Market Comment...
The French and Swiss Alps are a very popular investment destination for buyers all over the World. UK demand increases dramatically during City bonus time (January to April) with many understanding that French resorts such as Chamonix and Les Bettex have strong investment potential. In Chamonix, for example, Chesterton has a prime development of apartments and a stand-alone chalet located right in the centre of the resort with ‘Les Chalets de la Tannerie’.
The chic resort of Megève has been popular for years with the continental ski set and is becoming more so with UK buyers. Those resorts have very easy access from Geneva airport which has flights from the UK seven days a week.
Whether it is for low borrowing rates, advantageous tax laws or purely sound investment potential, the benefits of purchasing in France and in Switzerland are clear. Even with current restrictions for overseas buyers, the market in Switzerland has matured considerably during the last 5 – 10 years.
Environmental Impact...
Grosset Janin has been operating in the French Alps for 3 generations and has a vested interest in maintaining the natural environment. They already use as many natural construction techniques as they can and replace artificial materials with natural ones where possible. For example, the insulation material used is made up of natural minerals rather than man made fibres. Furthermore, ‘eco-chalets’ are becoming more and more common (see main feature).
The initial additional expenditure to include ‘eco’ aspects to the construction of your chalet may not be as expensive as many people believe. A geothermal heating system may be the largest initial investment but over the long term is cost effective and importantly very ‘green’. Our Award Winning development – ‘Sunbrook’ by At Home in the Alps fits geothermal heat pumps as standard.
And now , the Environmentally-Friendly (New) Mountain Chalet
The traditional mountain chalet has always been a shining example of environmental-friendliness, and today’s more imaginative chalet constructors are working ever harder to ensure that their clients’ projects can underpin their good looks with real eco-efficiency.
To discover what this means in practise we’ll look at a mountain home created for a family member by Savoyard constructor Grosset Janin with ‘green’ features in mind. The Chalet Geoan is arranged over three floors built using the traditional ‘poteau-poutre’ technique employed for centuries in the construction of farms around Megève and Chamonix. This method allows the creation of the full height rooms, mezzanine sections and large window openings popular in modern design and whose light and airy spaces are ideal for harnessing natural heat from the sun.
The concrete sub basement is covered with reclaimed stone and supports two floors devoted to living area and entirely constructed from locally-grown forest pine. The exterior timbers have been left unstained and with time will undergo a subtle change of colour, ageing naturally to blend with its surroundings. The roof is made entirely of Canadian Red Cedar.
Owner Angelique Picazo told us : "We wanted to create a chalet with which we can live in harmony and provides us with natural benefits. Therefore the entire structure is made of wood — even the insulation (walls, flooring and ceiling) is made of wood fibres."
The flooring is mainly oak, except in certain rooms where stone has been used. The stone or slate has been smoothed and polished naturally by the rivers from where they were sourced.
The walls are completely panelled in rustically treated pine. The ceilings are open, exposing the large wooden beams supporting the framework.
To avoid potentially hazardous exposure to electromagnetic fields, a lot of time was spent on the cabling installation. For example, no electrical cabling passes underneath a bed; all cables are routed around the edge of the rooms.
A huge chimney takes pride of place in the middle of the room so residents can enjoy a beautiful natural fire. The main heating system is geothermal. Energy from the ground is captured using 3 collectors buried 120m beneath the surface. Water is pumped underground and heated naturally. The hot water heats the chalet through the under floor heating system as well as providing hot running water. This heating system provides the most efficient ‘green’ heat possible and is completely renewable.
Chesterton International
Property Market comments and Chalet Geoan details by Andrew Hawkins, Senior Property Consultant with Chesterton’s award-winning International Team which has earned wide recognition for its excellence and professionalism.
For further information on current Grosset Janin developments, contact Chesterton International on + 44 (0) 207 201 2070.
All images by Grosset Janin, Créateur de Chalets.
Grosset Janin have 5 offices in the Alps at Les Gets, Domancy, Megève, Bourg St. Maurice and Chamonix.
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