Carcassonne Real Estate: Buying a French Townhouse near the Medieval Cité

Carcassonne's hilltop Cité is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and below it the Bastide Saint-Louis forms the working town, with a square and market, with the Canal du Midi running through. The region is wine country in the Aude, in Occitanie, with the Corbières and Minervois vineyards close by and the Pyrenees to the south. Carcassonne has its own airport and a rail link to Toulouse and the Mediterranean coast.

Limoux is the nearest neighbour in the list, known for sparkling wine. Further afield, Toulouse, Béziers, Montpellier, Perpignan and Elne are separate markets, between one and two hours' drive away.

There is no general restriction on foreign buyers. After an offer, you sign a preliminary contract (compromis de vente) with a 10-day cooling-off period, and a notary completes the sale. Notary fees and taxes on resale property are roughly 7% to 8% of the price; they are lower on new builds. Agent fees are usually included in the asking price.

Check the diagnostic reports (asbestos, energy, septic), planning status for any renovation and, for rural property, access rights. Annual property tax (taxe foncière) is payable by owners. See our France guide, financing page and consultation page.