Meet Marie-Pierre Laissus our agent in Meribel.
Current State Of The Market
What is the current state of the local market?
We are very lucky in Meribel as we have a lot of families who have been coming here for years…Prices are very stable. This year is been a little quiet for Meribel ski property for sale.
How have sales performed since 2008
It has been quite good, the stock exchange was low, so many people were investing in properties in Meribel. This year it is a little quieter than other years.
Which types of property are not selling?
Small properties like studios, where you don’t have a double bedroom. People don’t want to have only a box bed any more, or two bunk beds at the entrance and a sofa bed in the sitting area. They now want a minimum of one bedroom. Also some properties in the villages are too expensive, so it is more difficult to sell this kind of property.
Is |LOCATION| a buyer's or seller's market?
I would say it depends on the kind of property, for properties in the villages it is a buyers market, because we have too many properties for sale and prices are too high, for ski-in ski-out properties, there is good demand.
Which type of property is most popular?
Ski-in ski-out properties are still in demand, particularly larger, two to three bedroom properties.
Who Is Buying?
What nationalities are driving the |LOCATION| buyers market?
Most of the clients are French. I’ve worked here for 25 years now, I used to sell a lot to British people, since 2008 most of the British were selling properties and now, since last autumn, they are beginning to ask about buying properties again.
Are specific areas of |LOCATION| popular with particular nationalities?
In Meribel we have French, British, Irish, Belgium and Dutch people, but they are not in specific areas.
Are clients buying as a single purchase or for a portfolio?
I think it is mostly a single purchase.
Walkthrough Of The Different Areas
Could you describe the different locations?
In Meribel there are various areas, Les Allues, which is the old village, the lowest village, you can live here all year round, it has a church and older houses. From here you would go to the resort by bus or by cable car, and the great advantage is that the shops are open year round. Further up there is Le Raffort which is another village, with nice chalets. There is a cable car in Le Raffort, there are no shops, but it is quite convenient for the skiing.
Meribel village is on the slopes, convenient for skiing and there are shops open during the winter season. The main resort is Meribel, from the top to the bottom you have several areas along the road and some of them are on the slopes. From Mussillon, which is the entrance to Meribel, you need a bus to get to the slopes, it is not ski-in ski-out. On the top, at 1800 meters, you have Mottaret.
What types of property are available?
In the villages there are mostly chalets, in Meribel centre you have chalets but they are quite large and quite expensive, otherwise there are apartments. In Mottaret there are only apartments. In Le Raffort for example in the village there are only chalets, it is less expensive than Meribel, but you can find a chalet and you can take the cable car in the morning to join Meribel and come back to your chalet in the evening directly by ski.
Are there any new developments or renovations?
There have not been any plots of land in Meribel for years now, there is one new development, Aspen Park and Lodge, which is a renovation of what used to be Club Med and now it is 30 large apartments with ski-in ski-out in a lovely location.
Help With The Buying Process
What are the local annual |LOCATION| property taxes?
Taxes for a Meribel ski property for sale are the same as the properties in the rest of France, when you own a property you have Tax Fonciere, Tax d’habitation, as the commune is quite wealthy these taxes are not very high in Meribel, plus the wealth tax (if the value of the property is more than 1,3M€).
Should buyers get a full structural survey?
We already have French diagnostics, which the sellers must carry out, this includes surface, energy diagnostic, electricity, checks for asbestos etc. Generally in France we do not have full structural surveys.
Should buyers instruct a solicitor from their country?
No, because in Moutiers we have three Notary offices and in one of them there is a French Notary who used to be an English Solicitor, so for English people it is very easy to work with them. They know the French law and also the British law. In one of the other offices the Notary is French, but speaks fluent English.
Do you have any inheritance tax advice?
This is something you should check with the Notary.
Do you translate documents?
We used to translate the documents, but now we don’t as it is a long document and the Notary will explain in English so it is very easy for the client to trust the Notary and to ask all the questions they want.
Are any of your |LOCATION| properties leasehold?
We only have freehold in Meribel. If you buy an apartment there would be a condominium manager who would take care of the building and each apartment will pay charges for that. When we sell a property we explain to the client that if you have an apartment in a building you will have to pay annual charges for maintenance, cleaning of the common parts etc. Each year there will be a meeting of all the owners with the manager.
