Website offering off-the-plan Swiss ski chalets

Stephen TaylorDecember 7, 2020

Fancy a regular family skiing holiday in the European Alps? Why not buy a chalet there then?  

A new website, Skiing Property, is promoting the purchase of new-build and off-the-plan properties in popular ski resorts in France and Switzerland.  

It has a portfolio of property developments listed by resort with full details and photos. The site also features a blog and glossary to keep buyers informed about the ski property market, and a free downloadable guide to buying an alpine ski home.  

Resorts properties for sale, both leaseback and classic freehold, are at Courchevel, Méribel, Les Gets, Chatel, Tignes and Val d'Isère in France, and Flims in Switzerland.  

‘’Ski property has proved to be one of the most buoyant sectors of the overseas property market, with some resorts even seeing price rises this year - unusual in much of Europe in the current climate,’’ director Julian Walker said.  

‘’Tight supply and controlled development, combined with huge lifestyle appeal and a strong international market, mean ski homes in quality resorts will always be good long-term investments. At Skiing Property we focus solely on new-build and off-the-plan projects, which typically offer better capital appreciation than resale properties."  

Buying new or off-the-plan in the French Alps may have key benefits, such as:  

-  Increased potential for capital appreciation, as units are often sold at a discount. Once a project becomes established, demand typically increases, especially as new development sites become harder to come by.  

-  Developers often offer attractive finance deals or payment schemes, not available on existing resale property. This is appealing as French interest rates are at record lows.  

-  Buying into a leaseback residence offers the opportunity to buy and finance a property net of VAT. Leaseback contracts also allow an option that suits your preferred amount of annual usage.  

-  In France, purchase costs for off-the-plan or new-build are lower than for resale property. If you do buy outright, sellers of new property less than five years old no longer need to pass on a charge for VAT to a buyer (unless the vendor is VAT registered).  

-  New-build property in France comes with a two-year exemption of Taxe Foncière, one of France's two council taxes.  

-  New property in the Alps will come with a guarantee from the developer, who will also be obliged to take care of any faults when the new owner takes possession, called snagging. Also, new property is built using more energy-efficient materials than in older resale homes.  

"Skiing Property aims to become a leading promoter of new property in the Alps, offering something for all budgets, whether it be a leaseback apartment in Chatel from €225,000 to luxury chalets in Méribel from €3.25million," Walker said.  

staylor@propertyobserver.com.au

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