Alpine Escapes | Ski Properties in Austria
Austria
Benefiting from a thriving arts and culture scene and incredible healthcare and education, Austria is a destination that's ideal for property investors. As well as visiting the opera, and touring the gardens at Schonbrunn Palace, Austria is one of the world's ski destinations.
Giles Gale, Managing Director for Alpine Property Finders states: "Most of Austria's "ski resorts" have been towns and villages long before anyone installed ski lifts. Popular destinations such as the beautiful Kitzbuhel and Zel ma Se date back to the i8th century and were popular summer holiday destinations for the wealthy elite from the Austrian Hungarian empire.
“What this means is that plenty of Austria's ski resorts are busy throughout the year with thriving summer seasons that are viewed with envy by many of the purpose-built, higher altitude French and Swiss
ski resorts. This is al good news for property investors that benefit from excellent rental returns driven by a year-round tourism market - not just a 14 week ski season.
“Resorts with year-round tourism are the most popular with buyers looking for family friendly activities that they can enjoy 12 months a year. Most buyers in Austria are interested in enjoying their property through out the year — not just during the ski season.
“In Zell am See for example, you will find the beautiful Lake Zell with its warm waters, beach clubs and watersports attracting active families from across Europe. Similarly, just across the border in Austria's Tyrol region, Fieberbrunn is a firm family favourite with a vast 260km+ ski region as well as summer activities galore including the scenic Lachsee swimming lake.“
Florain Hofery, Managing Director of Engel & Volkers Kitzbuhel adds, “The alpine state of Tyrol and Salzburg Land is ideal as a feel-good residential region for many reasons. In addition to the unique natural landscape, Tyrol is characterised by excellent modern infrastructure and an attractive range of leisure and work opportunities. More and more people who want to orient themselves in the direction of nature and work life balance are moving from the big cities to the mountains of Tyrol and Salzburg Land. From Germany and Austrian cities, many people move their centre of life to the federal state with an above-average quality of life.
"The 3000-metre-high mountains, countless kilometres of ski slopes and glacier ski areas allow skiing in autumn. In summer one can enjoy our many lakes with quality drinking water and untouched nature in the natural park valleys for hiking, cycling, climbing etc. Austrian properties are well known for a good investment because of the high construction quality of the apartment / houses at the highest standard.“
“Most holiday properties in Austria come with a rental obligation as the Austrians are keen to avoid 'cold beds' that are the curse of many high altitude French ski resorts.“ says Giles. “This means that you are likely to be asked to sign a rental agreement alongside your property purchase.
“EU citizens have exactly the same rights to buy property as Austrian citizens but Brexit has added an additional layer of complication for UK buyers who are now restricted to properties in designated 'zweitwohnsitz' areas.
“Recent law changes in 2018 have severely limited the availability of second homes in Austria. Unless property was used a holiday home before 2018 then it cannot be used for tourist purposes. This restricted supply, as well as tight regional planning laws, should support prices into the future. Property investors who are able to acquire a property with permission for tourist use can expect to see strong rental income and sold capital gains into the future.“
