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.

Great value ski chalets and apartments

With the ski season just around the corner, we wanted to highlight some of the great value ski chalets and apartments currently for sale through Ascendant.

If you are looking for a bargain bolthole in the Alps, you might want to consider a superb 1-bedroom apartment in St Gervais les Bains priced at just 85,000 euros. The apartment is located just around the corner from the TMB station: from here there is a train link to the ski slopes of nearby Les Houches and a regular shuttle bus service to the main Saint Gervais lift. The centre of this attractive resort, with its many shops, bars and restaurants, is a mere 5 minutes walk away.

Ski-in, ski-out properties often command a price premium, which makes our 2-bed apartment in La Grande Terche priced at 185,000 euros excellent value for money. There are a number of shops and restaurants in the immediate vicinity and for those that wish to explore the wider Portes du Soleil domain by car the apartment has the advantage of being sold with a covered parking space.

We have just added two new ski chalets to our Portes du Soleil portfolio. The first, a traditional alpine chalet located on the ski bus route into Morzine, is priced at a competitive 399,000 euros. The second chalet, close to the centre of Les Gets, one of the most sought-after Alpine resorts, is available for 490,000 euros.

Down the road in the Grand Massif domain, we are marketing a beautiful farmhouse, only 400m away from one of the main ski lifts in Samoens. The property is split into six apartments which are let out successfully in the winter and summer; each apartment has two bedrooms and its own kitchen. There are also some great mountain views from the sunny, south-facing garden. The price of this property has just dropped to 825,000 euros which we believe offers fantastic value for money. Early viewing recommended!

Portes du Soleil property

We're delighted to announce the addition of a new team member specifically dedicated to property sales in the Portes du Soleil region. Carole Cavet joined the Ascendant team in November and will be covering the property market in Morzine, Les Gets, Saint Jean d'Aulps, Chatel and Avoriaz.

Carole has worked in the Portes du Soleil property market for a number of years and her experience and expertise will further enhance our market presence in this part of the Haute-Savoie. Carole has lived in the Morzine area since 2004 and is on hand for all your property needs, whether it is for viewings during buying trips, valuation and marketing property for sale, recommending mortgage experts and accountants, or assistance with local builders, tradesmen and property management companies.

The decision to have a dedicated Ascendant team member in the Portes du Soleil is due to increasing demand from both buyers and vendors, so watch this space in the coming weeks as new and exciting properties to view are added to the Ascendant website as well as blog items and news on the Portes du Soleil property market.

If you would like to speak to Carole about your property search, or you have a property for sale in the Portes du Soleil area that you would like us to sell for you, please contact us on +33 (0)4 50 10 44 23 or info@ascendant-property.com and let us do the rest.