100% Pure Wool in Les Contamines

February 1, 2012
100% Pure Wool
Lampposts covered in wool, stripey colours around signs, trees with scarves, you could think you were dreaming, but you’d be wrong. You’re in the centre of Les Contamines.
 
This year, the village has decided to embrace a recent phenomena called ‘Knit Graffit’ or ‘Yarn Bombing’, an american born tradition of dressing up public property in coloruful knitted sections. Both knitters and crocheters who indulge in this pastime add handmade creations to buildings and all manner of urban supports. For les Contamines, many volunteers joined in for this event and you can see the results here. This street art has been called “Les Contas, 100% pure wool” and more details are on the Office de Tourisme website.
 
It’s not been restricted to just les Contamines, a friend of mine hosted her yarn bombing get-together in Chamonix last year, on the very first international day for the pastime. The Chamonix sign, which marks the entrance to the town, was “bombed” in the early hours of the morning. You can see here.
Street art? Pointless? Whatever your view, it certainly adds a dash of colour on a grey claggy day.

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Posted by Gareth

Buy a chalet with your gold

October 3, 2011

As you can imagine the current state of the market for property in the Alps is high on our list of topics of conversation. We are always happy to express our opinion to anyone that asks. It’s normally journalists, though sometimes it’s people looking to buy. In the second case I often get the feeling that the buyer thinks they are hearing too much “spin” as the reality on the ground in the Alps often differs marketly from the reality where the buyer happens to live.

This morning we had a long conversation with the bank we work with. BNP Paribas they commission a yearly report on the subject and the results are just out. A summary is available on their website. As is always the case with these reports, the figures are already out of date, they deal with 2010. A more current view can be obtained by talking to the agents to get their gut feelings and anectotal quotes.

A Chamonix viewThis view comes for free with a very reasonable priced “estate” in Chamonix.

So here are some quotes from Alpine Property. They concern the area we cover, so the Haute Savoie, which includes the likes of Chamonix, St Gervais, Megeve, La Clusaz, Grand Bornand, Samoens, Les Carroz, Flaine, Les Gets, Morzine, St Jean d’Aulps and Chatel.

“The Swiss are buying in the Northern Alps, it’s not a surprise, the Swiss Franc is so strong they can buy 30% more than they could last year”

“The French are back! After a fairly long time out of the market they are happy to buy second homes,

“Francophone buyers make up 50% of our sales”

“There are plenty of people out there willing to invest 1m+ euros in second homes in the Alps”

“The summer is now almost as important as the winter, that’s not to say that the summer market in the Alps would exist without the winter market, it’s just that the modern Alpine purchaser values the summer activities almost as highly as the winter ones”

Chalet Sochi

Chalet Sochi, shown here as an illustration of what is available at the top end of the market, full details on the Alpine Property website.

That’s 5 quotes, that’ll do for now. My comments as far as the BNP report goes are that in 2010 the market recovered from 2009. In fact we would say the market crashed in 2008 (that’s not news), this hit the 2009 figures hard and now the figures for property sales in  2010 illustrate the  good recovery, almost back to the peaks of 2007. We can add to that and say that 2011 will be better still.

As far as prices go we saw some quite significant price falls in the outlying towns, they have stabilised now but there are still some great bargains to be had. For instance take a look at:

Chez Patou, 295,000 €uros in St Jean d’Aulps

A character property in need of renovation, situated on a sunny plot with great views.

Full details can be found at the Alpine Property website.

Even in the established towns such as Morzine there are bargains, look at the following property, we haven’t seen anything like this (at this price) for 5 years.

Chalet Amis, 399,000 €uros in Morzine

A 3 bedroom chalet on the ski bus route in Montriond

Full details can be found on the Alpine Property website

This all sounds quite upbeat doesn’t it? The property sales bear this out. The owners know this too, they are pricing their chalets “to sell” but not negotiating a whole lot. This might sound surprising to the British buyer who is fed a constant stream of gloom from the press. There are plenty of people who instead of investing their money in the stock market or gold are putting it into the euro in the form of bricks and mortar.

