Annecy and Le Grand-Bornand
Radia Amar - 03 August 2018
Forty minutes apart, these two popular addresses in Upper Savoy embody the region’s lifestyle each in its own way. Between lake and mountains, the Venice of the Alps is home to over 50,000 residents. At an altitude of 1,000 metres, the village of Le Grand-Bornand offers a typically Savoyard atmosphere.
With its substantial villas around the edge of its lake, Annecy enjoys panoramic, picture-postcard views. Town houses, contemporary residences, villas with views of the lake, traditional farmhouses, bourgeois apartments, noble properties right at the water’s edge…. The local property market proposes a wide variety of year-round or holiday homes, as well as rental investments, rental management of holiday and student residences. “Annecy’s greater urban area offers many opportunities at prices varying considerably from one commune to the next : from 2,700 to 6,800 € per sq.m for transactions we have handled in 2018,” explains Agnès Dussaud, sales manager with Accort Immobilier, a dynamic agency on a human scale, offering expertise in both sales and rentals, and working hand-in-hand with its clients for over 25 years. “In Annecy intra-muros, the average price is now somewhere between 4,000 and 4,200 € per sq.m. The least expensive properties are those requiring renovation, or those located to the south or at the far end of the lake. The highly-prized “Golden Triangle” consists of the centre, the northern area and the lake.” Looking further from the centre is the best way to find more modest prices, as long as one is prepared to spend more time travelling. The lakesides are often dense with traffic, though the cycling trail makes for pleasant, fast trips. “Overall, the market is pretty active despite a growing shortage of properties for sale, giving a slight rise in prices, especially as development of the Annecy-Geneva motorway has led to the arrival of many people working across the border,” says Agnès Dussaud. “Today it is important for sellers to contact professionals capable of giving precise estimates of their properties and implementing a personalized strategy, guaranteeing a fast sale under the best possible conditions.”
Nestling at the heart of Les Aravis, between Lake Annecy and Mont Blanc, Le Grand-Bornand is both an authentic, family-oriented village and a resort high on the list of the most prestigious winter sports destinations. Standing out for its busy calendar of events in all four seasons – including the festival “Au Bonheur des Mômes” from August 26th to 31st, Europe’s first cultural event dedicated to live shows for youngsters -, Le Grand Bornand harmoniously unfurls its little hamlets at the foot of the mountain passes of Colombière and Les Annes, surveyed by the majestic chain of Les Aravis. “Posting well-balanced prices and a good array of properties ranging from studios starting at 100,000 € to substantial chalets worth around 1.3 M €, the market is very buoyant,” says Catherine Rey of Century 21 Aravis Immobilier. “Mostly French and Swiss, the clientele is there, especially as the excellent snow coverage we benefited from last winter spurred desires to acquire a home. The most widely sought-after properties are 1- and 2-bedroomed apartments in the 170,000-300,000 € price bracket. Properties that sell the most quickly are those offering appointments in today’s taste, located in immediate proximity to the centre or slopes.” As an example of properties typical of her vast portfilio, Catherine Rey describes a 2-bedroomed apartment of 66 m2 with a mezzanine, 400 m from the centre. Renovated throughout, it is up for sale at 335,000 €. Another exemple, a chalet of 193 m2 set in grounds of 1,199 m2, with 3 bedrooms and a mezzanine used as a bedroom. Enjoying a beautiful view of Les Aravis and La Tournette from its terraces and balconies, it is on offer at 619,000 €.