Buying a new build
Category: Finance > Finance | 04th Aug, 2011
A new build chalet: When dreams really do come true
Steph and her husband Rob recently bought a chalet off-plan in St Jean D'Aulps near the ski resort of Morzine. They agreed to tell us about their experience of turning a cherished dream into a reality.
Why did you decide to buy a chalet off-plan?
We had looked at lots of different types of properties, new and old, apartments and chalets, and we had looked in lots of different areas. We ended up buying in Morzine because it was so accessible, just an hour to Geneva, and had brilliant skiing and friends close by. We did consider buying an old property to renovate but the reality of organising contractors and overseeing a build seemed too tough for us right now. So we went with buying off-plan.
Was it a long standing dream of yours?
Owning an Alpine property has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember, truly.
The whole family loves the mountains, my three kids love skiing. We don't want to live in the Alps full time, yet, but we do want to spend as much time as possible there.
What was your biggest concern?
It's a huge financial commitment! We had wanted to buy back in 2008 but with the economy nose-diving we put our plans on hold. As things stabilised, a bit, we still had the same dreams and so were ready to take the plunge. The biggest fears, and there were many, go like this: We were scared by the documents we couldn't translate, all the things we didn't understand (French legal system, language, process), we were scared by the language barrier and communication difficulties. I was also scared by the cost of everything, both for the property itself and the material and contractors costs. Although our property was built by a developer we've been involved from the start; choosing floorings and fittings, the finishing style of the interior and exterior wood. There were many things we wanted to do to but the quotes were too high or the developer didn't give us the option. So that was quite difficult. Have I put you off yet?
And the main problems?
The main problems or the things that could have been problems were all sorted out by Alpine Angels. However cliché it may sound, they translated the documents we couldn't understand, they went through the quotes we received, they spoke to contractors.
And the best part of experience?
The best part of the experience has been seeing the chalet go up, seeing our dream realised, bit by bit before our very eyes. Lots of people buy off-plan and turn up to collect the keys when it's ready. We have been out almost every month to watch the progress because we are so excited about it. We finally get to have a piece of mountain life. And not just that, we get to share it with our children and our parents and our friends. And perhaps when the kids have grown up we will spend even more time over there.
So what's your top tip for buying Alpine Property?
I do recommend finding a good company to work with who you feel you can trust. We chose to work with Alpine Angels - they proved to be invaluable - they understand the culture, they understand your worries. They are so reassuring, they never belittle your concerns, they speak the language, they have working relationships with the locals and they understand the prices out there. We could not have done it without them.
Steph and Rob's chalet is due for completion later this month
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