10 of the best alpine properties

I'm often asked by our customers: if you had the money to invest, which property would you buy?

Well, here is a list of my current Top Ten alpine properties, with prices ranging from 85,000 euros up to 2.95 million.

Best balcony view:
Studio apartment, St Gervais, 85,000 euros
This attractive apartment has a large and sunny balcony with breathtaking views of St Gervais village, the Mont Blanc range and the Rochers de Fiz.

Best for rental potential:
2-bed apartment, Samoens, 189,000 euros
A real bargain! Benefiting from reduced notaires fees, this two bedroom apartment is in excellent condition. With a good lettings history in place, you can expect to make over 15,000 euros per annum in rental income.

Best for ski-in, ski-out:
2-bed apartment, Morzine, 190,000 euros
Right next to the Nyon cable car, offering direct access to the Morzine / Les Gets ski domain, this great value duplex apartment sleeps up to 6 people.

Best small business opportunity:
8-bed house, Samoens, 540,000 euros
Located close to Samoens, and on the ski-bus route, this property is split into 3 self-contained apartments. There is also potential to renovate another building on site.

Best large family home:
7-bed chalet, St Jean d'Aulps, 750,000 euros
Warm, welcoming and wonderful views! A great family home in the Portes du Soleil that could also be run as a small catered chalet operation.

Best investment opportunity:
12-bed house, Samoens 825,000 euros
This beautiful property (pictured) is only 400m from the Vercland ski lift in Samoens. Divided into 6 two-bed apartments, and with a separate small chalet on the grounds, there are numerous investment opportunities to be explored: seasonal rentals, development and re-sale, conversion back into a family home. Huge potential for the price tag.

Best penthouse apartment:
4-bed apartment, Morzine, 880,000 euros
200m from the Super Morzine lift and a similar distance from the Pleney pistes, this apartment will occupy the entire top floor of a new apartment residence. Completion scheduled for spring / summer 2011; it is still possible to add your own personal touch at this early stage.

Best luxury apartment:
4-bed apartment, St Martin de Belleville, 1.044m euros
This new build apartment offers approximately 120m2 of living space. The design is authentically alpine and there are high quality fixtures and fittings throughout. Only 300m from the ski lifts of the 3 Valleys ski domain.

Best for an extended family:
9-bed house, Annecy, 1.354m euros
A beautiful stone-built alpine farmhouse, renovated to a high standard and offering three separate living spaces: ideal for an extended family, or for running a chambre d'hote business close to Annecy. There is around 600m2 of living space and a swimming pool in the attractive gardens surrounding the property.

Best luxury chalet:
6-bed chalet, Megeve, 2.95m euros
The ultimate in luxury in that most upmarket of alpine ski resorts, Megeve. Recently renovated to an extremely high standard, this property is walking distance from the village centre.

The snow has arrived!

All thoughts of the summer's seemingly endless heat wave are well and truly behind us after the first heavy snowfall of the season hit the northern French Alps this week.

With temperatures falling and heavy precipitation on the cards for the weekend, the next few days promise plenty more snow as autumn crosses over to the winter season.

The mountains were cloaked in beautiful colours of vibrant red, amber and yellow this autumn and up until last week temperatures remained mild enough to venture out without a coat during the day. However it was a very different story during viewing trips in Morzine, Les Gets and Samoens this week, when we were caught out by sudden flurries of snow!

In the various mountain resorts preparations for the start of the winter season are well underway and the build up to Christmas week (dare we even mention Christmas yet?) has begun.

If you're avidly following every last flake of snow as it falls, try the website www.snow-forecast.com - a useful source of information.

If you're planning a trip to the French Alps this winter to look for property for sale, or you have a property you would like to sell, please contact us and we'll be happy to help.

Bargain ski apartments for sale

With the new ski season around the corner, we wanted to highlight some of the great value ski apartments for sale through Ascendant Property.

For those looking for a low maintenance, easy access bolthole in the Alps, we have a number of studio apartments for sale in the Evasion Mont Blanc domain. Prices start at 69,000 euros for a 20m2 apartment near the lifts in Combloux. There is another bargain studio to be had in nearby St Gervais, for sale at 75,000 euros.

If you prefer the convenience of a separate bedroom, we are currently marketing a superb apartment in Les Contamines for 108,000 euros. The property, which has a lovely balcony, is walking distance from the shops, bars and restaurants of this sought-after resort and on the ski bus route to the lifts of Les Contamines and St Gervais / Megeve.

Prices for 2 bedroom apartments tend to start at 200,000 euros in the French Alps but we have a number of options below this level. For example, we are pleased to be able to offer for sale a beautiful apartment in the centre of Samoens for only 199,950 euros. It is close to the Grand Massif Express ski lift and is sold fully furnished with underground parking. Best of all, as it is less than 5 years old, you pay reduced notaires fees on the purchase.