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Posted by Gareth

St Gervais town centre apartment

June 23, 2011

To me, St Gervais has always felt like a classy Victorian resort town. Well established and for valid reasons too. Good access to the skiing in Megève, Les Contaminés-Montjoie and even Les Houches (Chamonix). Transport in and out is also easy, it’s just about 1hr from Geneva airport and it’s connected to the railway at the bottom of the hill via a funiculair. Don’t forget the spa baths as well.

Thanks to these positive points the town has continued to go from strength to strength, the centre of St Gervais is smart and well looked after and the shops are on the up and up, for instance there is the recently expanded and upmarket shop Unlimited Sports that has just gained much sort after contracts with Eider and Burton and the new gastro deli which is an extension of the existing fine dining restaurant Le Serac.

If you want to stop for a coffee outside there is endless choice. Further evidence of the affluence of the town and the forward thinking Maire is the new bridge that is being constructed that will allow traffic to avoid the town centre. This major project will transform the town again.

Apartment Le Splendide is a good example of the private investment that has occurred during this time. This lovely penthouse apartment has been converted professionally by a  interior designer and it shows. Situated bang in the middle of town in a period building.

The mixture of old and new means they have preserved the original French windows updated them with double glazed panes, these large windows offer great views of the town, Aravis mountain range and the St Gervais ski area.  There is plenty of parking nearby and a small park just 50m away.  When the bridge is finished you’ll even be able to walk to the ski lift! The current price is a steal, there is nothing that comes close on a euros/m2 basis. Full details, photos, plans and 360′s can be found on the Alpine Property website.

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Posted by Gareth

Winter 2010/11 in St Gervais

November 13, 2010

snow scooter above St Gervais

The winter season is fast approaching!! And in the Evasion ski domain (which incorporates St Gervais, Les Contamines and Megève) you still have until the 15th November to purchase a season pass at a reduced rate. The full adult season pass is 496€, saving you 178€ on the normal price if you purchase it after that date.

Not sure you’ll be able to make the most of it? You need to ski around 13 days in the season to make it worthwhile buying, if not, the other pass option work out cheaper. A normal 6 day pass is 179E for adults and 144 E for children but there are many different options and discounts depending on group size.

Passes can be purchased on line here http://www.stbma.fr/Saison and season ones come with a present, which in previous years has been St Gervais branded lanyards, key rings, neck fleeces and bags. When purchased from the Megeve side, they are offering free access to the swimming pool for the season.

If you’re planning to come out to ski St Gervais or Megeve then be sure to download the FREE iphone application. It has all the details on the resort such as the weather forecast, snow depth, lift opening times, webcams and all the week’s events. But perhaps its best feature is the geo-position function which shows you your exact piste location, itinerary and speed. This should put an end to the interminable après-ski arguments of just who went the fastest, as well as providing vital information when you “loose” your group on the mountain!

To download this application visit the APP STORE and type « Saint-Gervais »

covered magic carpet st gervais

Finally, some new developments in the village have been spotted. An outdoor ice rink has been added to the centre of St Gervais and should provide a popular and picturesque activity in the winter months. And, the lift company has taken pity on young skiers in bad weather conditions and constructed a special covered lift system for them. Beginners using the magic carpet lift at Bettex’s nursery slope will now be able to travel in comfort through the wood and glass tunnel. Rumour has it, it will also be heated. What a great idea!

To plan a ski holiday in St Gervais see:

www.evasion74.com and www.holidayinalps.com for self catered accommodation

www.haute-altitude.com for a catered chalet holiday

www.resortrides.com for a door to door airport transfer service

and www.bassmegeve.com for you ski lessons.

What are you waiting for!

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Posted by Gareth

Le Fayet near St Gervais

October 30, 2010

Le Fayet is part of St Gervais commune and has the famous Thermal spa’s located there. There is also a small train station and a few shops/restaurants and it has easy motorway access. It is located on the valley floor, so not really at what you would consider “altitude”. The drive from there to St Gervais and the ski lifts takes around 8 minutes (5km) up the mountain road.

Le Fayet is fine in itself; though outside of the thermal baths not particularly attractive or charming. There are a couple of hotels located there which bus clients up to the lifts but are mostly used for people doing long stays at the thermal baths. There have been recent renovations of the buildings and pavements which has helped smarten it up. However it does have more industries surrounding it.

