Buyer's guide — Biot
Buying in Biot
Neighbourhoods · DVF market · schools · taxation · process
Medieval glass-blowing village with artisan heritage, the closest proximity to Sophia Antipolis, and exceptional value on the French Riviera.
La Reserve | Riviera Editorial Team · Market: median €5,804/m² · 262 DVF sales 2020–2025
Why Biot
Biot's story begins with the Knights Templar, who fortified this hilltop in the 13th century. After plague devastated the village in the 14th century, 50 families from Genoa were invited to repopulate it in 1470 — they brought with them the ceramic and pottery skills that would define Biot's artisan identity for centuries. The medieval ramparts, gates, and arcaded streets they built still form the village core today.
The transformation to glass came in 1956, when ceramicist Eloi Monod established the Verrerie de Biot and accidentally created the now-famous "bubble glass" (verre bullé) — mouth-blown glass with trapped air bubbles that catch the Mediterranean light. The technique made Biot internationally renowned, and today the village is home to dozens of glass artists, potters, and sculptors working in studios visitors can tour.
Who moves here
- ·Sophia Antipolis Tech Workers. The closest village to Sophia's main campus. Engineers, founders, and executives choose Biot for the 5-minute commute and authentic village character.
- ·Artists & Creative Professionals. Drawn by the glass-blowing tradition, galleries, and Léger museum. Biot has an artistic identity that sets it apart from neighbouring towns.
- ·Coastal Lifestyle Seekers. Biot is the hinterland village closest to the coast — 8 minutes to Antibes. Ideal for buyers seeking inland prices with coastal convenience.
- ·Value-Conscious Investors. At €5,500/m², Biot offers the best value among four main villages while delivering strong Sophia Antipolis proximity and rental fundamentals.
Biot neighbourhoods
Biot's market splits clearly by neighbourhood. The €/m² gaps below reflect location, walkability to the village core, privacy, and land. These are medians we observe on closed transactions — not asking prices.
| Neighbourhood | Median €/m² | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Vieux Village | €6,800 | Historic medieval core with glass galleries, stone archways, and panoramic views. Walkable, charming, with restaurants and artisan studios. |
| Saint-Julien | €6,200 | Elevated residential sector with private estates and sea views. Family homes with gardens and pools. |
| Les Vignasses | €5,800 | Family-friendly residential area near schools and amenities. Traditional Provençal homes with land. |
| Clausonnes / Sophia | €5,200 | Modern sector adjacent to Sophia Antipolis technology park. Quick A8 access. Ideal for tech professionals. |
| Les Combes | €4,800 | Countryside setting with large plots, olive groves, and peaceful rural charm. Best value for acreage. |
| Route d'Antibes | €5,500 | Convenient location with excellent coastal proximity and good value. Popular with investors. |
Agency market indications. For official DVF medians by year, see recently-sold DVF data for Biot.
Market — DVF data
Every house sale (≥100 m²) in Biot recorded in the DGFiP's DVF database — not a sample, the complete official record of transactions. Period: 2020–2025.
Total sales
262
Median price
€847,500
Median €/m²
€5,804
+2% 2023→2024
5-year change
+6%
For the year-by-year breakdown (2020–2025), the full methodology, surface filter, and DVF pricing caveats, see recently-sold DVF data for Biot. For quarterly context across all 8 communes, see the Q2 2026 market report.
International schools
International school access is the single biggest reason relocating families pick Biot over another hinterland commune. The options below are either in Biot or within a 15-minute drive.
Mouratoglou International School
Tennis Academy & American Curriculum · In Biot
Located in Biot at the heart of Sophia Antipolis. The world's premier tennis academy combined with international academics on a 12-hectare campus with 33 courts. Students balance 10–15 hours of elite tennis training per week with American or French curriculum. Founded by Serena Williams' former coach.
Centre International de Valbonne (CIV)
Baccalauréat Français International & French Bac · 10 min
One of France's most prestigious international schools, 10 minutes from Biot. ~2,300 students from 65 nationalities on a 12-hectare pine forest campus. Offers Baccalauréat Français International and OIB (French Bac with international option) in multiple languages.
Mougins School
British Curriculum, IGCSE & A-Levels · 8 min
Established in 1964, one of the Riviera's longest-running British international schools. 500+ students from 50+ nationalities follow the English National Curriculum through IGCSE and A-Levels.
The Hive Academy
Bilingual American Curriculum · 10 min
Small-class international school in Biot offering an American curriculum with a bilingual French core. Personalised learning with flexible afternoon activities for student athletes.
Lifestyle
Verrerie de Biot
Watch master glass-blowers create the famous Biot "bubble glass" in workshops open to visitors. Galleries showcase mouth-blown art glass, sculpture, and jewellery.
Musée National Fernand Léger
One of the finest single-artist museums in France. 450+ works by the cubist master, housed in a purpose-built museum with monumental facade mosaics. Free entry first Sunday of each month.
Beaches
Antibes and Juan-les-Pins beaches are 8–12 minutes away. The sandy Plage de la Brague (Biot's own beach) sits at the foot of the commune near Marineland.
Val de Brague Walks
The Brague river valley offers shaded walking and cycling trails connecting Biot village to Sophia Antipolis and the coast. Peaceful paths through pine and oak forest.
