The piece reinforced widespread opinion that Haute-Savoie is a definite must for those seeking a property in year-round holiday destination as well as for buyers looking to make France their permanent home. It also highlighted that you don’t need to be one of the ski jetset to own a property in this beautiful part of France and there are a number of affordable options available for the savvy buyer.

Strong capital growth combined with excellent rental potential makes Haute-Savoie one of the best-loved and most desirable investment destinations amongst British buyers and this trend looks set to continue. There are many reasons why the area scores so highly compared to other parts of the French Alps, one of which being ease of access. Haute-Savoie is the fastest and easiest part of the Alps to reach for visitors travelling from the UK and all over the world. All the main towns and resorts in the area are within 1 hour and 15 minutes of Geneva Airport; a major hub served by a multitude of scheduled and low-cost airlines including Easyjet. This ease of access kick-started the demand for the area and it has now started to draw buyers looking to settle in Haute-Savoie on a permanent basis - commuting back to the UK when required and using their broadband connections to keep in touch with the office for the rest of the time.

The Chamonix Valley is one of the most popular alpine choices for both second home and permanent home buyers. Paul Wiseman, Managing Director of Ascendant quoted:

“The Chamonix Valley has been attracting visitors for hundreds of years, drawn by the stunning scenery and unrivalled range of outdoor activities to be enjoyed. Chamonix is an established mountain town and not simply a holiday resort, and there is plenty going on throughout the year. A bustling centre with shops, bars and restaurants ranging from the cheap and cheerful to the exclusive; access to some of the most exciting high altitude skiing and mountaineering in the world, world class sporting facilities, including a Robert Trent Jones designed golf course, all dominated by the snow-capped peaks and glaciers of Mont Blanc”

“There are still plenty of people looking to invest in this buoyant market, driven by the prospect of great rental potential and solid capital growth – there was an 18% increase in the value of apartments and a 5% increase in the value of chalet in 2006 against the previous year”.

A number of Ascendant’s properties were featured in the piece and it has certainly sparked increased interest amongst our database of buyers. If you would like to make the move to invest in the French Alps and you want to know more about the Chamonix area and our property portfolio, please call us on 0844 555 3274 or visit the property pages of the Ascendant website.