Snow joke? - 25 January 2010

Posted by Paul Collins No comments

Firstly, apologies for the headline – you must all be sick of snow puns by now…

The point of this isn’t to moan about the lack of salt on the UK’s roads over the past month, or lament the terrible weather we’ve been having. The point is to talk a little about properties in regions of the world which welcome the snowy conditions.

More specifically, I’m wondering why property in ski areas aren’t more popular? For me, they have the perfect combination of scenery, climate and transport links that should make them the first port of call for anyone looking to make money from renting their property to tourists. In many ways, you could argue that they make more sense as a purchase than beachfront properties in climates where you’re not able to sunbath right through the year. So what is it that makes mountain property less attractive to overseas property buyers?

Well, part of that will inevitably be that many people don’t like skiing or other winter sports. Regardless of whether they feel winter sports are more of a rich pastime or have never had the chance to experience sliding down a mountain on a couple of planks, there is little doubt that the mere idea of a property in the mountains will put a certain proportion of the buying public off. However, if you are looking to rent the property out for at least part of the year, ski property has to make sense. If you hate winter sports, so much the better, as you have a full season of available rentals in the winter!

And then there is the summer potential. Carefully-researched property locations can get you summer temperatures akin to those at beach resorts, and if you can find a property within striking distance of a lake, then you could also be treated to a beach and some of the cleanest and least-polluted waters in the world. Add to this the rental opportunities for summer mountain sports, from mountain biking and climbing to hiking, and your ‘ski’ property could become a year-long earner. Like any overseas property rental, the key to making money throughout the year is to prepare as much as possible. If you are able to offer not only a heated ski/boot room, but also bikes, walking guides, contacts for climbing guides and the like, your guests are more likely to reserve again or recommend your property to their friends.

Perhaps buyers also perceive that mountain resorts are more difficult to reach than seaside locations. This could be a factor, and could also be a valid point. While there will be plenty of flights and connections while the ski season is in full swing, it is perfectly possible that services will be reduced during the summer, or at the very least during the ‘shoulder’ seasons of spring and autumn. But this happens equally with beach resort locations – unless you arte in the most popular destinations, or lucky enough to be able to buy in a location which has year-round warm temperatures, it is more than likely that a beachside property will suffer from reduced access option for at least part of the year.

In sitting back and considering the question of why mountain properties are less popular, there was one other possible reason that came to mind. Perhaps even more than in beach resorts, the populations of ski towns are almost completely transient and temporary. Not only is there little or no expat community from the UK, but many locals also decamp to different areas in the ‘off’ season. While those buying purely for investment should not be put off by this (in fact, they may welcome it), the vast majority of people are buying for their own personal use alongside the opportunity to rent the property out for profit. Therefore, the lack of an expat community may be, consciously or not, one of the main reasons for mountain property not being near the top of their list.

One thing is for sure – when I have the opportunity to buy overseas, a property in the mountains will be sure to make it onto my shortlist!

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