Can you recommend an insurance agent?
There are several in Moutiers, which is close to Meribel, I would say Axa and Generali as they both know the area well. For example in Meribel it is forbidden to have shutters on the windows of new buildings, some companies in Paris refuse to insure the properties against robberies unless they have shutters. So a local agent is better as they understand the local area.
Maintenance and Renovations
Do you have a maintenance team available?
We don’t have our own maintenance crew.
Do you recommend any local builders?
Yes we do. We have many local workers that we can recommend. There shouldn’t be a problem with bringing in builders from other areas. Any builders will need to have the correct insurance in place, particularly for things like working on electricity, gas etc.
Visiting To View Properties
Do you recommend an airport transfer company?
No, there are buses, otherwise there are taxis.
Do you meet clients at your office or pick them up?
We can pick them up from their hotels if they want us to. Some of our clients have arrived from Courchevel by skiing down the slopes and we have picked them up at the bottom of the slope, put their skis in the car and taken them to visit the properties!
Local Area Information
What are your favourite weather months?
The best months would be the winter, we have a blue sky and it is very nice, also in July and August it is nice. The worst would be May because the snow is melting and it is not green yet, and November.
Do clients need to speak the local language?
No, most people speak English here.
What are the crime statistics for the area?
No, we don’t have any problem with that.
What schools are there locally?
Until they are 18 they can go to the school in Moutiers which is a very good school. There isn’t an international school, for that you need to go to Chambery or Grenoble.
What local places of worship are there?
We have churches and mosques, but not a synagogue.
What local healthcare is provided?
There is a hospital in Moutiers, if it is a bad injury or illness you can go further to Chambery, Grenoble or Lyon (around a one hour drive). You would use the usual European Health Insurance Card.
What days are national holidays?
National Holidays 2014
January 01 New Years Day
April 21 Easter Monday
May 01 Labour Day
May 08 V-E Day
May 29 Ascension Day
June 09 Whitmonday
July 14 Bastille Day
August 15 Assumption Day
November 01 All Saints Day
November 11 Armistice Day
December 25 Christmas Day
Are there any major festivals or events?
We have ice hockey matches and the Alpine Skiing French and British Championships.
Next year we have the Alpine Skiing World Cup Finals in March 2015.
What are your favourite restaurants?
On the slopes we have La Folie Douce, which is a very famous restaurant with a big terrace where you can drink and listen to music. For excellent French food I would go to Le Cepe in Meribel.
What nightclubs do you recommend?
Yes, Les Saints Pères in Meribel.
What leisure activities are popular?
Yes, Parc Olympique, there is a Spa area, and a Gym area, Jacuzzi and massage plus the swimming pool.
Where are the best places to shop?
There are many sports shops, but if you want to go shopping you have to go to Courchevel.
Rental Market
Are there any new laws restricting rentals in |LOCATION|?
No.
Do you market rental property?
We have a rental department within the agency.
What is the state of the local rental market?
It is worse this year than we have had in previous years, but not too bad. We have to be careful on prices. In Meribel we have a lot of British tours, all inclusive holidays with rental of the Chalet for the week including breakfast and dinner.
Are rentals mainly for short term, long term or students?
Usually the rentals are for one week.
What type of rental properties are people looking for?
Large apartments and chalets, 2 and 3 beds or more.
Ski Resorts
What are the red zones in |LOCATION|?
There is no risk in the resort, only if you go off piste. It is very secure.
What is the cost an Annual Ski Pass?
For Meribel valley it is €995 per year and for the three valleys it is €1,200 per year.
Is there much summer activity?
In Meribel we are very lucky, we have many summer activities, we have walking in the mountains, the Parc de la Vanoise, there is a very nice Golf course with 18 holes, 22 Tennis courts, mountain biking, there are many activities we are very lucky. It is very green, we have a lot of trees, all the shops are open, compared with Courchevel, where all the shops are closed. We have a lovely summer season.
Is rental income generally restricted to the skiiing season?
It is mainly for the winter season, in summer we have owners, but only few rental demands.
