Financing a villa in Saint-Tropez and the Gulf

Saint-Tropez prices and who lends

The SeLoger price index put the average price of a house in Saint-Tropez at €22,123 per m² on 1 February 2026, and €11,342 per m² for an apartment. At that level a 150 m² house comes to more than €3 million, before purchase costs.

Retail banks rarely lend such sums to buyers living abroad, and private banks fill the gap. They look at your wealth as much as your income, and they usually want part of your assets placed with them for the life of the loan. Apartments and village houses at lower prices can still go to a retail bank with an international desk, on the standard terms of 70–80% for strong files from the UK, Ireland, the EU or Switzerland and 50–70% for others.

How a private bank structures the loan

A private bank loan is built around your assets. The bank may lend a large share of the price if you place investments with it, and less if you do not. Interest-only loans (prêt in fine), where the capital is repaid in one sum at the end, are common, as are variable rates. The bank often takes a pledge over the investments as well as a charge on the villa.

Compare offers on the total cost: the rate, the fees, the return you give up on the pledged assets and any minimum balance. A broker who works with private banks can put two or three offers side by side. Some buyers purchase through an SCI, a French property company, and our SCI guide explains how banks lend to one.

The Gulf villages: Grimaud, Cogolin and Sainte-Maxime

Around the Gulf of Saint-Tropez, prices are lower and the market is broader. Houses on the canals of Port Grimaud, apartments in Sainte-Maxime and village houses in Cogolin or Grimaud often fit within a retail bank's range. Banks still value them on resale, and a home used only in summer, in a resort full of second homes, can take longer to sell.

Purchase costs of 7–8.5% on an existing home come from your own funds. On a new apartment they fall to around 2–3%, and the price is paid in stages as the building goes up.

Wildfire risk and brush clearing

Much of the land behind the Gulf is forest and maquis, and the Var is exposed to summer fires. Where a house stands in or within 200 metres of classified woodland or scrub, the owner must clear brush over 50 metres around the buildings (obligations légales de débroussaillement), and the mayor can extend that to 100 metres. The cleared area can reach onto a neighbour's land.

Since 1 January 2025, sellers must flag the risk from the advert onwards, and the state-of-risks report (état des risques) attached to the sale states whether the clearing duty applies. Read it before the compromis, budget for the clearing every year, and check the home insurance terms, since lenders commonly ask for cover to be in place at completion.

Second-home tax and summer letting

Saint-Tropez applies the maximum 60% surcharge on the council tax for second homes, on the town's share of the tax. Many owners let for part of the summer, and every furnished tourist let must now be registered through the national online service. A private bank looks at your assets and income rather than villa rent, and a retail bank counts only rent it can verify.

If your French property is worth more than €1.3 million net, the wealth tax on property (IFI) applies. French Tax Online can check the position before you sign.

Next steps for Saint-Tropez

Use the eligibility check and give the price range and your assets as well as your income. We will introduce you to one English-speaking broker who places files with private banks and retail lenders on the coast, and matching is free. French Notaires in Saint-Tropez can connect you with an English-speaking notaire. For apartments, villas and SCIs along the rest of the Riviera, see our Côte d'Azur guide.

Questions