Chamonix studio renovation - build thread
Discussion
When I bought it we were only looking for somewhere to rent. It was just that the numbers made buying a no-brainer instead. I was assuming we'd be there for the odd week and a couple of weekends but SWMBO has got the bug badly and is even more keen than I am now. Unfortunately she isn't self-employed so we're going for Christmas and NYE to make the most of her holiday allowance. But we've also got a handful of weekends booked in and a week at the end of February. As we're able to leave our kit in the apartment and fly with hand luggage we'll take advantage of any powdery gaps ad hoc.
Yes, I'm very pleased with the results. I read through the thread again last night and it was quite a strange experience. The original apartment feels like something we saw in a movie; I can't really believe it's the space that we bought. There are still some rough edges that I'd like to resolve. The rendering on the fireplace is the one that irks the most. That rough finish is everywhere in France but I didn't want to settle for that so I may still change that when I get a chance. Our current tenants have been in since May and seem to love the place, which is a satisfying feeling.
I'd recommend Chamonix to most people as a destination. It's a unique town and I love the culture of the valley. It's nice to go beyond the tourist veneer and feel the real personality of the place. There's such an energy there, it's quite addictive. Of course you've seen from the photos I posted during the build that it's a truly stunning part of the world at any time of the year too. This was taken while I was out cycling last week:
And this one from the top of Les Grands-Montets, the lift above the apartment:
Investment wise, I'd love to know, but it's very hard to judge accurately because it's quite an unusual property. Everything else is cheap-as-chips with 'Alpine charm' so I think we'll only really know when we accept an offer. It's made it tricky to price for airbnb too but it went up 24 hours ago and I'm already having enquiries, so that's not a bad sign.
Yes, I'm very pleased with the results. I read through the thread again last night and it was quite a strange experience. The original apartment feels like something we saw in a movie; I can't really believe it's the space that we bought. There are still some rough edges that I'd like to resolve. The rendering on the fireplace is the one that irks the most. That rough finish is everywhere in France but I didn't want to settle for that so I may still change that when I get a chance. Our current tenants have been in since May and seem to love the place, which is a satisfying feeling.
I'd recommend Chamonix to most people as a destination. It's a unique town and I love the culture of the valley. It's nice to go beyond the tourist veneer and feel the real personality of the place. There's such an energy there, it's quite addictive. Of course you've seen from the photos I posted during the build that it's a truly stunning part of the world at any time of the year too. This was taken while I was out cycling last week:
And this one from the top of Les Grands-Montets, the lift above the apartment:
Investment wise, I'd love to know, but it's very hard to judge accurately because it's quite an unusual property. Everything else is cheap-as-chips with 'Alpine charm' so I think we'll only really know when we accept an offer. It's made it tricky to price for airbnb too but it went up 24 hours ago and I'm already having enquiries, so that's not a bad sign.
Is this one in the same block?
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/overseas-property/prope...
Looks very similar to your original
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/overseas-property/prope...
Looks very similar to your original
Du1point8 said:
Is this one in the same block?
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/overseas-property/prope...
Looks very similar to your original
It's definitely part of the Residence Grand Roc though there are three blocks. This one is the mirror image of mine albeit on the corner, so it has a couple of extra windows. Asking €27,000 more than I paid for mine.http://www.rightmove.co.uk/overseas-property/prope...
Looks very similar to your original
Gruffy said:
Du1point8 said:
Is this one in the same block?
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/overseas-property/prope...
Looks very similar to your original
It's definitely part of the Residence Grand Roc though there are three blocks. This one is the mirror image of mine albeit on the corner, so it has a couple of extra windows. Asking €27,000 more than I paid for mine.http://www.rightmove.co.uk/overseas-property/prope...
Looks very similar to your original
Yes, an exact mirror, aside from the extra window visible in picture 4. I think all of the apartments are the exact same layout (or mirrored) across the three blocks. They've snuck some weird little apartments on the top floors, under the eaves, but I wouldn't touch those with a barge-pole. Very gloomy with tiny little windows and reduced headroom.
Not at all. The numbers are all in the thread anyway.
Asking price was €144,000.
Paid €132,000.
Renovation €32,000 (all costs, including travel, accommodation and furnishings etc)
But obviously I was only paying for half of the labour (at mates rates) and no costs for design, speccing and sourcing etc. At the time I remember doing some napkin maths and figured it would cost about €60,000 to do it for others. If you had to jump through the proper bureaucratic hoops with the co-propriete and get permission at each step, probably necessitating more French workers, then I think you could easily see that go up to €70,000-75,000. A local friend is using a (rare) hard-working team of Poles to renovate his place. They may also be able to bring it in at €60,000 but IMO it's absolutely critical to be on-site yourself to keep the quality high, whether you're using UK, French or EU labour though. It's the little details that make all the difference and they're a PITA to do properly.
If you can find one of the apartments at a good price then I still think you could make a return if it costs €60k to renovate to the same standard.
Asking price was €144,000.
Paid €132,000.
Renovation €32,000 (all costs, including travel, accommodation and furnishings etc)
But obviously I was only paying for half of the labour (at mates rates) and no costs for design, speccing and sourcing etc. At the time I remember doing some napkin maths and figured it would cost about €60,000 to do it for others. If you had to jump through the proper bureaucratic hoops with the co-propriete and get permission at each step, probably necessitating more French workers, then I think you could easily see that go up to €70,000-75,000. A local friend is using a (rare) hard-working team of Poles to renovate his place. They may also be able to bring it in at €60,000 but IMO it's absolutely critical to be on-site yourself to keep the quality high, whether you're using UK, French or EU labour though. It's the little details that make all the difference and they're a PITA to do properly.
If you can find one of the apartments at a good price then I still think you could make a return if it costs €60k to renovate to the same standard.
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