It’s fair to say, St Gervais and Les Contamines are the tourist spots and located at altitude (850-1100m). Both have lift station for skiing (in the centre of the village for St Gervais) as well as easy access to mountain paths and nature. And, they are surrounded by the local attractions: horse riding, ice rinks, swimming pools, lakes and rock climbing. The villages themselves have a lot of charm and are surrounded by cute mountain hamlets.

If your plan is to purchase a property for renting out to holidaymakers, then I would not suggest buying in Le Fayet. Holidaymakers much prefer to be in St Gervais in the mountains. This is essentially why Le Fayet area is a little bit cheaper as it’s not considered a ski or holiday resort but a normal French town. If you are purchasing something just for yourselves and you don’t mind the short drive to the lifts or nature/facilities then Le Fayet is certainly a slightly cheaper area in which to look in.

Below is a google image from the motorway of Le Fayet with the mountains behind and St Gervais’ location shown, though not visible.

To view pictures of St Gervais have a look at this website which shows images from the village as well as 360 images of the valley area and gives more details about the town.

http://www.evasion74.com/Placestovisit.htm

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Posted by Gareth

St Gervais Agricultural Fair

October 16, 2010

st gervais town centre

Tomorrow, St Gervais is hosting its yearly agricultural fair. The local farmers of the region, as well as related Associations, partake in this event presenting cattle raising and many other alpine traditions in a convivial atmosphere. The fair includes all kinds of stalls of local produce such as wine and cheese along with cattle judging, traditional crafts and demonstrations, music and food. The town centre is covered in sawdust and straw and cow herds are displayed by farmers in traditional costume. It’s a great family day out, always well attended by locals and usually takes place under a sunny blue October sky with vivid autumnal colours on the mountain trees providing a stunning backdrop. On the Saturday, Les Contamines is host to the mule show which includes demonstrations of working with the animals.

For further details see the St Gervais office de Tourisme. www.st-gervais.net

Bring a warm coat,  it won’t be warm and sunny like in these pictures!

st gervais market

We have the apartment pictured in this photo for sale on our website. Apartment Le Splendide, St Gervais.

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Posted by Gareth

How do I get a rental return on my property?

September 3, 2010

Virtually all the properties we sell are sold freehold (accept the Lease-back development in Avoriaz) and there will not be any restrictions on sub-letting, in fact gaining a rental return is entirely normal.

As far as renting via an agency is concerned there are many to choose from in each town and many methods. Much of what I have written below is Morzine biased, this is where I work!Studio apartment walking distance from the lift in Praz sur Arly

There are a number rental options, each with advantages and disadvantages. They are not all available to all properties! I will list them as I see them. The first offers lowest risk for least return, the balance moves from return to risk as you descend the list!

1. You can choose to rent your apartment on a yearly basis, for a fixed fee to a company that specialises in self-catering holidays. You an negotiate some weeks for yourself or you can negotiate a discount for weeks you want to rent.

Example: Alptitude, a specialist in Morzine

http://www.alptitude.com/index.php?page=page0&season=winter&lang=en

Example: Holiday in the Alps a specialist in St Gervais
http://www.holidayinalps.com/

Advantages:

  • Most secure form of rental return
  • If you choose the tenant carefully they will look after the property well, dealing with maintenance issues, taxes, Internet etc.
  • Minimum input from the owner

Disadvantages

  • Offers the lowest returns
  • Property will need to be in a good location, this type of company will see that as a priority.

2. You can use one of the independent chalet operators in the area, they often have one chalet that they cater and then up to a dozen they arrange as self-catering. This type of company will often try to negotiate a percentage  fee (up to 30%), for this they will arrange the booking, key holding and the cleaning etc.

Example: The Great Escape

http://www.thegreatescapemorzine.co.uk/accommodation-morzine.htm

Example: Mountain Highs

http://www.mountainhighs.co.uk/SelfCateredHoliday.htm

Example: Snow and Trek

http://snowandtrek-morzine.com/self-catered/index.php

Example: Ski Fusion (based in Les Carroz)
http://www.skifusion.co.uk/

Advantages

  • There may be the occasional unbooked week that could be used by the owner for a cheap holiday at the last-minute.
  • More flexibility for booking in friends etc.
  • If there are good bookings this can offer better returns than choice 1

Disadvantages

  • Riskier for the owner as they don’t offer any rental guarantees, this risk can be reduced by choosing an established company.

