by Elaine Ferguson, Head of the OverseasGuidesCompany.com Resource Centre
Skiers with a nose for a good deal could return from their winter break in the Alps with more than aching muscles this year, thanks to highly favourable market conditions making property in French resorts – most of which open for the season this weekend – especially attractive to British buyers.
“A strong Pound and very low interest rates on euro mortgages, combined with major infrastructure investment in a number of resorts and a Government taking measures to stimulate its property market are all signs that now could be a good time to invest in a ski home in France for the long-term,”
“Resorts in the spotlight right now include Chatel, where two new ski lifts linking the massifs of Super-Châtel and Linga provide skiers with easy access to 650 kilometres of slopes on a total of 285 pistes, open this season. Elsewhere, Les Deux Alpes has plenty to offer, after being named best resort in Europe at the recent 2015 World Snow Awards, noted for its good all-round choice of skiing, off-piste amenities and selection of restaurants and bars. And Les Menuires was crowned best family resort, thanks largely to its tranquil location and access to a large skiing area.”
“An added attraction of buying French ski property is the option of leaseback. Under this Government-backed scheme, you own an apartment that is fully managed by a holiday management firm that also pays you a fixed annual return and allows you pre-agreed amount of personal use. Meanwhile, last month, the French Government introduced tax relief measures to banks offering new zero-interest mortgages, with the intention that this fuels a recovery in the housing market there.”