Assetz® News » HOME | RSS Feed FEED | LIST ALL ARTICLES | ASSETZ HOMEPAGE
Investment Property News from Assetz

Assetz® Property News Service

Climate-proofing Alpine options

12th December 2008 | back to article listings BACK    print this article PRINT

Those investing in Alpine property in France will tend to do so with the aim of getting good rental returns from wintersports enthusiasts who will arrive in their droves each year for a season of fun in the snow. But to be successful, those who seek this sort of venture may have to be careful where they choose to buy.

Speaking to the Times, Gemma Knowles of italianskiproperty.com noted that the ideal investment should have certain characteristics. She advised: "Go for an excellent ski area, with lots of runs, fairly high up and close to good transport. That way there will be a strong rental market with people coming back year after year."

In its feature on resorts that fit the bill, the Times pointed to Briancon in the Serre Chevalier area as a good example of a French resort ticking all the boxes, having 250 km of pistes, being one hour away from Turin Airport across the Italian border and linked directly to Paris by train.

Moreover, it also meets another criteria the paper suggested should be considered: the presence of year-round attractions. In this case, these are plentiful, with features including mountaineering, mountain biking, white water rafting, horse riding, golf and natural hot springs.

One good reason for investing in a location with such facilities - the more obvious one - is that it provides tourist rental potential outside the traditional season. But a second reason may also be considered; the small matter of climate change.

Such an issue may have a lot to do with Ms Knowles' advice to buy in an elevated position, as higher resorts have more reliable snowfall. But across the Alps as a whole the concern over the impact of global warming and the understanding of the need to adjust to this is real.

Last year the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development produced a paper outlining the potential problems that could lie ahead. It listed 609 resorts across France, Austria, Switzerland, Italy and Germany that were reliable in terms of the snow they could expect and noted that of these, less than 500 would still be reliable if a single degree C increase in the temperatures were to take place. A drop of two degrees would leave only 404.

So for those who do look to invest in French ski property, buying high may be the answer. But it is worth noting the other factors. Accessibility is an issue for property in any location and of course particularly so for tourists. Having good facilities is an obvious advantage too. But for those looking to a future with an uncertain climate, the presence of a diverse range of attractions that will bring in visitors whatever the weather will bring a great deal more certainty about the long-term value of such an investment.

Assetz® is a UK and International Property Investment Specialist. Please visit our property sites shown below.

Assetz for Investors UK Assetz Hotels Assetz Homes Assetz International Assetz France Assetz Spain Assetz Cyprus Assetz Germany Assetz Portugal Assetz Ski Assetz Cape Verde Assetz USA Assetz Finance Assetz Fund Management

Accessing the news service

You can view all of the Assetz® UK, International and UK Property Investment Articles and News here.

We also provide an RSS Feed Feed of the news service, or you can view all articles. Click here to view more information on RSS readers and how they make reading online news more convenient.

eXTReMe Tracker