inTERnaTiOnal
Ski slopes
– are prices on ice or are they sliding?
Andrea Kirkby looks at the off-piste property market
and looks at how it’s surviving a very cold winter.
kiing has become a passion Where is cool? by 20 per cent at least, and in some cases
S
among the British. Unfortunately Alpine Homes deals with the two by 50 per cent. That means, “The French
Britain is not exactly well traditional ski markets for British buyers - Alps are looking better value than they
provided with snow – or at least, France and Switzerland - as well as with have done for some time.” However, a lot
not reliably. For us, ski properties Austrian property. Rollason says the Alps of new developments were stopped during
overseas are always in demand. are still the favoured market for British the recession, so it’s difficult for agents to
The recession, though, meant that estate buyers, and for a good reason. “The Alps tell what is happening in terms of pricing.
agents selling ski properties were facing are very accessible. People go to the US He also notes that each resort is
an uphill task in 2009. But things have now skiing, but it’s a long way and has become different. For instance Courchevel hasn’t
picked up, according to Jeremy Rollason, expensive with the fall of the pound.” fallen by the same margin as more tourist
MD of Alpine Homes in association with He points out that Colorado and the orientated resorts. “The top end,
Savills. “Things changed in July,” he says. major US resorts are no longer cheap, and Courchevel and Megeve, has been more
“The last thing on people’s minds before a property boom in British Columbia has resilient even than Chamonix – thanks
then was buying second homes, until they also made valuations in Canada look partly to Russian buyers.” But there are
knew where they stood. It looks as if the stretched. “Five years ago people were certainly deals to be done in the French
bad news is mainly out now, and we sold saying France is expensive, let’s go and buy Alps, with some developers cutting prices
quite a few properties through the autumn. in North America, particularly in Canada by 50 per cent to shift inventory.
But that’s not to say we’re back to the levels – but we’re not hearing that any more.” Switzerland has never been an easy place
of the boom years.” In France, he believes prices have fallen for foreigners to acquire property, says
FRANCE €8,500,000
Le Cerf Amoureux, in
HAmeAu de nAnt Cruy.
Picture perfect chalet – homes
like this rarely come to
market. Priced at €8,500,000
through Chesterton Humberts.
00 FEBRUARY 2010 PROPERTYdrum
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