What are the questions you should ask yourself when considering purchasing a property in the Alps

When starting to consider buying a property in the French or Swiss Alps, what are the questions you should spend some time thinking about.

Transport Links – How close do you want to be to the nearest Airport or main railway station ? Would you be prepared to drive/train less or more than 90 mins away

Property type  - Do you want an apartment, that you can lock up leave, or would a chalet suit you and your family better ?

Location, location, location- do you want a property that you can ski in and out of, or would you prefer to be closer to the shops, restaurants and facilities in the resort centre ?

Altitude – Will your skiing be during the main winter season, or would you look to ski at both ends of the season, therefore gauging how high a resort needs to be to best suit you needs, with regards to guaranteed snow ?

Summer fun  - Are you looking at a destination purely for skiing, or will you use the property in Summer too, therefore a dual season resort is important ?

Children – are there young children in your family, therefore you need to consider a resort that will provide amenities for children as they grow also, to ensure they continue to enjoy their holidays as much as their parents do.

Apres Ski – Are you looking for a resort with lots of bars and restaurants, or do you prefer a more low key approach to your evenings

Income - do you want to rent the property out when not using it yourself, therefore consideration to what would make it an attractive rental proposition need to be considered .

Exit Strategy – This may seem a strange consideration even before you have found the place you want to buy, but it is important to understand right from the start, how easily your property will sell if and when you decide to move on, or further up the property ladder i.e. is there anything about the property/location etc, that might seem quirky to you, but may just put off future buyers.

Budget – How much can/do you want to spend on your property ? It’s always a good idea, if planning on applying for a mortgage, to understand how much you can borrow, before you start looking at properties.

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