“This resort is well

“This resort is well established, having beenhere for over 60 years,” explains Emma.“It’s family friendly, with a wide choice ofski-in, ski-out apartments, yet it offers greatvalue because this resort isn’t as well-knownas its neighbours.”Beautiful standalone chalet, plus one-bed apartment in Saint Marcel, in theheart of the Belleville Valley © frenchestateagents.comGorgeous traditional 3-bed chalet in Saint-Martin-Belleville© frenchestateagents.comBuying in the BellevilleValleyAs well as being a long-time resident, Emmais a real estate agent with Leggett Immobilierand has a wealth of knowledge when it comesto buying your own slice of alpine heaven.“As a rule, property is always more expensivethe closer you are to the slopes and the skilifts,” she states, “but then those locations willget you a better return if you choose to rentout. A 1-bedroom ski studio will cost around€300,000 in Saint-Martin but only €190,000in Les Menuires, and an entry-level studio inVal Thorens starts at €250,000.“At mid-level, a 4-bedroom ski apartment in aprime location in Saint-Martin fetches around1.5 million euros, and if money is no object,you could purchase a high-spec, 6-bedroomluxury ski chalet with a pool for around 6million euros.”“It’s definitely worth considering locationsthat neighbour the resorts as this can give youbetter value for money. If you’re looking for afamily home, I’d recommend nearby villageslike Saint-Marcel, where you can buy aproperty with parking and a fair-sized gardenfor between €500,000 and €800,000. Bymoving slightly away from the main resorts,you could save 30% on property prices.“Other great opportunities include barnsto be renovated, and 1990s homes that arestructurally sound but in need of modernising,typically having just one shared bathroom.”It’s also possible to buy a new-build propertyfrom a local developer. This offers theadvantage of tailoring it to your personalspecifications – right down to the colour ofthe tiles, and you also have a 20% tax benefitif you then rent it out. There are new-buildopportunities across all three resorts, withan average wait of 18 months to two years.If this option tempts you, a 145m² new-buildproperty with four bedrooms in Saint-Martinwould cost 1.9 million euros.Make it a permanent move© Cyrille MoingeonProperty opportunitiesAs Emma and her colleagues all live in thearea, they can recommend places that arein easy reach of the slopes but give you morespace in the property, and more land.118 | The Good Life France The Good Life France | 119