Properties for sale in Les Houches

Over the coming weeks, we will be adding an exciting new range of apartments and chalets for sale in and around the resort of Les Houches, in the Chamonix Valley.

Les Houches is an ever popular destination, thanks to its family friendly ski domain, its pretty village centre, the stunning backdrop of Mont Blanc and its proximity to Chamonix, only 5 minutes away. Access throughout the year is easy: the resort is less than 1 hour's drive from Geneva airport and the road is dual-carriageway the whole way making for a stress-free arrival in all seasons. There is an excellent public transport network, with regular buses to Chamonix and trains to the TGV station at St Gervais - Le Fayet and other resorts including Argentiere and Vallorcine.

The ski domain is 55km in size and there are two main lifts in the resort centre: the Bellevue cable car and the Prarion gondola.

Here is a taste of the properties that will be added to our website very shortly.

Apartments:

(1) A three-level apartment just a short walk from the Prarion ski lift and the pretty Lac des Chavants. The property sleeps 6-8 people comfortably and has two bathrooms. It is on the market at 175,000 euros.

(2) A new apartment, 43m2 and only 2 minutes walk from the Prarion lift. Sold with seasonal rentals in place. Great value at 250,000 euros.

(3) A gorgeous 2-bed apartment in a sought-after residence built by well-respected developer MGM in 2006 (pictured). In excellent condition throughout and sold with a private garage, the apartment is on the market at 320,000 euros and benefits from reduced notaires fees.

Chalets:

(4) In a quiet residential street, in the centre of the village, a chalet dating back to the 1930's. In need of some renovation, the property has heaps of character and potential and is available for 498,000 euros.

(5) A luxurious 250m2 chalet which has been renovated to a very high standard by its current owners. There are stunning views of the Mont Blanc massif. Sale price is 1.1m euros.

Contact Ascendant now to find out more about the attractions of buying property in Les Houches - or why not register now to ensure you receive details of the new properties as soon as they go live?

Les Gets - new ski property!

The village of Les Gets in the Portes du Soleil has been participating in a major development called "Project Village 2003-2013" for the past 6 years, with a view to protect the natural environment and develop an eco-tourism programme which will benefit the local area for many years to come.

The village experienced a boom in tourism in the early 2000s and this put pressure on the local infrastructure, in particular water supply, drainage and road traffic. As a result the Les Gets town hall took the decision to put in place an action plan to rigorously address the situation.

The first and most critical steps from a buyers perspective was the immediate revision of the town planning rules (Plan Local d'Urbanisme), to restrict future development within the village and surrounding area. Despite growing demand from buyers and developers, the town hall imposed a strict limit on the number of planning permissions granted over the past 5 years, which effectively froze all new building. The mairie then used this time to invest in the water supply and sewage systems in Les Gets, which had come under immense pressure due to the quantity of new properties and tourist numbers in the winter and summer seasons.

Recently the work was finished and the town hall has been able to grant new permits for builders and developers. The Les Gets property market is now seeing the benefits of their efforts with a limited number of superb new build apartment residences planned for the village centre. The residences are all low-rise, high-quality constructions built in a traditional alpine style to blend naturally with this charming, historical village. For details of a selection of the new projects planned, please click on the links below:

Le Schuss

Le Champe

Eden Roc

Le Cristal

Chalune

Le Passafranc

The town hall has also invested heavily in public transport, creating a number of car parks on the outskirts of the village which are serviced by free buses. The aim is to encourage locals and tourists to use public transport wherever possible and to protect the peace and charm of the village centre.

Les Gets has implemented plans to protect its forests which cover over a third of the territory. Wood is a vital asset to the village, whether it is for building chalets, supplying other parts of the region, or firewood and it is seen as an important renewable energy.

The ski lifts at Les Gets are also signing up to the effort. SAGETS is investing heavily in durable tourism and the Les Gets ski lifts are now certified ISO 9001 with ISO 14001 in the pipeline. Consequently the ski lifts are signed up to an ongoing programme of eco-tourism set to last for many years to come.

For details on property for sale in Les Gets, please contact the Ascendant team.

250 euro reward for buyers!

To celebrate the excellent snow conditions in the French Alps, Ascendant is offering a 250 Euro reward to those customers that make a property viewing appointment with us this winter and subsequently go on to purchase one of the properties viewed.

To benefit from this special offer, simply book an appointment between January 21st and April 30th 2010. Appointments can be made by calling the Ascendant team on 0844 555 3274 (UK) or +33 (0)4 50 10 44 23 (International).

With an extensive range of apartments and chalets for sale across the major ski and lakeside resorts of the French Alps, and an expanding network of partner agents, you can be confident that Ascendant will help you to locate your ideal property, whether it is a permanent, holiday or investment home.

We pride ourselves on spending time getting to know your requirements before your trip - we don't want to waste your time showing you unsuitable properties when there is all that snow to enjoy!

If you do purchase a property through Ascendant following your appointment, we will give you a 250 Euro reward. The reward, payable on successful completion of the purchase, will be in the form of vouchers of your choice from a list of well known retailers such as Amazon, Ikea, John Lewis, Marks and Spencer and lastminute.com: the ideal way to start kitting out your new alpine home, or perhaps to pay for your next trip to the area.

What's more, as a valued Ascendant buyer, you will not only benefit from comprehensive post-sales assistance from our experienced team in the Alps but also be able to add to your rewards by taking part in our Ascendant Ambassador programme. This new programme enables you to earn up to 500 Euros for every new buyer (friends, family, work colleagues etc.) that you recommend to us.

