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In an article in today's Telegraph, Liz Rowlinson once again delves into the Alpine property market, this time to look at the many positives you get from buying on the border between two ski nations. Both our own Simon Malster and Jessica Delaney weigh in with their thoughts:
"Crossing the border and moving seamlessly into another culture is always exciting. But imagine doing it on a pair of skis, at 7,000ft, with the flag of one country on one side of a snow-covered piste and that of another just a few slaloms away?
For experienced skiers in the Alps – crossing a border does tend to mean a few tricky runs – owning a home on the cusp of two countries can offer a taste of both ski cultures.
Cervinia (Italy) / Zermatt (Switzerland)
These two superb, snow-sure resorts share views of the Matterhorn mountain, with its iconic pyramidal peak that marks the French/Swiss border. This view comes at a cost, however. In the picture-postcard town of Zermatt – full of charming ancient chalets and stylish boutique hotels – you’d need to pay an eye-watering £1,400 to £1,800 per sq ft, and there’s hardly anything that foreigners are allowed to buy, says Simon Malster of Investors in Property. “But we do have a fully staffed six-bedroom chalet that is classed as an investment property so can be sold to foreigners, at a hefty CHF 15 million.”
However, if you got the lift timings right to cross the border, you could live in Cervinia and visit Zermatt for its restaurants, such as Schäferstube. Purpose-built Cervinia is the second most popular Italian ski resort for property searches after Courmayeur, according to gate-away.com; it also offers golf in the summer and is easily reached from Turin.
Ischgl (Austria) / Samnaun (Switzerland)
If you are tempted by some of the best parties in the Alps and access to the only tax-free shopping in Switzerland, this cross-border ski region is for you. The Silvretta includes the Tyrolean resort of Ischgl and the Swiss mountain biking and winter sports mecca of Samnaun. You might find it nearly impossible to buy a property in the wealthy village of Samnaun, which sits in a remote valley 72 miles from Innsbruck, but skiers can load up their cars (or backpacks) with discounted perfumes, Swiss watches and fine wines. It’s a red run over to Ischgl, where the Swiss go for cheaper restaurants, livelier après-ski and the resort’s legendary Top of the Mountain opening season party.
“It’s pretty hard to buy a second-home property in Ischgl itself so buyers tend to look at nearby Kappl or Galtür,” says Jessica Delaney of Investors in Property. “Plus there are plans to link Kappl (eight minutes from Ischgl) to St Anton and Lech by lift, which would make the skiing (and partying options) even more extensive.”
The agency is selling properties in the striking Chalet Jäger building in Kappl from €537,900 for a two-bedroom apartment. Owners get five to six weeks’ usage of their apartment in a strictly-managed rental scheme."
"Crossing the border and moving seamlessly into another culture is always exciting. But imagine doing it on a pair of skis, at 7,000ft, with the flag of one country on one side of a snow-covered piste and that of another just a few slaloms away?
For experienced skiers in the Alps – crossing a border does tend to mean a few tricky runs – owning a home on the cusp of two countries can offer a taste of both ski cultures.
Cervinia (Italy) / Zermatt (Switzerland)
These two superb, snow-sure resorts share views of the Matterhorn mountain, with its iconic pyramidal peak that marks the French/Swiss border. This view comes at a cost, however. In the picture-postcard town of Zermatt – full of charming ancient chalets and stylish boutique hotels – you’d need to pay an eye-watering £1,400 to £1,800 per sq ft, and there’s hardly anything that foreigners are allowed to buy, says Simon Malster of Investors in Property. “But we do have a fully staffed six-bedroom chalet that is classed as an investment property so can be sold to foreigners, at a hefty CHF 15 million.”
However, if you got the lift timings right to cross the border, you could live in Cervinia and visit Zermatt for its restaurants, such as Schäferstube. Purpose-built Cervinia is the second most popular Italian ski resort for property searches after Courmayeur, according to gate-away.com; it also offers golf in the summer and is easily reached from Turin.
Ischgl (Austria) / Samnaun (Switzerland)
If you are tempted by some of the best parties in the Alps and access to the only tax-free shopping in Switzerland, this cross-border ski region is for you. The Silvretta includes the Tyrolean resort of Ischgl and the Swiss mountain biking and winter sports mecca of Samnaun. You might find it nearly impossible to buy a property in the wealthy village of Samnaun, which sits in a remote valley 72 miles from Innsbruck, but skiers can load up their cars (or backpacks) with discounted perfumes, Swiss watches and fine wines. It’s a red run over to Ischgl, where the Swiss go for cheaper restaurants, livelier après-ski and the resort’s legendary Top of the Mountain opening season party.
“It’s pretty hard to buy a second-home property in Ischgl itself so buyers tend to look at nearby Kappl or Galtür,” says Jessica Delaney of Investors in Property. “Plus there are plans to link Kappl (eight minutes from Ischgl) to St Anton and Lech by lift, which would make the skiing (and partying options) even more extensive.”
The agency is selling properties in the striking Chalet Jäger building in Kappl from €537,900 for a two-bedroom apartment. Owners get five to six weeks’ usage of their apartment in a strictly-managed rental scheme."
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