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.

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.

Running a business in the Alps

For many people the thought of running a ski chalet in the French Alps is the ultimate job; a tantalising dream of being able to live and work in a beautiful part of the world and enjoy the surroundings throughout the whole ski and summer seasons.

In recent years this dream has become a reality for many British ex-pats and there is a thriving industry of privately-owned chalets and rental properties out there catering for tourists throughout the winter and summer months. Occasionally these properties come up for sale; mostly due to changes in personal circumstances or the pursuit of new and exciting projects in the local area. Each chalet for sale is an exciting opportunity for someone to take over the reins and make the move to France; to be self-employed, financially independent and to make the most of the fabulous quality of life in the mountains.

After a quieter winter buying season British buyers have recently started to return to the area in higher numbers and property prices have stabilised. If you are in the market for a ski chalet to run for guests this is an excellent time to snap one up, before prices start to rise.

We have a selection of properties that are either currently being operated as successful chalet businesses or that have been built with this purpose in mind. As a starting point have a look at the properties below in the Portes du Soleil area of the region. As well as two very spacious chalets which offer a huge amount of accommodation, including private quarters for the chalet hosts and at a reasonable price, we have a fabulous newly constructed property that was built with holiday guests in mind in central Morzine.

14-bed chalet in SAint Jean d'Aulps

7-bed chalet in Saint Jean d'Aulps

5-bed chalet in central Morzine

If you are planning to make the move to France to buy a ski property to run as a business then please get in touch to find out more about how we can help you achieve your dream.