L-plate skiers help drive property sales in French alpine resort

Little-known but up-and-coming Val Cenis in the Haute-Maurienne region of the French Alps is one of the best places to learn to ski according to a British skiing enthusiast who sells property in resorts across the region.

Richard Deans – a keen skier from an early age, racing in competitions at the age of 14 – today heads the UK sales team for developer MGM French Properties.

Speaking in the firm’s West End office just off London’s Oxford Street, Richard said: ‘Val Cenis, close to the Italian border and boasting the longest green piste in Europe – the ten kilometre L’Escargot – has two areas dedicated to children aged between six and ten, accompanied by their parents. And L’Escargot, which winds through the trees from an altitude of 2,100 metres down to 1,400 metres, is ideal for skiers wishing to progress from the nursery slopes and gain confidence.’

For MGM, the growing interest in Val Cenis among those who are new to skiing, as well as others with the experience to tackle the rest of the resort’s 125 kilometres of pistes suited to all abilities, is good news. It is reflected by the increasing level of enquires Richard is receiving about the apartments for sale in his firm’s leaseback development, Le Chalet de Flambeau, at the heart of the resort.

The location of Le Chalet de Flambeau is ideal for L-plate skiers. The ski school office, the ski pass office and a crèche occupy the ground floor of the chalet closest to the ski lift and nearby is the meeting point for skiers taking lessons.

Says Richard: ‘Demand for properties at Le Chalet de Flambeau has been consistently high and, with all of the 197 apartments in phase one sold and occupied, we have now announced plans to expand the résidence by building a new chalet containing a further 13 apartments.’

Facilities for use by residents at Le Chalet de Flambeau include an indoor pool with a glazed roof, and an additional children’s pool, a fitness suite, gym, sauna, jacuzzi and steam rooms, as well as a spa offering a variety of beauty, massage and other treatments.

• Off-plan prices at Le Chalet de Flambeau start at €166,000 for a one-bedroom apartment rising to €329,000 for a three-bedroom property. These prices exclude French VAT at 20 per cent which is waived under the leaseback scheme.

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For more details call 0207 4940706, email [email protected] or visit www.mgmfrenchproperties.com