Swiss on a roll

For those who can bear to watch from between their fingers, Switzerland will be attracting plenty of attention in the next few weeks. But while this may be a matter of much pain for football fans around Britain as none of the home nations take part in the Euro 2008 tournament, it may also raise the profile of Swiss Alpine property.

Of course, watching people spend a hot summer's day running around a football pitch may not immediately bring to mind the thought of life on the pistes in a chalet surrounding by snow and skis. But the mountains will not be far away, even if their snow levels are less than in winter, or indeed of a few years ago.

Discussing this matter, Laurence Ceder wall, manager of Swiss property firm Sunday Homes, suggested that the higher profile enjoyed by the country this summer may have some impact.

He said: "I am absolutely convinced that holiday visitors, or at least some of them, might consider buying, certainly if they regularly visit Switzerland. For example, ski holiday makers will find it more interesting to own a place with all its benefits, including capital appreciation, good rental yield, tax advantages and possibly resell later on, than renting someone else's place over and over. That would also imply that they stay in their own property rather than in someone
else's."

Mr Ceder wall added that while he wasn't so sure about how much football fans might like winter sports, the Alps would offer plenty for both summer and winter activities, while some of the sportsmen themselves might be tempted by the possibilities (something a number of motor racing drivers, including Britain's Lewis Hamilton, have already done).

Of course, this attraction may be a second-hand vibe for Britons merely watching on the TV, while tournament co-hosts Austria will of course share the limelight. But the second point, regarding the non-winter aspects of the Alps, may be a critical issue, with the image of busy mountain resorts in the summer potentially dispelling fears that investing in ski areas could be a bad long-term move as global warming takes hold.

This matters because scientists are sure the eventual death of skiing in the Alps is on the way, albeit not for decades and not if solutions are found to stop or at least slow the process. Research by the Swiss Federal Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research published in New Scientist recently said the end of the sport in the Alps could occur by 2060.

This was based on a comparison between the number of says when it was possible to undertake activities such as building a snowman or skiing downhill during the last 20 years and the period between 1948 and 1987, Snowboard Club UK have reported. During this time, for instance, the average number of days suitable for cross-country skiing per winter at 1,300 metres fell from 55 to 38.

For this reason, year-round attractions are being seen as a solution, reports Ski Property Investments, noting that golf courses, spas and other facilities are being added. It also notes that in any case a bad run of winters has long been possible, citing 1987 to 1990 as being particularly poor for winter sports.

Therefore it may, as Ski Property Investments also stated, be that for those who wish to invest in Swiss Alpine propertythe key is not necessarily to invest at higher altitudes where there is a greater chance of snow, but to look at those places which can attract visitors in the summer as well. Such locations could be lucrative for buy-to-let at all times of the year irrespective of the climate. Perhaps some Britons will choose to invest this way, meaning that at least someone from these shores will be scoring in Switzerland this summer.

Jim Barnaby is a real estate investment broker and successful property investment adviser delivering research and selected UK and overseas property investment solutions with experience in spanish properties, french property investment, German property, Cyprus holiday homes, Property in Cape Verde, German property investment, cape verde property buy to let property.