Yes. Buyers living abroad can finance a flat in the centre of Aix-en-Provence or a bastide in the countryside around it with a French mortgage, commonly at 70–80% for strong files from the UK, Ireland, the EU or Switzerland and 50–70% for others. Country houses with land are valued with more caution than town flats, and works must be quoted to be financed. Parents buying a flat for a student are assessed on their own income, since the bank will not count rent from their child.
What buyers from abroad look at in Aix
A mortgage in Aix-en-Provence finances two quite different purchases. In town, buyers look at apartments in the old centre and in the Mazarin quarter, laid out in the 17th century with its grand townhouses. Outside it, they look at bastides, the large country houses of Provence, set in their own grounds towards Puyricard, Le Tholonet or the Montagne Sainte-Victoire.
The PAP price observatory put the average price in Aix at €5,002 per m² in May 2026, and €5,688 in the Mazarin quarter. A valuer can price a town flat from recent sales in the same streets. A bastide has fewer comparable sales, so the valuation takes longer and can come in under the agreed price.
Bastides, land and works
A bastide can come with hectares of land, a pool, outbuildings and a long drive. Valuers focus on the house and the grounds around it, and may give little weight to land that would not add to the resale price. Older bastides also tend to need roofs, wiring or heating redone. Lenders finance works when French contractors have quoted them (devis) before the loan offer, and pay that part out against invoices.
Houses in the wooded hills around Aix can be subject to legal brush-clearing duties, which the état des risques attached to the sale will show. Our Provence guide covers septic system reports and the SAFER, which also apply to country property here.
If the valuation comes in under the price, the bank lends on the lower figure and the gap comes from your deposit. Ask for a loan condition of at least 60 days in the compromis, since a non-resident file usually takes six to ten weeks to reach an offer and a bastide's valuation can add time. A bastide priced above €1.3 million can also bring the wealth tax on property (IFI) into play, and French Tax Online can check your position before you sign.
Buying a flat for a student in Aix
PAP counts around 80,000 students at Aix-Marseille University, and several of its campuses are in the south of Aix. Some parents living abroad buy a studio or one-bedroom flat for a child rather than pay rent for three or four years.
The bank assesses the parents as borrowers on their own income. Rent from your child is not counted, and the flat is treated as a second home. A small flat can fall under a lender's minimum loan for non-residents, commonly €100,000–250,000, so a larger deposit, or buying in cash, is sometimes simpler. If you later let the flat to other students, verified rent from a lease can be counted, often at around 70%. Our buy-to-let guide explains how.
Running costs: no second-home surcharge in Aix
Aix-en-Provence does not apply a surcharge on the council tax for second homes, while neighbouring Marseille applies the maximum 60%. You still pay the standard council tax on a second home and the property tax. In the old centre, co-ownership charges and works on facades and roofs belong in the budget, so ask for the minutes of recent general meetings.
For a bastide, budget for the pool, the grounds and any brush clearing each year. A bank looks at what is left to live on after your repayments, and these costs come out of the same income.
Next steps in Aix-en-Provence
The eligibility check takes five minutes. Tell us whether you are buying a town flat, a student flat or a bastide, and we will introduce you to one English-speaking broker who places files in the Bouches-du-Rhône. French Notaires in Aix-en-Provence can find you an English-speaking notaire. To compare a town flat with a country house, use the mortgage calculator.
Your purchase deed is signed before a notaire. French Notaires matches English speakers with a bilingual notaire nearby, free of charge: Notaires in Aix-en-Provence.
Questions
Can I get a mortgage to buy a bastide near Aix-en-Provence?
Yes. Banks lend on country houses on the usual non-resident terms, though the valuation can take longer and come in under the price. Quoted renovation works can be included in the loan.
Can I buy a flat in Aix for my child at university with a French mortgage?
Yes. The bank assesses you, the parents, on your own income and treats the flat as a second home, so no rent from your child is counted.
How much does an apartment in Aix-en-Provence cost per square metre?
The PAP price observatory put the city average at €5,002 per m² in May 2026, and €5,688 in the Mazarin quarter. Individual streets and buildings vary widely.
Do second homes in Aix-en-Provence pay extra council tax?
No surcharge applies in Aix, unlike Marseille, which applies the maximum 60%. The standard council tax on second homes and the property tax still apply.