Making a return on your Alpine investment

When you decide to buy a holiday home the purchase should be carefully planned; not only should the choice and location be suited to your own leisure and pleasure, but also add up to a good investment which will see a healthy return. Ideally it will pay for itself over time. This is certainly true if you are keen on winter sports and considering investing in the very attractive proposition of chalets/apartments for sale in the Alps.

France is historically the favourite destination for UK snowbirds, and it has never been a more attractive and realisticprospect for those investing in Alpine property than it is now, with its current low lending rates. The increasing scarcity of chalets for sale in the more popular resorts of the French Alps also adds to its appeal as a sell-on investment for the future. Also bear in mind your savings on annual holiday costs, and consider other ways you could make your chalet/apartment pay its own way.

Rental revenue is one way to establish an immediate return on your investment in buying property in the French Alps. According to one of the world's largest property agents, 80% of UK buyers of property for sale in the French Alps plan to let out their homes when they are not using them. You can choose to let out your property privately (list it on one or more of the many websites out there who offer this service) or through an agent, or you could buy a French leaseback property (for a full run-down on what this involves see our advice guide [www.alpinepropertyinvestments.co.uk/advice/french-leaseback-property]). Leaseback deals offer savings on VAT and Council Tax.

To make sure a property can maximise it rental potential, ensure it is situated in a dual season location – as attractive to summer visitors as it is to those seeking snow sports. Good transport links are essential, so that your target-market tenants (and you) can access the chalet or apartment easily. Home comforts, are of course, equally essential, along with access to restaurant, nightlife, good walks and biking trails in summer, and ski slopes in winter.

The tried and trusted estate agents’ mantra of “location, location, location” is therefore vital to consider when making your choice, not only to make it a desirable rental but also for ease of management also.

In all of the established resorts, there will be a number of agencies available to market and manage your property on your behalf, removing any of the doubts and concerns about owning a property in the French or Swiss Alps. For further details please contact us.

Stay up to date by following Alpine Property Investments on social media, including Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and more.