For more details about these exciting offers and to book your appointment, contact the Ascendant team now.

St Gervais: ski and spa properties

It may be less well known than its prestigious neighbours, Chamonix and Megeve, but we think that St Gervais is an excellent choice for international property purchasers looking to buy a home in the French Alps. Part of the extensive Evasion Mont Blanc ski domain, St Gervais is also linked to Les Houches and the resorts of the Chamonix Valley by train. The town has its very own thermal baths, open to visitors throughout the year, which offer a range of treatments. The town centre is packed with attractive turn of the century buildings, like the one shown, and there are some great shops, bars and restaurants to explore. Importantly, property prices here are a fraction of those in Chamonix and Megeve and rental potential is excellent in both winter and summer.


Ascendant offers a wide range of apartments and chalets for sale in the St Gervais area. With our network of local contacts we can generally find you the property you are looking for, so why not contact us to find out more about the benefits of buying in St Gervais and to discuss your requirements.


To whet your appetite, here are just a few examples of properties currently for sale through Ascendant:

• A lovely 2-bed apartment in a period building near the centre. The property is full of character with high ceilings and parquet floors.
• A new 2-bed apartment with 3 balconies and stunning mountain views.
• New-build 3-bed apartments in the centre of resort - only two remaining!
• A stylish penthouse apartment in the centre of resort, with over 170m2 of living space.
• A converted mill-house, just outside town, with further renovation potential.
• An adorable alpine chalet, overlooking St Gervais and close to the pistes at St Nicolas, with 6 bedrooms and over 3000m2 of land.

Work in the Alps

Are you living in the French Alps and looking for work, or are you planning to move to the region? We are looking for motivated and dedicated people to join the team at Ascendant to expand our business in the area.

We would currently like to hear from people that are interested in working in the real estate market in the following resorts:

- Samoens and the Grand Massif
- Chamonix and Chamonix Valley
- Annecy / Lake Annecy and La Clusaz / the Aravis

The French real estate industry is highly regulated and to work legally you need to either qualify as a French estate agent or work under the guarantees and contract of a French estate agent.

Ascendant has been registered in Haute-Savoie since 2006 and we are looking for independent agents to represent our brand in the above resorts. The agents will be self-employed and Ascendant head office in Annecy will provide contracts, systems and marketing support for you to establish your business and operate legally. We will also supply training in the French sales process and put you in contact with a number of invaluable local partners that will provide assistance in running your business. Ascendant already has a presence in each of the above resorts and business expansion now requires a dedicated team member to cover each part of the region.

We are looking for people with excellent communication skills that have fluent written and spoken English and a good level of written and spoken French. You will need to have a real passion for the mountains and want to make a full time move to the region if you don't live here already. Most of our clients travel to us from the UK, so flexible working hours are essential as well as the ability to transport clients around properties once they arrive in resort. You will need to be highly self-motivated and have the confidence to work in a sales environment.

If you love the French Alps and you can see yourself establishing a successful business under the direction of one of the leading international agencies in the area, please send us a CV and covering letter to jobs@ascendant-property.com and we will be in touch.

Christmas & New Year opening times

We wish all our clients and partners a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Our opening times over the festive period are below.

Christmas and New Year opening times:

24th to 27th December inclusive: Office closed

1st January: Office closed

If you would like to contact us whilst our offices are closed you can reach us by email at info@ascendant-property.com or leave a message on +33 (0)4 50 10 44 23.

In 2010 our opening times are:
Tuesday to Friday: 09:00 to 18:00

Saturday: 09:00 to 17:00

We look forward to seeing you in 2010!

Worldwide access to the Alps

When you are considering where to purchase a holiday or investment property abroad, an important factor is probably going to be the relative ease of access from your nearest airport.

We are fortunate in Haute-Savoie to have a range of international airports within easy driving distance. Geneva airport is the main gateway to the area, located 30 minutes from our head office in Annecy and approximately one hour's drive from the main ski resorts we cover (Portes du Soleil, Grand Massif, Chamonix, Evasion Mont Blanc and the Aravis). There are also international airports at Chambery (ideal for our 3 Valleys properties), Grenoble and Lyon.

Geneva airport, located on the French/Swiss border, is one of Europe's busiest airports. The terminal has just undergone the first phase of a 250million CHF overhaul. There are regular, scheduled flights every week to over 100 destinations in Europe, Asia, North America and Africa.

It is possible to fly direct to most European cities with national airlines such as Swiss, BA and Air France. Low-cost carrier Easyjet also operates to 34 European and North African destinations from Geneva.

There are daily flights to the Middle East with Etihad (Abu Dhabi) and Qatar Airways (Doha) and onward connections to cities in Asia and Australia.

For those crossing the Atlantic there are direct services to New York (Swiss, Continental), Washington (United) and Montreal (Air Canada).

There are also many scheduled services to destinations in North Africa and a twice-weekly connection to the island of Mauritius.

Ascendant is a leading international estate agency based in Annecy, France with property for sale in ski resorts such as Chamonix, Morzine, Megeve, La Clusaz and St Martin de Belleville as well as around Lake Annecy. Our customers come from all around the world, attracted by the beautiful Alpine scenery, extensive range of activities on offer throughout the year and easy access. We look forward to welcoming you to the French Alps soon.