The lifts in many ski areas were idle for one season.

Wherever they did not stand still, there was often an eerie atmosphere.

The reason was the rampant Covid pandemic.

But in the season ahead, not everything will be the same as it used to be, but many things will be back to normal.

People are drawn back to the ski areas.

Not only as a vacationer, but also as a homeowner.

Above all, rich people invest their wealth there.

Investment firm Knight Frank has been researching how prices are changing in ski resorts for years and has now released its latest annual report.

In its “Global Buyer” study, it examines both the interests of buyers and the price development in its index.

Franz Nestler

Editor in business.

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Accordingly, the proportion of people who tend to buy a ski hut has increased in the wake of Corona: from 11 percent in the previous year to 18 percent this year. And that ensures new records in house prices. The prices for real estate in ski areas will therefore continue to rise in the coming years. The number of skiers in the world will remain roughly the same, but Asia in particular could see many new ski fans, driven by the Winter Olympics in China. There are already more than 13 million skiers there. And the Chinese super-rich also like to buy in Europe. Asian buyers in particular can imagine a property in ski areas with 22 percent. But there is still no sign of this - there are still no Asian countries among the top five buyer countries.

In St. Moritz in particular, prices have increased significantly.

Where the rich shake hands, prices have risen 17 percent.

The reasons are a lack of supply and strong demand.

A year ago there were 90 properties available for sale, now there are only 20.

"This year was an anomaly"

In general, the Swiss ski resorts are the most popular this year. And according to Knight Frank, the reasons for this lie precisely in the corona rules, which were the loosest. Own entry rules, the decision to partially open the ski resorts in December 2020, and the general reaction to the pandemic were decisive for buyers. It was similar in the Verbier ski area. Prices have increased by 10 percent. Some of the square meters there were sold for 30,000 Swiss francs - a record.

Kate Everett-Allen, who is responsible for the global market at Knight Frank, says: “This year was an anomaly. We do not expect this price increase to continue. Demand and supply will be balanced again, ”the expert estimates. Alex Koch de Gooreynd, who is responsible for the Swiss area, explains the low supply and high demand for real estate: “Potential sellers have become landlords themselves, and parents would rather give the apartments to their children than sell them. The love for the mountains shows no cooling at the same time. "

Prices have also risen in the French Alps, but not nearly as much.

In Chamonix and Megève it went up 6.1 percent and 4.7 percent.

One of the reasons for this was the easy accessibility from cities such as Milan, Turin and Geneva.

In France there are also the houses with the highest rent: in Courchevel, the daily rent costs an average of 516 euros.

Roddy Aris, who is responsible for France, explains: "Especially the middle-altitude resorts, which offer a stable base with a mixture of activities all year round, appeal to a broader group of buyers."

Megatrends climate and corona

The winners of the previous year, on the other hand, have disappeared a little. Here you can throw a spotlight on Aspen in the American Colorado. After more than 50 percent more transactions were recorded in 2020 than in 2019, things looked very different in 2021. The reason was not a lack of demand, but a lack of supply. In August 2021 there were only 19 new offers on the market, compared to 61 in the previous year. As a result, only 25 properties changed hands this year, compared to 54 in August 2020.

And what is important to buyers in general this year?

First and foremost, of course, is a good connection to larger ski areas.

Good air and a great view of nature are also mentioned.

In addition, many want to withdraw into private life and then spend more time there with family and friends.

But the two megatrends corona and climate have left their mark.

Many apartments and houses should be perfectly set up for the home office.

This includes fast broadband internet and a fast connection to the airport.

When it comes to climate change, 90 percent say energy efficiency is important or very important to them.

It is not for nothing that a third of the 250 top ski areas in the world use 100 percent renewable energies, another 60 percent use them at least in part.