Our best priced 3-bed apartment is found back in St Gervais. Sleeping up to 8 people, this great value duplex property is in the centre of resort and can be snapped up for 200,000 euros.

All these properties are available and if purchased during September (or early October) can be handed over in time for Christmas 2009 and the new ski season. This is just a small selection of the apartments we currently have for sale in the most popular ski resorts in the French Alps. Please contact the Ascendant team to find out more.

Samoens bargains

Spring is in the air in the valleys of the French Alps, the sun is shining and the first of the springtime flowers are bursting out in a riot of colour. Up in the mountains it's a very different story and the deep snow is still providing excellent coverage over the ski pistes.

It's a fabulous time of year to hit the slopes; there's something so gratifyingly indulgent about enjoying a hearty alpine lunch on a chalet terrace in the blazing sunshine - drinking in those never-ending mountain views and whiling away the time relaxing in a deckchair or burning it all off on-piste - especially if the rest of the world is at work!

This week I was in the Grand Massif ski domain visiting property with some clients and they were totally bowled over by the area, the variety of activities available for holiday makers and the value for money that this part of the French Alps currently offers. There are some excellent springtime bargains out there and they certainly won't be around forever.

Already this month we have seen a huge increase in the number of contacts from prospective buyers and it's shaping up to be an excellent second quarter. Our contacts across the region are reporting a similar story, so it's a case of get in there quick, before the bargains are snapped up by other savvy buyers. As mortgage rates are at the lowest we've seen for a good while (our French mortgage contacts are offering rates from as little as 3.75% variable) you can even off-set your sterling-euro exposure for a few months - and perhaps clear the loan without penalty when the exchange rate strengthens. It's an excellent time to buy property in the French Alps, so why not strike whilst the raclette pan is hot?

To see a selection of the fantastic property we have for sale in Samoens in the Grand Massif, take a look at the following reference numbers on Ascendant's Buy Property page:

Reference 1327718 - 179,950 euros
In Samoens centre, two double bedrooms, large balcony, parking and ski locker.

Reference 1407041 - 220,000 euros
Samoens centre, newly built, 2 bedrooms, terrace, fully furnished and equipped, underground parking, cellar and ski locker, rental returns of minimum 5% p.a. and reduced notaires fees.

Reference 1254105 - 227,900 euros
Central location, two bedrooms, sunny terrace, ski locker, private garage, immaculate condition.

Reference 1414530 - 249,000 euros
Samoens centre, in a charming character building, 2 double bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, sold fully furnished and equipped.

If you'd like to arrange a viewing of the above property, please contact the Ascendant team.

For more information on Samoens and the Grand Massif area, please visit our Area Guide.

Snow conditions

The ski resorts of Haute-Savoie have been enjoying some of the best snow conditions for many years and with heavy snow forecast over the next few days it looks set to continue well into the season.

In the run up to Christmas 2008 plenty of snow fell over the northern French Alps enabling the ski resorts to open as early as late November. For the team here at Ascendant, the January weeks that follow the holiday rush often offer some of the best skiing the area has to offer, with crystal clear blue skies, empty ski pistes and al fresco dining against a backdrop of snow clad peaks.

Last Monday we headed over to Les Gets for the day, the week before we were in La Clusaz and this coming Monday (weather permitting, we have become fair weather skiers now it's right on our doorstep) we’ll be going to Les Contamines Montjoie. We make it our mission to ski as much of the Haute-Savoie area during the winter, so we can tell you what each resort is like when you’re considering where to buy your ski property. It’s a hard life but someone has to do it.

If you’re coming out to the area and you want to check out the snow conditions before you travel, try the website www.ski-resort-france.co.uk. The snow bulletins added by the various ski resorts will tell you when it last snowed, the depth of the snow and the snow conditions. Checking it over today, Chamonix has 188cm at the top and 70cm at the bottom, Saint Gervais has 140cm at the top and 50cm at the bottom and Samoens has 120cm and 67cm at the bottom. With a good top-up due in the early part of next week it looks like February half term should offer some great ski conditions if you can’t make it out beforehand.

Don’t forget we’re on hand to help you locate your dream ski property - so tell us what you’re looking for and let us help you to spend more time on the ski slopes.

New Year New Site Design

Happy New Year from the Ascendant Property Team!

Just before Christmas we set up this new website layout, giving you better access to the wide range of French Alps Properties we have on offer and also to brighten up the look of the site!

We hope you enjoy, both the new look site and our new property blog.

This new property blog will feature news and views from the Ski and Alpine Property market from Ascendant Property, giving you the chance to see what we've been up to and the latest Property for sale in Chamonix, Annecy, Les Contamines, Morzine, Saint Gervais and Samoens.

Let us know what you think of our new blog and site design by contacting us today!