Barcelona is due to be completed by early 2010; this should reduce the journey time between the two cities to 40 minutes and is likely to boost the market in Perpignan, where property prices are currently well below those in Barcelona.

The government has also earmarked this area as one to which they will decentralise some government offices to reduce the reliance on Paris.

Among the companies offering investment property in the area is Bidsinfrance.com, which is led by two Limerick sisters, Suzanne and Karen O’Reilly, and which focuses on the Languedoc region.

Both are bilingual, which helps immeasurably in this part of France - most of the locals have no English, nor any desire to speak it.

The O’Reillys source property individually for their clients, rather than following the traditional agent route of selling property in large, purpose-built developments.

Suzanne was the first to move to France; having gone with her mother to purchase an apartment in 2000, she ended up staying there.

She believes that the that the client profile has changed somewhat since she began in the industry. ‘‘I’ve seen the trend change from holidaymakers to investors over the past few years,” she said. ‘‘Originally the majority of our clients wanted a place on the beach to holiday with their family. Now, over 70 per cent of the mare investors.”

Karen O’Reilly, who has a background in accountancy, believes that France is still a good choice for a safe investment.

‘‘It is possible to find high-yielding properties, but there is also the attraction of doing business in an area with attractive lifestyle options and excellent food and wine, as well as being somewhere that is culturally diverse,” she said.

According to the O’Reillys, not many of their clients have opted to move to the Languedoc permanently yet. ‘‘Having said that, quite a few have expressed a desire to ultimately move to France,” said Karen O’Reilly. ‘‘With the choice of budget flights in and out of the region, both from Dublin and regional airports, it is now relatively easy to move over and back regularly.”

ON THEMARKET

Bids in France currently has a two-bedroom apartment with lateral sea views near the promenade in Canet which Karen O’Reilly believes is suitable for an investor, as it is being sold furnished, equipped and ready to rent.

Located 30 metres from the beach in the heart of Canet, it is close to shops and restaurants so could also be used as a holiday apartment. The asking price is €143,000.

In the heart of Perpignan town, the company has a 50 square metre one-bedroom second floor apartment. This is described as a ‘‘very French’’ property with high ceilings and plenty of character, and the O’Reillys believe an investor could generate returns of up to 5 per cent per year. This apartment costs €110,000.

The company also has a two-bedroom apartment situated in the suburbs of Perpignan, close to the university in a highly sought after neighbourhood.

The property has been completely refurbished to a high standard with a new kitchen, bathroom and flooring, with annual returns of up to 4.5 per cent achievable. It is priced at €147,000.

For further information contact 0033-607-421668 or visit www.bidsinfrance.com.

Buying in Languedoc – a case study

Dublin couple Audrey and Feargal Duggan visited the Pyrenees-Orientales region of the Languedoc on a number of occasions and fell in love with the area.

Having holidayed with their two children in both winter and summer, the couple, who are both in their late 30s, decided to invest in the area.

Neither has much French and they didn’t know where to start so the services of Bids in France proved very useful. They heard of the company from a colleague who had also used them.

‘‘We wanted a place we could use sporadically and where the figures would stack up if we rented it out during the high season,” said Audrey Duggan.

‘‘I e-mailed the O’Reillys [of Bids of France] with our requirements and budget, and they took us to view a total of seven properties. All of them matched the criteria but one or two really stood out for us. In the end we opted for a spacious one-bedroom ground floor apartment in Canet. Within the residence there are pools and facilities for the kids so if we want we can plonk ourselves there for our holidays and the kids are happy.”

Feargal Duggan estimates that the apartment has appreciated by about 40 per cent since the couple bought it three years ago, adding that the rent it makes covers all of their costs.

The Duggans visit the area a couple of times a year, using some of the many budget flights into the region.

It has proven cheap and easy to get to for them, which was a priority when they were looking at buying. They also like having the flexibility of being able to use the unit when they wish to do so, and feel that a leaseback unit would be too restrictive for them.

‘‘We feel that France doesn’t ever go out of fashion.

‘‘We are two minutes from the beach in Canet, ten minutes drive to Perpignan and an hour’s drive from the snow. ‘‘It suits our needs perfectly,” Audrey said.