Andy Selinger/Alamy
Switzerland
A country for all seasons F
RINGED with icy stalactites in deepest winter, then frothing with scarlet geraniums during balmy summers, the Swiss Alpine chalet
is the ultimate dual-season home. For some, it' s the chocolate-box appeal of a bolthole that is handy for a ski run; for others, it' s a status symbol among a handful of trophy homes strung across the globe. Whichever it is, the market for such homes remains rock solid amid the uncertainty shaking other parts of Europe, and demand continues to outstrip supply. Limits on foreign owner- ship help maintain a certain exclusivity, and the complex permit system (see box, below) weeds out any dilettantes, but which ski towns offer both year-round appeal and foreigner permits? There currently seems to be a veritable
avalanche of permits in the Vaud ski town of VillarsÐ handy for Montreux and Geneva.
` There are about 200 properties currently for sale with permits,' says Patrick Turrian of Régie Turrian SA, who work beside Knight Frank. ` Most buyers spend CHF4 million± CHF7 million [£2.6m± £4.5m], but some double that; you can get two-bedroom resale apartments from CHF420,000 [£273,000] or three bedrooms from CHF740,000 [£480,000].' The town could do with livening up a bit with a few new hotels and restau- rantsÐ the newly opened Chalet Royalp Hotel & Spa is a startÐ but it' s popular precisely because it ticks most other boxes as a four- season base. For big spendersÐ and those with a residency permitÐ there' s an 880m2 new-build chalet with five bedrooms, library and cinema, for CHF17 million (£11m) (again through Knight Frank). For ancient chocolate-box charm, however,
the 15th-century Valais village of Grimentz is hard to beat, with its cobbled streets winding between sun-darkened granaries. Walking paths and mountain-biking trails abound in this ski village, which promises
` four seasons of well-being' . People go for the uncrowded pistes and atmosphere accord- ing to Jeremy Rollason of Savills Alpine Homes, who are selling new-build apart- ments and chalets in Résidence Beauregard.
` It appeals to the discerning, older buyer who seeks something more authentic than the glitziness of big-name resorts.' Although reasonably big-name, pretty
72 Country Life International, Spring 2011
Grindelwald attracts people who want to spend their summers there, according to Beat Hartmann of Hartmann Singleton.
` The Eiger village has drawn the English since the 18th century and is not overbuilt like Verbier, but has typical, picturesque,
NEED TO KNOW
Foreign-friendly cantons When it comes to cantons (areas)Ð and then resorts within the same cantonÐ there are more rules and idiosyncrasies than you could shake a ski pole at. Put simply, however, permits for foreigners to own are issued annually by the canton, and the main ones for overseas second- home ownership are: Valais The hotspot of the Swiss Alps, it's most popular with buyers and issues the most permits. Zermatt looks likely to remain a closed shop for foreignersÐ also Saas-Fee, currentlyÐ but there are avail- able permits in the Verbier valley (Verbier, Nendaz, Veysonnaz and so on). There' s a limited number in Crans Montana Vaud Traditionally much easier to access than the Valais, so in Villars you can buy relatively freely Berne (Bernese Oberland) Permits are available, but beware of quirky regulations unique to one resort. For example, in Wengen, foreigners can' t buy a detached chalet; in Grindelwald, they can' t buy one for less than CHF750,000 Graubünden Although St Moritz remains out of bounds to normal mortals, it is pos- sible to get permits in nearby villages
With snow-sure winters and wildflower pastures to amble through in the summer, it' s impossible to get bored with a second home in Switzerland, says Liz Rowlinson
FOR SALE £2.21m
Grindelwald With four en-suite bedrooms, this new- build chalet enjoys views of the Eiger and is located in the desirable Spillstadt area Hartmann Single- ton (01845 597795; www.hartmann-
singleton.com)
chalet-style homes that have retained their high value. ` The English still love it here; I' ve come across those whose great-grand- father came in the 1930s and who are now buying for sentimental reasons.' Entry level is about CHF1.6 million (£1m),
which gets you a three-bedroom, two- bathroom apartment, but chalets cost CHF2.5 million± CHF4.5 million (£1.6m± £2.9m). You can get a four-bedroom chalet for CHF1.86 million (£1.2m), but it' s in the shadow of the Eiger, on the ` wrong' side of the village. If you don' t mind being 15 minutes outside town, Griwaplan has the ultimate dual- season home on the banks of the Brienzersee (Lake Brienz) at Riggenberg. The modern three-bedroom apartment (part of a chalet of three) with panoramic lake views and
Facing page Properties near the Eiger are sure to appeal whatever the season
O
FOR SALE £1.66m
Grimentz Located a few minutes from the old centre, these
new-build chalets have four bedrooms Savills Alpine Homes (020± 7016 3740;
www.alpinehomesintl.com)
www.countrylife.co.uk/international
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