Morzine Communal Projects

November 15, 2009

morzine

The “Bulletins Municipaux” has just been published in Morzine. This a the newsletter published by the Morzine Mairie 3 times a year. It has always been very informative and this issue is no exception.

I will summarise in a list the projects and stage of development they have reached.

  1. The Tourist Office square, worked restarted here at the beginning of the Autumn 2009, good progress has been made, there is plenty of nice smooth tarmac, open space and quality looking bits of rock disspersed around the area. The outdoor ice rink is scheduled to be complete before the winter and the “square” will certainly be functional by Christmas, there is more work to come however with a very advanced lighting system and work to the surrounding roads scheduled to be completed by the end of 2010.
  2. The work for the wood-burning heating network started in the summer of 2009. This environmentally friendly heating project uses local wood harvested in a sustainable way. This huge project includes 1.4km of heating conduit that snakes around the town providing heat for the Town Hall, Library, Vicarage, ANPE Offices, both the schools, judo and music rooms, the Palais des Sports and the swimming pool.
  3. New pool for Morzine. The plans for this project where but on display at the outdoor pool this summer. The work is due to commence in the Spring of 2010, pause for the the summer and then carry on in the Autumn, scheduled to be completed by the winter of 2011/12. All the existing pools will be retained, the existing changing rooms and restaurant will be removed and replaced with a 25m x 15m indoor pool, a spar, 3 saunas, 2 hammams, relaxation space and new restaurant.
  4. The new Pierre et Vacances apartment project at Avoriaz continues, we have the apartments for sale on our website. The apartment building works start in the Spring of 2010, the Aquariaz project starts in the Autumn of 2010, the second phase of apartment building is scheduled to start in 2011.
  5. The work towards the replacement for the Prodains cable car is due to start in the Spring of 2010 and due to be completed by the winter 2011/12. The cable car that has been proposed linking Morzine to Avoriaz is still in the feasibility study stage.
  6. The Morzine ski company reports that plenty of work has been carried out adding snow cannons and moving snow cannons around the pistes to deal with “gaps” in cover. Everyone will have seen the earth works carried out on the “Retour des Nants” AKA the “Green return piste”, included with this is 6 new snow canons therefore adding another snowsure route back to the foot of the Pleney side of Morzine. Also mentioned was a proposed to 6 seater chair lift to replace the acient Chamossiere chairlift. Work is due to start on this next year to be completed for next winter.

There is lots more information in the newsletter and it is produced in English and French. Click below for links:

Morzine Bulletins Municipaux in French

Morzine Council News in English


Build costs

April 27, 2009

Chalet Arnica in Samoens

Chalet Arnica in Samoens

This chalet was built by one of the Alpine Property Team – Denis Barbier – he has his own chalet building business.

Another common question answered. This should go in the “FAQ’s”!

Costs can be fairly accurately worked out on a euros/m2 rule. Our rule of thumb over the last few years has been 2200 euros/m2 (excl VAT – in French this is “Hors Tax”), now the prices are coming down – I was quoted 1850 euros/m2 recently, we won’t know if this new price is accurate until some chalets have been built! The lead time is generally April til Dec, the building period! Note added 28/April/09, We are not convinced by this new lower “benchmark”, though we would like to be! Trying to get a straight story off a tradesman is not easy, time will tell.

These figures are assuming you use local tradesmen (expensive) and a traditional method of construction, they can be reduced by using “kits” brought in from elsewhere.

So for a “typical” 5 bedroom chalet. The build cost would be between 170 x 2200 =375,000 euros plus TVA = 448,000 and 170 x 1850 = 314,000 plus TVA = 375,000

And for a 4 bedroom chalet at 120 m2 the costs would be between 315,000 and 265,000 euros.

Don’t forget the cost of the land, the stamp duty and notaires fees. For a list of the plots of land we have for sale click here.


Samoens, land for sale

March 28, 2009
a view of the land in Samoens

A view of the land in Samoens

Now online, Land les Vaisys, situated above the Samoëns valley in Le Grand Massif, a lovely position just 350m from the ski lift in Vercland. Planning permission has already been granted for a 6 bedroom and 6 bathroom chalet with a living area of 231m². This would be an ideal spot for either a holiday home or a business. Building costs are coming down, in 2008 we would quote 2,500 euros per m² to build a new chalet, now we think it is closer to 2,100 – 2,300 euros. This would mean that the building costs for this chalet may be closer to 500,000 euros.

Water and electricity are available near the site and the mains drains are accessible too.

Click here for further details