The average price per m² in Barby is 3 307 €/m² for an apartment, based on actual notarised (DVF) sales. About 27 transactions are recorded each year.
Ambience illustration of Barby, a commune in the Chambéry conurbation, at the foot of the Bauges massif, in Savoie.
The average apartment price in Barby stands at 3 307 €/m², based on DVF transactions actually recorded by notaries (DVF is the French notarised sales database). This average covers a stock made up mostly of flats, inherited from the strong development of the 1960s and 1970s: apartment buildings and residences, including a notable share of social housing, rounded out by detached houses on the hillsides that climb towards the Bauges massif. The floor level, the exposure, the presence of outdoor space or a garage, the condition of the property and its closeness to Chambéry and to shops make the value of a home vary markedly from one area to another.
Prices from the DVF file (Demandes de valeurs foncières, published by the DGFiP), transactions actually recorded at the notary at municipality level. Cross-referenced with the Notaires de France - INSEE indices. Learn more about our methodology.
The Barby market is first driven by its position as a first-ring commune of Chambéry. The population has clearly grown since the late 1990s, and the commune stays sought after by households who work in the conurbation and want a quieter setting at the foot of the Bauges. This sustained demand, combined with a small territory of 2,48 square kilometres already largely built up, limits available supply. Transactions concentrate on resales of apartments in the existing stock and on the few detached houses, in a market where the scarcity of land weighs on prices.
Several factors keep this price level up. The Grand Chambéry bus network, the closeness of the Chambéry-Challes-les-Eaux station and quick access to the routes of the Alpine corridor make the commune practical for working people. The Chambéry employment area and the presence of the Roc Noir military site feed steady rental and ownership demand. Conversely, the large share of social housing and the weight of the 1960s and 1970s estates pull part of the stock towards more affordable levels, which explains an intermediate average within the conurbation.
Barby sits at an intermediate level within the Chambéry conurbation. The commune is slightly more expensive than Chambéry, the neighbouring prefecture town, and than Barberaz, but stays below Challes-les-Eaux, its immediate neighbour to the south, where prices are higher.
The name Barby derives from the Gallo-Roman Balbiacus, formed on the personal name Balbius followed by the suffix -acum, and appears in early forms such as Balbiacus around 1010, then Balbeio and Balbir in the 11th century. For a long time Barby was among the smallest parishes near Chambéry, a rural village set against the first slopes of the Bauges massif. Its territory, compact at 2,48 square kilometres, rises from 292 to 655 metres of altitude, between the Leysse plain and the wooded heights that overlook the commune. This piedmont position, away from the old main routes, explains the long modest and farming character of the village.
Barby's heritage is dominated by the Château de la Bâtie, a former feudal fortress built from the 13th century on a rocky spur overlooking a bend of the Leysse, at the foot of Mont Peney. The stronghold commanded the old road linking the Combe de Savoie to Seyssel, by way of Chambéry, the Bourget valley and Aix. With its five towers and its remains of fortifications, it is among the best-preserved castles in Savoie and has been partly listed as a historic monument since 6 April 1972. This landmark still overlooks the commune and serves as the starting point for several trails towards the Bauges.
Barby's present face owes above all to its transformation in the 1960s and 1970s. The former rural village then saw rapid development, marked by the building of many blocks of flats, including a large share of social housing, which absorbed the growth of the nearby Chambéry conurbation. The commune, part of the Chambéry urban core, today belongs to Grand Chambéry and lies within the catchment area of Chambéry. The 13th Alpine Light Infantry Battalion is based on the Roc Noir site, at the edge of the commune. This recent history gives Barby the look of a residential inner-suburb commune, more urban than its past as a piedmont parish.
Barby has 3 772 inhabitants. According to INSEE (the national statistics institute), the housing stock is mostly flats: apartments account for about 65 % of homes, against 35 % houses, a split inherited from the buildings put up in the 1960s and 1970s. Primary residences clearly dominate, around 94 % of the stock, with very few second homes, which confirms the commune's year-round residential vocation. Also according to INSEE, owner-occupiers and tenants share the stock in almost equal parts, around half each, with social housing making up a notable share of supply. Buyers are above all households from the Chambéry area, first-time buyers or families looking for a setting close to Chambéry and the Bauges.
The average apartment price in Barby is 3 307 €/m², based on DVF transactions actually completed before notaries. This average hides gaps tied to the floor level, the exposure, the presence of outdoor space or a garage, the condition of the home and its closeness to Chambéry and to shops. A well-located recent apartment and an older home to renovate do not trade at the same level.
The reference price of 3 307 €/m² concerns apartments, by far the majority in the commune because of the 1960s and 1970s buildings. Detached houses, rarer and concentrated on the hillsides climbing towards the Bauges, are aimed at buyers after floor area and outdoor space, and generally trade above the level of apartments. The choice depends above all on budget and intended use.
Barby lies in the first ring around Chambéry, to the east of the conurbation. The commune is connected to Chambéry by the Synchro urban bus network, with several lines serving the centre. The nearest station is Chambéry-Challes-les-Eaux, about five kilometres away, on the Alpine corridor railway line. Road access to Chambéry and the main routes of the Combe de Savoie is quick, which explains the commune's residential appeal.
Yes. Barby rises from the banks of the Leysse, around 290 metres, up to the wooded slopes of the Bauges, above 650 metres. Recent developments, homes close to shops and to Chambéry, and houses with outdoor space or a mountain view are at the top of the range. Older apartments in the large estates inherited from the 1960s and 1970s remain more affordable. Exposure and quiet also play on the value of a property.
The stock is occupied almost entirely year-round, with very few second homes and a low vacancy rate, around 4 % according to INSEE, a sign of a fairly tight market. The immediate closeness of Chambéry and its jobs sustains steady demand from first-time buyers and families. Renovated, well-located properties find a buyer fairly quickly, while homes needing work leave more room for negotiation.
This analysis is published by Immover, an independent observatory founded by Antony Barbier. Data sourced from official sources (DVF, INSEE, Notaries of France).