Interview

Buy a forest in France, Rousselin-Gourmain real estate

Buy a forest in France
Rousselin-Gourmain real estate, Philippe Gourmain

“There are only five or six of us in France who deal in the sale and purchase of forests. But, in fact, our real job is forest management."

"Our buyers come from all walks of life. After the terrible storm that hit many parts of France in1999, and had disastrous repercussions on the forests throughout the country, the price continued to increase. It began in early 1997 and prices continued to rise, despite the fact that the price of wood dropped after the storm. Real estate was not affected and continued to climb, which is proof that clients who are not concerned with forest production, continued to take an interest in forests."

"The price of a forest can vary tenfold or even fivefold in the same region. The sales price is determined by how much wood is avaiable and how accessible the forest is. In the mountains, for example, some absolutely magnificent sites are sold for less than 1,500 euros/hectare, which is very cheap, while other forests sell for 11,000 to 13,000 euros/hectare because they are production sites and what you are really buying is a company.”

“French rural areas attract many foreigners. The demand for wood worldwide is continually increasing and timber construction has come into fashion again. The prices are very high for most species. There is no reason to worry about the price of wood in the future. Forests are a good investment, but the main attraction is Mother Nature. You really do have to care about the forest to make the investment!"

« French rural areas attract many foreigners. »