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.

2-bed ski apartment, 96 000 euros

New to the market, this two bedroom apartment in St Gervais is sure to be popular.

The apartment is in a quiet location close to the ski slopes; in summer there is a swimming pool and tennis courts on site. St Gervais is part of the Evasion Mont Blanc ski domain and is linked by lift to its prestigious neighbour, Megeve. We expect this apartment to sell quickly. For more information, or to arrange a viewing, 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!

Property price report

Recent figures in the September edition of l'Express magazine show that property prices in the French Alps have held up well in the face of the global crisis. Aided by a wealthy international client base, low interest rates and tax breaks for French buyers, the property market in Haute-Savoie remains relatively stable despite a decrease of 20-30% in the overall volume of sales.

In the region's capital, Annecy, prices of resale apartments have fallen by an average of 4%. Compared to the French national average of -10%, this represents an encouraging performance for the "Venice of the Alps". The outstanding quality of life the town has to offer combined with continued investment by local and international businesses has contributed to Annecy's popularity with buyers. Lakeside villages and apartments in the central "Golden Triangle" of Annecy centre are still sought after locations and properties in popular residential suburbs such as Annecy-le-Vieux continue to successfully outperform the national average.

Globally property prices of resale apartments in Haute-Savoie have decreased by an average of 4%, however ski resorts have fared more favourably and prices have slipped by an average of less than 3%. Some resorts have reported price increases, such as Chamonix, Les Houches, Samoens and Manigod, whilst others have seen a slight decline. Morzine and Saint Gervais property prices are almost at a standstill at -1%, whilst Le Grand Bornand, La Clusaz and Les Contamines are showing minimal declines of 2-3%.

Whilst many agents will certainly be grumbling about a decrease in the volume of overall sales, most agree that the months since the end of April 2009 have shown increased activity in both the number of buyers entering the market to start their property search and the number of monthly sales agreed. In recent weeks we have seen a flurry of activity as confidence returns to both the banks and buyers and a number of great-value, high quality properties have recently sold.

The ski resorts of the French Alps have always had a shortage of property for sale and despite the global crisis there was not a sudden influx of distressed stock into the marketplace - the Alps is a second home market with affluent owners, unless a major change in personal circumstances forces a sale, many would-be vendors are biding their time and holding off marketing their property.

The current market position is good news for buyers - there is still a greater selection of property on the market than in previous years and there is a hugely varying degree of negotiation possible dependant on the personal circumstances of the vendors. Interest rates with the French banks we work with are at a record low, French buyers have re-entered the market and the general consensus is that the alpine property market is starting to pick up again. With the busy buying months before the ski season ahead of us, now is a great time to invest in your dream alpine property.