High-end properties in Chamonix and Bozel

Radia Amar - 20 January 2016

Benefiting from a fine international reputation, Chamonix, set between Les Aiguilles Rouges and Mont-Blanc, draws a cosmopolitan clientele fond of skiing and mountain-climbing. Close to Courchevel, the more discreet Bozel is popular for its authenticity and year-round liveliness.

Consisting of 16 villages and hamlets, Chamonix can claim the highest altitude in western Europe. Close to both Switzerland and Italy, the commune has some 15,000 properties, a third of which are year-round homes. “The top of the range is a niche market for a limited clientele,” says Philippe Chevallier, manager of Century 21 Chevallier Immobilier. “2-bedroomed apartments in the town centre priced around 350,000 € are today’s most sought-after properties. Unfortunately, buyers are confronted by a very restricted choice. To the extent that, when we can offer such a property, it is snapped up almost immediately. On the other hand, clients with more generous budgets can set their sights on fine properties offering charm and character, some of them real gems.” By way of example, he mentions lovely 2-bedroomed apartments with lofty volumes in former palatial hotels, such as the Majestic, Métropole or Résidence Mont Blanc. “These apartments offer living space of over 100 m2 and are rarely priced under 800,000 €. Buyers are thinner on the ground, and we have to search for clients in the world of finance on marketplaces such as London, Geneva or Milan.” For them, outstanding properties are available, such as a split-level attic apartment with usable living space of of 140 m2 on the top floor of a handsome building on Rue du Docteur Parccard, the “Champs-Elysées” of Chamonix. Comprised of a large lounge, 3 bedrooms with their own bathrooms, a cellar and garage, it is up for sale at 985,000 €. Another unusual split-level apartment of 163 m2 is on offer, in a typical old house in the Old Town, close to the slopes of Le Clos de Savoy. Offering 4 bedrooms and a double lounge, it is priced at 1,150,000 €. A figure considered to be “relatively correct per sq. metre” by Philippe Chevallier. As for the very top end of the market, a few properties priced at 1.5 or 2 M € are being acquired by foreign clients, especially from the UK, who do not hesitate to undertake impressive renovation work.

At the heart of Savoy, in La Tarantaise, Bozel is a charming village in the valley of Le Doron with slightly over 2,000 residents. Benefiting from primary and intermediate schools, and shops open year-round, this commune known for its generous sunshine attracts French and British buyers looking for both year-round and holiday homes. A project for the creation of a ski-lift between Bozel and Courchevel should also boost interest on the part of investors for this little valley, should it get off the ground. Specializing in the Bozel valley, the RMP Immobilier agency proposes various properties including chalets and apartments, as well as rehabilitated barns. “Offerings are quite varied, ranging from a studio in Champany-en-Vanoise priced under 100,000 €, to a luxury 4-bedroomed chalet proposed at over 500,000 €, and central 2-bedroomed apartments from 250,000 €. Due to growing demand, stocks are limited and prices are trending upwards,” says Sarah Denney, manageress of the RMP agency, which recently moved into premises at the heart of the village. Well-off clients are here looking for properties of quality to be used as pleasant holiday homes. Among her recent sales in the high-end category, she mentions a luxury chalet of 350 m2 on three floors, in Champagny. Offering top-notch amenities including a spa, it just found a taker at around 1.5 M €.