ALPINE SKIING ON DOORSTEP FOR OWNERS OF NEW HOMES

Richard, a sales consultant in the firm’s London office, this month unveils plans for Le Cristal de l’Alpe, a new four-star residence de tourisme to be built by MGM at Alpe d’Huez in the Central Alps region of France.

Occupying the former site of an English-owned hotel – now demolished – in the centre of the resort, close to shops and restaurants, the residence will comprise 68 properties ranging from studio apartments with floor areas of 15 sq m to four-bedroom homes of 82 sq m.

When it opens at the end of 2011, the residence will incorporate an indoor swimming pool as well as a sauna, jacuzzi, steam and fitness rooms. A spa and beauty centre will provide a variety of massages and body treatments.

Boasting the world’s longest black run – the 16 km Sarenne – Alpe d’Huez also has easy slopes which attract beginners.

But the resort, which hosted the bobsleigh events of the 1968 Winter Olympics, has more than skiing on offer.

“This is a destination for sports lovers,” says Richard who points to the popularity of its public sports halls and open-air heated pool as well as facilities for a host of activities ranging from tennis and climbing to hiking and biking.

Professional cyclists helped the village make its mark in the sporting world in 1952 when the Tour de France stopped there for the first time. Alpe d’Huez has been a stage finish for the race almost every year since 1976.

From Alpe d’Huez by car, Grenoble Airport is 90 minutes, Chambery Airport two hours and Geneva Airport is three hours.

This computer-generated image shows how Le Cristal de l’Alpe, a new four-star residence de tourisme to be built by MGM at Alpe d’Huez in the Central Alps region of France, will look when it is completed.

New range of leaseback options

Buyers of apartments at Le Cristal de l’Alpe will be among the first to benefit from a new range of leaseback options. Owners who choose the ‘lease with rental income’ method of purchase can opt for four weeks personal use, they can also choose three different weeks or, instead, increase the annual rental income they receive by around €1,000 by choosing to use the apartment for only two weeks in winter or summer.

Longer periods of occupancy can be achieved by exchanging weeks and choosing to stay during the off-season when the spa and other residence facilities are closed.

The terms of the ‘lease with price reduction’ scheme remain unchanged but these owners who buy on this basis also are entitled to exchange weeks and occupy their properties in the off season.

Prices of the properties at Le Cristal de l’Alpe depend on size and leaseback option. Typically the price of a two-bedroom apartment with a floor area of 44 sq m is €242,000, excluding VAT, waived under the leaseback scheme.