It’s been more than a year since we were able to travel freely – if at all. But there is light at the end of the tunnel and some day we really will be able to pack our bags and reach for our passports again. While we wait, our local agents remind us of what we’re missing.

As I write, the terraces of French bars and restaurants will soon be open again, non-essential shops will be able to welcome customers and the beautiful cobbled streets of 'the Venice of the Alps' will be bustling with life once more.

It is easy to understand why Annecy is associated with its Italian counterpart with stunning architecture, winding canals and charming bridges, particularly the Pont des Amours by the lake. I am in the habit of inundating family, friends and colleagues with photos of the lake, but the views of the turquoise waters with the snowcapped peaks in the distance just do not get old.

As a family we are lucky to have been 'stuck' in such a glorious corner of the world during the pandemic. For the most part we have been free to travel to ski resorts and the uptake in cross-country skiing, snow-shoeing and ski touring has been huge. People have definitely made the most of the situation. I even overheard someone saying that they felt fitter than ever after a season with less tartiflette and no après-ski.

With summer just around the corner, winter sports have been replaced by paddle boarding, swimming, hiking, tennis, sailing, the list goes on. If you are a sports enthusiast, summer or winter, there is no finer place to be. Annecy is also perfectly situated geographically being less than 40 minutes from Geneva airport by car, and within one hour of many world famous ski resorts such as Chamonix, Megève, the Portes du Soleil and 3 Valleys. Paris and Milan are five and four hours away by car respectively.  

Moving to Annecy in January 2020 to live and work proved to be the calm before the storm. Great early season snow and a feeling of confidence in the UK following Boris Johnson’s election victory in December 2019 resulted in a busy ski property market. Fast forward to the middle of March and no one could have predicted how drastically life would change. Our markets and 'playgrounds' were closed with immediate effect and ski lifts in France did not re-open for the 2020/21 season just passed.

This, however, has by no means dampened demand for Alpine property, quite the opposite. In my mind there are several factors which have contributed to the extraordinary levels of activity we have seen. Residential property as an asset class has gained significant attention across the globe in the past 12 months and there seems to be a refocus about where people want to be, how they spend their time and what they are looking for in their home/holiday home.

'Working from anywhere' has allowed people to reconsider where they might want to spend longer periods of time and the mountains provide refuge and tranquility from busy city life. For some these factors have sped up the life-long dream of owning a ski property.

The market has been exceptionally busy so far in 2021 and we have sold properties in a number of prime French resorts at a range of values. I have sold chalets by video viewing to buyers who knew they would be unable to visit for a period of time and did not want to miss out. Video viewings have certainly caught on. Even after the pandemic, from a practical perspective, carrying out a first viewing of a second home in a foreign country by video costs nothing to the potential buyer and makes perfect sense.

I expect the high levels of demand to continue through the summer and beyond, especially if travelling rules are relaxed in the next few months. There is a considerable amount of pent-up demand from potential buyers and many people are itching to get back on the slopes in 2022. I know I am looking forward to that tartiflette and vin chaud up the mountain.

Further information

Contact Guy Murdoch

Read Savills Ski Report – Winter 20/21

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