3. You can use an Internet based agent who will handle all the booking and cleaning, in theory for a lower percentage fee (about 20%)

Example: White Peak a specialist in Chatel
http://www.white-peak.com/

Example: Alps Accommodation a specialist in Samoens. http://www.alpsaccommodation.com/

Holiday Lettings has lots of advice on the subject. http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/resources/owner_advice/a-1/

http://www.morzinelets.com/

http://www.skiweekends.com/pages/resorts/morzine.aspx?ResortID=13

http://www.independentmountain.com/

http://www.alplets.com/

Advantages

  • There may be the occasional unbooked week that could be used by the owner for a cheap holiday at the last-minute.
  • More flexibility for booking in friends etc.
  • If there are good bookings this can offer better returns than choice 2
  • Internet based administration can be convenient

Disadvantages

  • Riskier for the owner as they don’t offer any rental guarantees, this risk can be reduced by choosing an established company.
  • If the agency does not care about your property the wear and tear can be quite high. This can depend on their clientèle too.
  • Choose your Internet based agent carefully, they can be excellent but there is more room here for cowboys.

A duplex apartment in a chalet with views of ski slopes and Mont Blanc.

4. You could use an Internet based “Bulletin Board”, these businesses charge a fee for you to advertise, you handle the booking and arrange cleaning and key holding via a local person or agency. My Mum uses Owners Direct for a property on the outskirts of Morzine, it costs £200 or so to advertise, she does very well and uses a local girl for the cleaning etc. This method is a lot of work for the her, offers the renter no guarantees (they can’t book with a credit card and the owner has no form of bonding) but can give the best returns.

Examples:

http://www.chaletfinder.co.uk/

http://www.ownersdirect.co.uk/

Advantages

  • There may be the occasional unbooked week that could be used by the owner for a cheap holiday at the last minute.
  • More flexibility for booking in friends etc.
  • If there are good bookings this can offer better returns than choice 3
  • More “hands on” can be more fun and it may give the owner the chance to “vet” the occupiers.

Disadvantages

  • Riskier for the owner as there are no rental guarantees.
  • The owner will have to find local people to deal with the changeovers / cleaning and any problems.
  • If there are problems or damage the owner might be called upon to arbitrate, this can be difficult on the phone!

A 2 bedroom apartment on the ski bus route close to the pistes

5. The traditional method, use one of the local French estate agents or the local Tourist Information Bureau , they will take a fee (about 25%) and handle the bookings and cleaning for you. This should probably be put between 2 and 3 in the income VS risk list.

Advantages

  • An established system, will probably be entirely legal.
  • Local agents normally have very good contacts with local tradesmen.
  • You may find that a particular agent will have an affiliation with a particular apartment block, this can help.

Disadvantages

  • No guarantees though, the owner will take all the risk. You will do better in the best locations. You might get nothing in a bad location!
  • Just because the agent has good contacts with local tradesmen it does not mean any maintenance work will come cheap.
  • Choose wisely, not all agents are fully Internet or email aware yet, this can come as a shock.

Confused? You shouldn’t be. I am just illustrating how this is a very mature market and that there are a lot of options open to you.

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Posted by Gareth

St Gervais’ ice rink gets a new solar powered roof

August 2, 2010

St Gervais’ ice rink, built almost 50 years ago, is currently undergoing significant works and over 3.7 million Euros of investment to bring it up to date.

Among some of the modifications, the roof is being replaced to bring in into line with new insulation standards and to also allow it to house solar panels. The 1244m2 of roof space dedicate to solar will in fact be rented out to a company who will place it’s panels and then resell the electricity generated to the grid. Not only will the commune benefit from the rent made on the roof space but, after 25 years when the lease expires, they will become the owners of the panels and will be in turn able to sell the energy back to the grid.

