Sublime skiing

If you have five minutes whilst you're waiting for a call or drinking a coffee, fill it with nearly six minutes worth (i know that doesn't work) of skiing royalty - this new video from Candide. Its incredible, beautifully shot footage of the genius-with-the-broken-back. Sublime.

Property in Les Praz, Chamonix

I like les Praz - as a location to own a ski home in the Chamonix Valley it ticks a lot of my boxes:

1. A community - its got its own ski hire shops, bars, a couple of hotels and two good restaurants.


2. One of the few areas in Chamonix that you can walk to a major lift - Le Flegere.


3. If you fancy the bright lights of Chamonix centre for a flutter on 35 black at the casino or a night out its an enjoyable walk in the summer past the tennis club and a head down and march twenty minutes in the winter.


4. Some really pretty 'Hausmann' style properties (some rotten ones as well, but hey, that was the seventies)


5. The Golf course. we're dealing with a couple of large Chalets for sale on or near the golf course in Les Praz and its a wonderful location to live, open spaces and a ski across to the lifts in the winter, and walk your clubs around to the 1st in the summer - its a tight, relatively testing course and always in remarkable condition mid summer season.

If you're looking for a location in Chamonix thats quiet, yet convenient, look at Les Praz. We have a number of smaller apartments and Chalets there which we don't advertise on the website - contact us for details.

Credit Crunch? What Credit Crunch!

Its an interesting time to be in property sales, there are big liquidity problems, nervousness in the job markets, massive changes in attitude to debt, yet people are still buying their place in the snow. Why? well I believe 90% of our sales are lifestyle sales, the buyers don't NEED to buy their apartment or Chalet, but they WANT to. Normally this is because they love their skiing so much they'd like to do more, and by buying a place in their favourite resort they know they'll make the effort to ski more, discover those hidden powder stashes and revel in their residents lift pass discount. Its also generally a long term buy, something to be enjoyed with a growing family and passed on as they grow, as well as a great excuse to holiday with friends now and in the future.

Ski property in Les Deux Alpes

We'll soon launch three new developments in the wonderful dual season resort of les Deux Alpes. Dual season? well not only does it have some superb walking, mountaineering and climbing available during the summer, there is also very good Glacier skiing to be had in a resort more snowsure than most summer locations, including the likes of Tignes. Two traditional purchase, and one leaseback development, all well located within walking distance of the lifts in one of the largest ski areas in Europe for a single resort. Interested? Watch this space or use the links to the side to contact me.

Our buyers guide to buying Off Plan Property in France

A long time ago I was asked to write a guide to buying off plan property abroad. Its very relevant to buying off plan property today, so here is our tips to help you if you're thinking of purchasing a leaseback or traditional property off plan in France:

• Take time to think about what you want from your property. Is it purely for investment? or will you be using it yourself? when do you want to resell it? Do you see it as a long term or short term option? Very soon you will get a much clearer idea of the style and type of property purchase that is right for you.
• Make sure you can afford it. Make an appointment to speak to your financial advisor before house hunting. Knowing your limits will prevent impulse buys that will blow your budget.
• No matter what the Developer says, use an independant bilingual solicitor. Good legal advice is worth every penny and avoids costly mistakes. If you dont plan to visit your property, make sure the solicitor offers a power of attorney service to sign necessary legal documents on your behalf, with your prior approval.
• Know the closing costs. Every country imposes different taxes to the process of buying and selling property. Make sure you are fully aware of these. In some countries these can add up to 10 - 12 % of the property value.
• Check the documentation yourself. Your solicitor probably wasn't there when you negotiated your property purchase. If you managed to get some extras thrown in with the deal, make sure they're in the contract or management agreement and let your solicitor know what they are.
• If possible, look at other developments by the same developer. Were they completed on time? What was the build quality like? If the property is investment orientated, is there a track history of good rental performance with this developers properties?
• If possible, view the property location and build site yourself. Not only will this 'fix' the development in your mind, you'll also get a feel for which parts of the new construction will have the best views/access/amenities, and therefore which areas you should be looking to purchase in.
• Finally, use your common sense. If a deal looks too good to be true, or is heavily weighed in your favour, theres a reason for that, and its not always your shrewd bargaining skills. Take extra care, take extra advice, and don't just look at the price.

A good agent will help you with all of this, and recommend the relevant independant professionals to close the sale, legally and financially.

Small is beautiful - Cute Chamonix Chalet for Sale

Every now and again we get all broody about a property at FSI, and this is one of them. Cute and with lovely views of Mont Blanc this detached chalet is the same price as a small 1 bed apartment, except its bigger (32m2) and has bags of character. This little beauty is on the market for € 155,000, and its got a bedroom, lounge with kitchenette and bathroom. Fancy a chalet in Chamonix but didn't think you could afford it? Here you go.....

Buying property in Chamonix

People love Chamonix, and its not hard to see why, great skiing for all levels and abilities, a beautiful town and stunning scenery, year round season and an hour away from Geneva airport are just some of the reasons we get more enquiries for property to buy in Chamonix than anywhere else. If you're looking to buy here's my checklist of questions to ask yourself before you get on the plane:

• What are you buying for? Investment, personal use or a bit of both? get this right before you go and you'll narrow your search to certain areas instantly. You'll also know what your budget is.


• Do you want to be ski-in, ski-out? If you are, then Chamonix may not be right for you, Most properties rely on the ski bus to get to the lifts.


• Lively or not? Central Chamonix is busy and non stop for large portions of the year. If you dont want this, choose a quieter area with more local amenities


• New or Old? Chamonix has a tiny fraction of new build property, so be prepared to look at older property to renovate, or at the very least set a realistic timescale for your search.

Answer these questions and you'll save a lot of time looking at properties that aren't right for you. Agents like focus, and we'll pull out our best properties for clients who are serious, so give us a hand by doing some homework first, and asking advice. We'll then wow you with that Mont Blanc view, the wraparound balcony and the two parking spaces.......