Espace Diamant : Les Saisies

Between the Massif du Beaufortain and the Val d’Arly, not very far from the Pays du Mont-Blanc, L’Espace Diamant offers 185 km of slopes, 151 ski-runs and 84 ski-lifts : skiing both generous, affordable and sporty. A family resort renowned for the quality of its snow cover, Les Saisies has more than one string to its bow.

The green pastures with their grazing cows are typical of the scenery of Le Beaufortain, an area which has lent its name to its cheese, known as the “prince of Gruyères”. Its peaks bear the evocative names of Grand Mont, Aiguille du Grand Fond, Pierra Menta and Signal de Bisanne. Roselend, Girotte, Saint-Guérin and Gittaz offer as many lakes. The Espace Diamant, a real belvedere for the Mont-Blanc, is blessed with a natural setting of breathtaking beauty. Les Saisies has two distincts slopes : Hauteluce and Bisanne 1500, offering a total 70 km of ski-runs.

“In the midst of this area with 1,000 chalets, surrounded by spruces, this mid-altitude family resort proposes a perimeter dedicated to cross-country skiing and a zone reseved for downhill skiing,” explains Jean-Pierre Jubier of the Agence du Grand Mont. The locality in fact played host to cross-country and biathlon trials in the Albertville Olympic Games. Its real-estate market is dong well, with the sq. metre ranging from 5,000 to 6,000 € in the centre of Les Saisies. One out of every three sales exceeds this symbolic barrier. Among his latest transactions, Jean-Pierre Jaubier mentions a 2-bedroom apartment of 30 m2 in perfect condition, sold for 183,000 €. The area in immediate proximity to the ski-lifts is dotted with small units, while the outskirts propose more generous surface areas. A 2-bedroom apartment with mezzanine and bunkbed alcove recently found a taker at 209,000 €. A chalet of 150 m2, which includes a garage of 20 m2 and 25 m2 with a ceiling less than 1.80 m high, is up for sale at 630,000 €. Sales of detached homes are sporadic due to scarce offerings. This trend is reversed in the valley which has lots of homes in the pasturelands. 90 % of buyers are looking for holiday homes and their own personal enjoyment, even if the assurance of investing in a sound market, regular and stable, is certainly an additional encouragement. 85 % are French. A family clientele which appreciates service, and willingly entrusts the agency with seasonal lettings of their properties.

“Bisanne 1500, on the commune de Villard-sur-Doron, is 5 km from Les Saisies,” say Christelle Personnaz and Christophe Fury of Chris’s Immo. “The 4-seater chairlift of Les Rosières takes you to the peak of the same name. A champagne bar is accompanied by two restaurants, a store, skiing school and mini-market.” Much to the taste of fans of peacefulness and panoramic views of Mont Blanc and Le Beaufortain, the site has undergone considerable development since 2002, resulting in the creation of lots of new accommodation. The likelihood of progression is undeniable. The sq. metre ranges from 4,500 to 5,800 €. Most of the sales are in the 200,000-400,000 € bracket. There are, however, a few exceptions, such as a chalet of 200 m2 with a garden of 400 m2, priced at 950,000 €, that a Belgian company director is about to acquire. At this level of prices, North Europeans are regular purchasers, with the middle of the range targetted by clients from the Rhône-Alps and Parisian regions. At the moment, enquiries are less frequent than in the past, though the percentage of transactions actually completed remains very satisfactory.