Plans for more new ski homes in Les Arcs

Construction work will get underway soon on more new ski-in, ski-out homes in Les Arcs, said to be the “most beautiful and sought after area in the French Alps.”

Built by the French lakes and mountains property specialist MGM, the scheme will comprise the third and final phase of the company’s development Les Alpages de Chantel, 300 metres from the centre of Arcs 1800 where more than 50 properties already have been bought by UK buyers.

Named L’Iseran, the latest traditionally-styled chalet clad externally in timber and stone will contain 40 spacious apartments ranging in size from studio flats to five-bedroom apartments. Most will have panoramic views of the mountains.

Available for outright purchase, the apartments will have fitted kitchens and bathrooms, pine internal finishes and tiled and parquet floors. Each home comes with cellar storage, a ski locker and underground parking. Regulation standards for acoustic and thermal insulation will be exceeded.

A very unusual feature for a development with ski properties available for outright purchase is the inclusion of an indoor swimming pool for use by owners.

Facilities in Arcs 1800, the biggest and sunniest west-facing resort area in Les Arcs, include shops, a cinema and an ice rink. Shuttle buses provide a link with other parts of the resort. In summer an 18-hole golf course and opportunities for hiking and biking are among attractions.

Last year was the fortieth anniversary of the opening of the ski resort at Les Arcs which today forms part of the Paradiski skiing area with 420 km of pistes. In December 2008 they become accessible from Les Arcs with the re-opening of the the Vanoise Express, the double-decker cable car linking Les Arcs with La Plagne. Closed last winter for major repair and refurbishment works, the cable car is the only one of its type in the world able to carry more than 200 people.

Just 200 metres below L’Iseran is Arcs 1600 with its seven-minute funicular railway link to Bourg St Maurice, the destination of Eurostar trains from St Pancras during the ski season.

Currently nearing completion in Bourg St Maurice are two earlier developments by MGM – Le Coeur d’Or, a three-star residence de tourisme, and Le Grand Coeur which comprises 63 contemporary apartments within four traditionally-styled chalets. Most of them have large balconies or terraces with views of the mountains which surround the town.

For property owners flying to France, the airports nearest to L’Iseran are Chambery (one hour and 45 minutes by road), Lyon and Grenoble (both two hours and 45 minutes away). The opening of a new motorway link means that, for the first time this season, Geneva Airport also is a two hour and 45 minute drive.

Off-plan prices of properties at L’Iseran, due for completion in December 2010, range from €100,000 for a studio of 17 sq m to €1,050,000 for a five-bedroom, four-bathroom property with a floor area of 155 sq m. Prices for two bedroom apartments start at €235,000 euros.

In Bourg St Maurice prices start at €129,000 for a one-bedroom leaseback apartment. This figure excludes VAT which is waived under the leaseback scheme.

For more information, visit mgm-constructeur.com