Why invest in Tournus?
Let me explain…

In every big city there are areas that have become a bit rundown, sleepy and forgotten, parts of town where shops are being closed down and boarded over and  where nobody really wants to live. But you just know… give it some time! Because the prices will up in the center, so in ten years this un down part of town will be rediscovered by the young professionals and in another ten it will be so expensive that normal people can’t even afford to live there anymore. Such an ‘area’ is Tournus, a sleepy, relatively rundown and forgotton town of 6000 inhabitants, built on what used to be a Roman settlement, exactly halfway between Mâcon and Chalon-sur-Saône (20 minutes by train or car) and also exactly halfway between Lyon and Dijon (60 mins by car or train). Tournus has all the qualities needed to become really popular. It is situated on the river Saône and has it’s own exit from the autoroute du Soleil’ highway number 6 (exit 3-5 minutes from the centre) at one day drive from Amsterdam, less than two hours from Geneva and 3.5 hours from the heart of Paris. Tournus has a centre with a medieval feeling to it, built around a marvellous 1000 year old abbey. There are more than 30 restaurants, of which three with a Michelin star, lots of B&B’s and holiday homes and several excellent hotels, including a brand new Deluxe **** hotel (the only one in South Burgundy) that will open end 2019. All this right in the fringe of an important wine country, with only 20 minutes to villages like Chardonnay, Viré-Clessé, Lugny and Saint Véran, and 40 minutes to the world famous Crus de Beaujolais, like Morgon and Moulin à Vent!

50,000 euros for an entire building

But the best thing about Tournus might be that there are a lot of empty buildings, shops as well as houses. This means there is a large offer of older, badly maintained buildings that you can often buy for a very low price. For instance, €45,000 will get you a natural stone home from the 17th century situated in the heart of the former Castrum Romanum with 115m2 of living surface on three floors. With a solid structure and roof but of course needing to be entirely modernised on the inside. Or how about a three story building of 170m2 with a shop on the ground floor that also needs a complete refurbishing but still has the marvelous original stone mantle pieces and pink marble staircase, all for a grand total €50,000. Of couse, you’ll need to add money, time and effort for a renovation. But Tournus also has a couple of young and inventive architects who will gladly help you put together and execute a renovation plan with respect for the existing values. So if you want to invest in Tournus, they be happy to handle the work for you.

150,000 for a renovated home

By investing in a monumental old building in Tournus you can create a lovely modern and very comfortable home for about €1,000 per m2. That means €150,000 for a home with three bedrooms and a shop or gallery on the ground floor, at just minutes stroll to all the necessary shops, plus a Saturday market and a Wednesday organic market, as well. Living in town between the French this way is much more fun than living in a farm in the countryside. Plus, your home will be quite easily rentable as a holiday home. And over time, the value will increase. Because even if it takes 10 or 20 years, at a certain point the Lyonnais, Genevans or even the Parisians will discover the sleepy town of Tournus and prices will go through the roof. And remember… 150,000 euros will hardly buy you a little apartment in Lyon, and even in the wine villages just above Tournus you already pay 100,000 euros for a ruin or a barn. So investing in Tournus is just smart business.

Like to invest in Tournus? Contact me!

I’m making an inventory of all the cheap buildings for sale in Tournus and will be glad to get you into contact with the owner or the notary. My help will be entirely free, because I just want to find new inhabitants and investors for Tournus, so as to bring our town back to life.