Switzerland is renowned for its mountainous beauty, picturesque chalets and excellent skiing – but that’s not all
With approximately 150 ski resorts, more than 5,500km of cross-country ski trails and winter walking trails at over 2,800 metres, Switzerland is a veritable winter wonderland. However, the fun doesn’t stop once the snow melts. Jonathan Epiney of Chestertons Alpine Homes in Switzerland says, “In the winter months skiing, cross-country skiing, ice skating, sledging, hiking and Nordic walking are the main activities. In the other three seasons, all sorts of outdoor activities are available in all resorts with an increasing interest on mountain biking, hiking and wellness.”
Guaranteed snow
While for decades the main pole of buyers has been the UK and the EU, Mr Epiney reports that he has noticed an increase in the requests, and therefore transactions, from the domestic market. “At the moment, I would say that 40% of our sales are made to Swiss nationals and/or residents. Hardcore skiers will focus on the ‘snow-guaranteed resorts’ such as the Four Valleys, Portes du Soleil or Val d’Anniviers, while the lifestyle clientele aim for the sunnier side of the valley such as Anzère or Crans-Montana. Verbier and Zermatt remain top of the league when it comes to prime resorts.
“For years, most of the transactions were in the CHF 1.5million region. However, recently we had lots of transaction around CHF 1million or above CHF 2 million. With the Lex Weber, recent changes and Swiss laws, we anticipate an increase of prices in the forthcoming years as building off-plan properties is not permitted anymore. Therefore, existing properties will increase in value.” (The Lex Weber has prevented any building permits being granted for second homes in any communes where second homes already make up 20% of the property stock.)
Small and exclusive
Tim Swannie, director of buying agency Home Hunts, comments, “We find apartments and chalets in Verbier are amongst the most sought after and most expensive in the entire Alps. The market is quite buoyant throughout the year, particularly with the Brits, Dutch and Scandinavians. This is because the resort is only small and very exclusive and the scenery is spectacular. The slopes do accommodate all levels, although they best suit confident and adventurous skiers and snowboarders.
“There is also a great selection of restaurants and nightlife, as well as resorts such as the W Hotel – all of which attract international clients, making the rental market really strong. Verbier is very much one of the ‘must have’ places in the Alps for wealthy property buyers.”
Mark Lightfoot, owner and founder of SnowOnly.com, points out that there is no standardisation in the market for the sale or purchase of properties between the resorts. “Each resort offers something very different to visitors across the seasons,” he explains, “and can therefore command a wide range of prices.
“The resorts seeing the highest sale prices include Verbier – not least as it has a reputation for some of the best skiing and more expensive holidays. Verbier also benefits from high summer visitor numbers thanks to an excellent range of non-snow activities in the warmer months for example, hiking, mountain biking, abseiling and paragliding. The same benefits are also seen in resorts such as St Moritz and Andermatt, where buyers of investment properties can expect their property to appreciate due to consistent demand for these locations. Having the potential to rent out a property for 365 days a year has enormous investment benefits for all resorts across Switzerland.”
