Work has started to create 66 brand new holiday apartments for sale in a French residence de tourisme described by developer MGM as ‘state-of-the-art in terms of sustainability and fuel economy.’

Richard Deans in MGM’s London-based UK sales office says the development – Le Centaure at Flaine in the Haute-Savoie region – will embrace the principles of HQE (Haute Qualité Environmental), the international construction industry’s high environmental quality standard which aims to integrate the principles of sustainable development defined at the 1992 Earth Summit.

Already a quarter of the properties have been sold off-plan, reports MGM which says the scheme marks a significant step in its commitment to reduce energy consumption.

Currently off-plan prices of the properties at Le Centaure start at €142,000 for a studio, rising to €418,000 for a three-bedroom duplex apartment.

The prices, which include parking, cellar storage and a ski locker, exclude VAT waived under the leaseback scheme.

Flaine, a summer and winter resort, is one hour by road from Geneva Airport, or a six-hour drive from Calais and has gained a reputation as one of the most environmentally aware resorts in the French Alps.

A feature of the resort is its open-air sculpture museum where works on display include La Tête de Femme by Pablo Picasso.

Externally, the architectural style of the new residence, designed by leading French architect Christian Hauvette of Paris, is modern to comply with strict local regulations. Energy-saving features include solar panels on the roof and reinforced exterior insulation. Maximum use of natural light is achieved with big south-facing windows and heat loss is reduced with small windows on the north side of the building.

The apartments at Le Centaure range size from 27sqm studios to 75sqm three-bedroom duplexes. They include apartments specially adapted for use by disabled occupiers. These apartments have larger floor areas in all rooms, especially the bathrooms and lavatories which have handrails.

Facilities include an indoor swimming pool and a smaller children’s pool with dramatic views of a nearby mountain waterfall. There will be a sauna, jacuzzi, steam and fitness rooms, and a spa and beauty centre.

In the summer Flaine offers outdoor activities such as walking and mountain biking plus tennis, archery, white water rafting and canyoning. The nearby Pierre Carrée 18-hole golf course is one of the highest in Europe with panoramic mountain views from every tee.

When it opens for business at the start of the 2011 ski season, the ski-in, ski-out apartments at Le Centaure will be 50m from the cable car lift to Les Grandes-Platières (2,200 m).

• New figures released have shown the French property market is showing signs of stability this year after a turbulent 2009 reports UK and International Property Investment Specialist Assetz.

According to the June 2010 report by the Federation Nationale de l’Immobiliers (FNAIM), property prices have fallen 0.7 percent over the last 12 months compared with a 4.9 percent drop last year.

Figures from France's professional body of real estate agents showed the average cost of property in Marseille is €3,035 euro (£2,557) per square metre.
This is in line with prices in other cities across the country, including Toulouse and Lyon, but well below Paris prices.

Christophe Falbo, a member of real estate agency Emile Garcin, said this year would be an important year for Marseille for its property market recovery.

He said: “We had a difficult year last year, with some readjustment of prices, but now we are seeing them stabilise, and there is a large amount of interest in the area.”

A survey of FNAIM members and the public showed that the majority of people think the French property market is stabilising, and that over the next few months, prices will have very little movement.

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