Buying and renovating a French mountain refuge
Discussion
I've been holidaying in the Morzine area for over 30 years and I've always loved the mountains. So when I inherited a house near Hull last year, it seemed like a good opportunity to sell and buy a mountain chalet.
Chalets D'alpage are scattered all over the higher pastures of the Alps. Traditionally they were used for farming in the summer. The people and cattle shared the stone built ground floor, while the large upstairs wooden barn was for food storage. Normally they are very rustic, sometimes but not always with water supplied by a spring.
In recent decades many have fallen into disrepair as agriculture had given way to tourism. But more recently, many are now being renovated as second homes. Most round here belong to people who live near Lake Geneva, and who use them for an occasional weekend in the summer.
Normally, the commune will not provide any services to these locations and access is difficult. Normally 4*4 in the summer and ski or skidoo in the winter. On the positive side, there is little or no council tax to pay!
Chalets D'alpage are scattered all over the higher pastures of the Alps. Traditionally they were used for farming in the summer. The people and cattle shared the stone built ground floor, while the large upstairs wooden barn was for food storage. Normally they are very rustic, sometimes but not always with water supplied by a spring.
In recent decades many have fallen into disrepair as agriculture had given way to tourism. But more recently, many are now being renovated as second homes. Most round here belong to people who live near Lake Geneva, and who use them for an occasional weekend in the summer.
Normally, the commune will not provide any services to these locations and access is difficult. Normally 4*4 in the summer and ski or skidoo in the winter. On the positive side, there is little or no council tax to pay!
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