Outlook bright for ski property

Recent research by the estate agent Savills in conjunction with HomeAway.co.uk reported that the proportion of British people owning ski properties has been steadily rising over the past decade. Now, as many of us are looking forward to dusting off our ski boots for our annual stint on the slopes, the market in the Alps remains buoyant.

Mountain properties are good all-round investments for many reasons, not least because supply is always limited by geography, winter sports are growing ever popular, plus Alpine villages and resorts can make some of the best dual-season locations around.

The leading ski holiday and ski property specialist Erna Low point to further reasons behind the trend.

"In my opinion, as long as the snow falls, the Alpine property market will remain strong," says Francois Marchand, GM of Erna Low Property.

"The reasons? A return of confidence against the the eurozone crisis, favourable exchange rate for buyers with sterling, the lowest ever French mortgage interest rates, and the fact that Socialist Francois Hollande's recent tax reforms do not affect the foreign market.

"This year is a good year to invest in the Alps."

Erna Low's projects include the L'Ours Blue, a five-star project in Vallorcine, near the popular French resort of Chamonix, where new one-bedroom apartments start from €210,600.