Golf
- Golf de Biot — 18 holes · Par 69 · Est. 1930 · The oldest course on the Riviera · In Biot
- Royal Mougins Golf Club — 18 holes · Par 71 · Robert von Hagge · 8 linked lakes and waterfall garden · 15 min
- Golf d'Opio Valbonne — 18 holes · Donald Harradine (1966) · 220 hectares protected parkland · 15 min
- Golf de la Grande Bastide — 18 holes · Cabell Robinson · Châteauneuf-de-Grasse, water features · 20 min
Access
- Nice Airport · 20 min
- Antibes · 8 min
- Cannes · 25 min
- Valbonne · 10 min
- Monaco · 40 min
Buying in France
The process
- Offer and compromis de vente. An accepted offer leads to a compromis (preliminary contract) signed before a notaire, with conditional clauses (financing, planning).
- Cooling-off period. 10 calendar days for the buyer — no penalty, no justification required.
- Acte authentique. Final signing 2–3 months later, transfer of title, handover of keys.
Fees and taxes
- Notaire fees: 7–8% of the price on resale property (transfer tax + emoluments + disbursements), ~2–3% on new-build.
- Taxe foncière + taxe d'habitation. Taxe d'habitation has been abolished on primary residences; it still applies to second homes.
- Capital gains on resale: primary-residence exemption applies; for other property, taper relief over 22 years (income tax) and 30 years (social charges). EU/EEA non-residents face the same scale.
- IFI (real-estate wealth tax): due above €1.3M of net taxable real-estate wealth, progressive scale. Non-residents are taxed only on French-located property.
Structuring — SCI vs direct purchase
An SCI (Société Civile Immobilière) is a structure often preferred by non-resident buyers to ease succession, ring-fence the property from personal estate, and organise family ownership. It carries minimal accounting and a tax choice (transparent or corporate). For a one-off second-home purchase with no succession plan, direct ownership is often simpler. The decision is made with your notaire and, ideally, your home-country tax advisor — the foreign-tax consequences can be decisive.
Financing
French banks lend to non-residents on slightly tighter terms than to residents: 25–40% deposit typical, 20–25 year maximum term, international income documentation. Specialised non-resident brokers (Cafpi, Vousfinancer, Maël) compress timelines. Foreign-currency mortgages (GBP, USD) have been uncommon since 2015 — most files close in euros, which also simplifies the compromis and the acte.
Useful terms
For full definitions (compromis, acte, viager, indivision, SCI, IFI, etc.), see our bilingual glossary (50 terms).
Frequently asked questions
What is the average property price in Biot?
The median price per square metre for villas in Biot is approximately €5,500, with the average sale price around €950,000. Prices vary by sector — the Vieux Village commands €6,800/m² for its historic charm, while Clausonnes near Sophia Antipolis offers value at €5,200/m². Les Combes provides countryside properties from €4,800/m².
Is Biot a good investment?
Biot has shown consistent price growth of 3.5% year-on-year. Its unique position straddling Sophia Antipolis with the closest coastal access among hinterland villages drives strong rental demand from tech professionals. At €5,500/m², it represents the best value entry point while maintaining strong appreciation fundamentals.
What is Biot known for?
Biot is internationally famous for its verrerie (glass-blowing) tradition, revived in 1956. The village's "bubble glass" (verre bullé) is exported worldwide. Biot is also home to the Musée National Fernand Léger and holds the distinction of being the original commune where Sophia Antipolis was founded in 1969.
How far is Biot from the coast?
Biot is the closest hinterland village to the coast — just 8 minutes from Antibes. Nice Airport is 20 minutes away via the A8. Cannes is 25 minutes. Biot even has its own beach, the Plage de la Brague, at the southern edge of the commune near Marineland.
Can foreign buyers purchase property in Biot?
Yes. France has no restrictions on non-resident foreign property purchases. You'll need a French tax number (numéro SPI) and should work with a notaire public to handle contracts and registry. Most buyers hire bilingual agents to guide the process. Expect 7–8% in notary and administrative fees on top of the purchase price.
What is the rental market like in Biot?
Biot has a strong rental market driven by Sophia Antipolis professionals and coastal proximity. Annual gross rental yields typically range from 3.5–5.5% for villas, slightly higher than Valbonne due to the tech park adjacency and coastal convenience. Long-term corporate rentals are particularly strong.
What international schools are near Biot?
Mouratoglou International School is located within Biot/Sophia Antipolis, combining elite tennis with American academics. CIV (Centre International de Valbonne) is 10 minutes away offering BFI and French Bac. Mougins School provides British IGCSE and A-Levels. Biot itself has Collège Léonard de Vinci for French state education.
How does Biot compare to Valbonne and Mougins?
Biot offers the lowest entry price of the three (€5,500/m² vs €8,000 in Valbonne and €6,850 in Mougins), the closest proximity to both Sophia Antipolis and the coast, and a unique artisan identity. Valbonne has a larger village centre with a famous Friday market. Mougins is the gastronomic capital with 2-Michelin-star dining. Biot appeals to buyers wanting authenticity, value, and convenience in equal measure.
What is the Verrerie de Biot?
The Verrerie de Biot is the village's celebrated glass-blowing tradition, revived in 1956 by ceramicist Eloi Monod. Known worldwide for its distinctive "bubble glass" (verre bullé), the craft is practised in workshops visitors can tour. The glass is mouth-blown with trapped air bubbles that create a signature luminous effect. It remains Biot's most famous cultural export.
Sources
- Market data — Demandes de Valeurs Foncières (DVF) · https://files.data.gouv.fr/geo-dvf/latest/csv/ · Direction Générale des Finances Publiques (DGFiP) · Licence Ouverte 2.0
- Taxation and process — service-public.fr · service-public.fr / Achat immobilier
- Notaires — Conseil supérieur du notariat · notaires.fr
- Our editorial standards and citation policy