The average price per m² in Drap is 3 013 €/m² for an apartment, based on actual notarised (DVF) sales. About 26 transactions are recorded each year.
Drap, a municipality of the lower Paillon valley, a few kilometres north-east of Nice, in the Alpes-Maritimes.
In Drap, the average price of an apartment stands at 3 013 €/m². That average covers both older dwellings in the centre, often in small blocks or terraced village houses, and more recent schemes built on the lower, built-up parts of the municipality. Demand comes largely from households who work in Nice and look for a home more affordable than in the city centre or on the coast, while staying a few minutes from the conurbation. The value of a property here varies above all with its aspect and its view, the presence of outdoor space or a garage, and closeness to the roads that serve the valley. A recent dwelling with parking sells clearly above an older studio without outdoor space.
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 closeness of Nice and the continuing growth of the conurbation carry demand in Drap, which offers a compromise between access to the city centre and a more measured price, around 3 013 €/m² for an apartment. Working people employed in Nice who do not want or cannot afford to buy there naturally look towards this part of the Paillon valley.
The relief of the valley and the areas exposed to flooding risk nonetheless limit buildable land, which contains the renewal of supply. The municipality also remains marked by its business calling, with warehouse and retail zones that coexist with housing rather than a purely residential market.
Drap sits clearly behind the prices seen in Nice, and further still behind those of La Turbie and Èze, two nearby municipalities turned towards a more upmarket segment. That gap is explained by the position of Drap on the valley floor, away from the coast and its sea views.
Drap appears in the early Middle Ages around a castle built on former Roman fortifications, not far from the ancient road that linked Cimiez to La Turbie. From the sixteenth century, the village gradually moved towards the banks of the Paillon, giving up its hilltop position to settle on the valley floor, closer to the farmland and the transport routes.
In the eighteenth century, the municipality grew around weaving: cloth makers settled there and traded sheets and linen fabrics, an activity that lastingly marked the name of the village. Silk farming, with the raising of silkworms and the growing of mulberry trees, also spread in the Condamine quarter.
Since integrated into the Nice conurbation, Drap is today a residential and business municipality of the lower Paillon valley, where housing stands alongside warehouse zones and small companies. Its population has risen clearly in recent years, carried by the immediate closeness of Nice.
Drap has 5 484 inhabitants. The municipality mainly attracts main-residence buyers, often families or working people employed in Nice who look for a home cheaper than in the city while staying close to their workplace. Second homes remain marginal, the municipality not having the tourist profile of the neighbouring coast. Demand focuses mainly on apartments in small blocks with a balcony or terrace, and on a few village houses or bungalows on the heights for families looking for more space. Parking and easy access to the roads towards Nice often count as much as floor area in the choice of a property.
The average price of an apartment in Drap stands at 3 013 €/m². That figure varies with the age of the property, its aspect and the presence of outdoor space or a garage. A personalised valuation refines that price for a specific dwelling.
Drap lies about 9 km north-east of Nice, following the road along the Paillon. The municipality is served by a railway halt on the line that climbs the valley, which makes commuting to Nice easier.
The immediate closeness of Nice, the presence of business and warehouse zones that maintain local employment, and prices more accessible than on the coast support demand. The municipality also benefits from the general growth of the Nice conurbation.
Supply is split between apartments in small blocks, terraced village houses close to the old centre, and a few detached houses on the upper parts of the municipality. Large recent developments remain few.
Part of the valley floor is affected by the flooding risk of the Paillon, a point to check through the prevention plan before any purchase on the ground floor. Parking can also be constrained in the densest areas, and the view or the aspect vary a great deal from one property to another depending on its position on the slope.
This analysis is published by Immover, an independent observatory founded by Antony Barbier. Data sourced from official sources (DVF, INSEE, Notaries of France).