Ski property prices continued to rise in Haute-Savoie in 2012, while there was a marginal fall in prices in Savoie.

In their latest review of the market for ski properties in the Haute Savoie and Savoie, the notaires say the picture has been a contrasting one, in much the same manner as has been the case across the rest of the country.

Prices in some ski resorts have fallen, but in most cases not by a large margin. Overall, prices in Savoie fell by 0.9%, while in Haute-Savoie they increased by an average of 4.1%.

While prices have held up better in Haute-Savoie, smaller properties on the lower slopes anywhere have been the worst affected by the downturn.

Newer property has also held up better than older stock, due to the costs of renovation and the frequently smaller habitable space of the latter.

Highest average prices for existing older apartments in Haute-Savoie are to be found in the Aravis mountain range, located between Lake Annecy and Mont Blanc, where prices averaged €4,520m2.

In Savoie, top pricing goes to the Trois Vallées ski-ing domaine, again at an average of €4,520m2.

The share of sales made by international buyers increased slightly in both Savioe and Haute-Savoie, although in both cases they were only a small percentage of total sales. Thus, in Savoie 4.7% sales were to international buyers, while in Haute-Savoie 12.7% of sales were to buyers from outside of France.

The following tables show the average prices per metre square for existing apartments in both departments.

As usual with these figures a health warning is necessary, as substantial variations in prices exist between apartments of different size, quality and location within the resort.

In general, larger apartments at the foot of the slopes or in the centre of the resort attract a premium price, while smaller apartments further from the slopes can be purchased for less, but only an appraisal of each local market will give a clear understanding of the price structure.