Among other changes to the facility is the addition of 8,500 LED lights to illuminate the sides of the building.

The works are scheduled to be finished by end of 2010 so that it can open for the winter season, however, on the 11 August the ice rink will be opening to the public for an ABBA tribute band concert. For tickets see the office de tourisme site:

http://www.st-gervais.net/fr/detail_actu.aspx?Id=461#a

The ice rink’s update is an important venture given Annecy’s candidature for the 2018 Winter Olympics which would see St Gervais, as well as other towns in the Alps (Chamonix, Megève, Morzine / Avoriaz, Flaine, La Clusaz, Le Grand-Bornand, Les Houches, La Plagne) hosting some of the games.

Furthermore, this is just part of the many ongoing investments in the town which, in the future, will include a new sport’s facility, new indoor and outdoor pools, a new school and nursery complex, and a major bridge and road diversion project. These, and the current ongoing facade repainting and general amelioration of the town centre, means that St Gervais has been polished and preened to the point it is unrecognisable from where it was even 7 years ago.

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Posted by Gareth

Price Reductions

April 29, 2010

The affordability of property in the Alps continues to improve for British buyers.  Since Sterling reached an historic low against the Euro (£1 = 1.06 €) in Oct 2009 the rates have been improving until we reached a recent high (£1=1.16€)  this week.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/news/business/market_data/currency/11/13/twelve_month.stm

Combine this with price reductions over the same period and some properties are looking 20% cheaper to a British buyer when compared to the Autumn of last year.

A couple of  chalets that have come down in price this week.

1. Chalet La Toile, 680 000 €uros ST GERVAIS

4 bedrooms; quiet, sunny and with great views

Chalet in St Gervais

Floor area     175 m²
Land area     1094 m²
Nearest skiing     1500 metres

2. Chalet Les Chouettes, 675 000 €uros, CHATEL

A 6 bedroom, ‘ski-in’ chalet at Petit Chatel.

Chalet in Chatel

Floor area     223 m²
Land area     1500 m²
Ski access     ski bus within walking distance
Nearest skiing     1300 metres


Chalet La Toile Contact us about this property
Price 680 000 €uros
Status FOR SALE
Last updated 07/04/2010
Area MONT BLANC
Location ST GERVAIS
Bedrooms 4
Bathrooms 4
Floor area 175 m²
Land area 1094 m²
Detached yes
Heating oil fired central heating
Chimney open fire
Nearest skiing 1500 metres
Garden yes
Drainage mains drains

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Posted by Gareth

New Build Advice

March 8, 2010

We currently have 34 plots of land for sale in the Haute Savoie. Thanks to this we are recieving lots of questions about how to go about a new build project. Normally my answer is to speak to one of our experienced agents, most of whom have been involoved with new build projects in France for some time.

I have decided to do some research into the whole subject and write a 7 part blog following a current new build near Morzine. It helps that this is being undertaken by Alew Lewis (the Marketing Man). Alex and his Father-in-Law (Steve Norris, the MD) have been going through the process meticulously, leaving a well documented paper trail to help with the research.

If you want to keep abreast of the build process then I suggest registering your details with us via the little form on the right of this page. I intend to have part 1 and 2 written by the end of this week.

Part 1. Choosing your land, what to look for, the questions to ask. Making an offer, the first contract.

Part 2. Asking for planning permission

Part 3. Getting the constructions quotes.

Part 4. The build, from digging the first hole to the finished concrete structure.

Part 5. Adding the wooden frame, walls, roof, windows and doors – Hors d’eau – hors d’air.

Part 6. Finishing the inside, electrics, heating, kitchens etc….

Part 7. Landscaping and obtaining the Certificat de Conformité.

I have some examples of plots below:

The most expensive we have is:

Land Medon, 521, 850 euros, Combloux near Megeve

http://www.alpine-property.com/index.php?page=prop_1_medon&lang=en&hist=page_searchXtyp_4Xlang_en

to our cheapest

Land La Chapelle, 80,000 euros, Sixt fer a Cheval

http://www.alpine-property.com/index.php?page=prop_1_lachapelleland&lang=en&hist=page_searchXtyp_4Xlang_en

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Posted by Gareth

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