In October 2025 in Méribel, the developer Rising Stone will deliver “Alba”, a real estate program of 19 apartments. Price? At least 35,000 euros per square meter.
Sure, it is luxury residential living in a highly rated resort in Savoy, where the average square meter reaches 10,615 euros according to FNAIM, an increase of +4.2% in one year. However, there is nothing unique about Méribel.
Rising prices
At a time when property prices look bleak (still -3% nationally in Q1 2024 according to Orpi), property prices are reaching new heights.
The average price increased by +4.4% in 2023 after increasing by +8% a year earlier.
The question of snow
In many Alpine resorts, the square meter exceeds Parisian prices, but it also rises in the Pyrenees (+11% in Les Angles) or in the beautiful Vosges resort of Gérardmer (+4.6%).
Since the time of Covid and the generalization of remote work, many owners of mountain huts or apartments have settled there in a much more sustainable way, because the attractiveness of the mountains does not decrease, even in the off-season, a period during which events and activities multiply in many resorts. : donkey rides, mountain bike competitions, festivals, concerts and even civic initiatives to raise awareness of mountain issues.
Is the existing building depreciated?
This is the main disadvantage of ski resorts: climate change. A study by the Eurac Research Center published in 2021 and carried out in all Alpine countries reported a decrease in snow cover of 22 to 34 days per year in the massif over the past fifty years.
By 2100, resorts below 1,500 meters could lose 50% of their snow cover. What’s more, in its study on station properties revealed last December, FNAIM highlighted another problem: the deteriorating energy quality of existing buildings.
31% of the housing stock has F or G on the labels, compared to 15% across France.
The ban on thermal sieve rentals, which occurs between 2025 and 2034, could affect two-thirds of them.
Or buy?
Therefore, the first advice: buy a new one. And prefer small areas in large ski areas, because unlike what is practiced elsewhere, in the mountains, the bigger the area, the higher the price.
Reason: lack of land. Apartments will also certainly be more affordable for you. Often half the price of cottages, they are also much more numerous on the market, accounting for 9 out of 10 sales.
In terms of location, some stations become unaffordable: 14,339 euros per m2 in Val-d’Isère or €10,120 in Megève…
Which stations are still affordable?
While others offer great opportunities: It pollutes (5,268 euros per m2), Les Deux Alpes (4,961 euros) or Abondance (3,258 euros).
In addition to the classic purchase, you can opt for a serviced residence, which allows you to both benefit from the property and rent it out easily, and has tax advantages.
However, watch out for the quality of the manager and resale, which can be complicated.