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Rents down, demand up. The unexpected boom of mountain houses

15 December, Libero

Imagine being over 2 thousand metres over the sea and there’s a snowstorm outside. You see that through big glass windows, but inside your cabin, there’s a huge fireplace lit heating up the room. In the corner, there are snow rackets, boots and skis. If you’re moved by this image, you’re part of the club of mountain lovers that, in the last few years, has registered few defections due to the recession. But it has been recovering over the last few seasons. In 2017, according to the portal Idealista, will register a spike of demand up to 23%. Not too bad.

The reasons? The image pictured should be enough but the real turning point, as it always happens, has roots in money reasons. On one side, incomes from the big cities (mainly Milan and Turin) have resumed their growth, on the other side, house prices are still very convenient and affordable. For a cabin that can accommodate four people, with a stunning mountain view, prices on average are around 115-120 per night.

Obviously, this estimation varies a lot depending on the location and the time of the year. But let’s start with the offer and demand. The first 5 destinations with the broadest offer of houses to rent are Livigno (SO), Valtournenche (AO), Canazei (TR), Bormio (SO) and Sarre (AO). While the most requested ones are Madonna Di Campiglio (TR), Ponte di Legno (BS), Alleghe (BL), Cortina d’Ampezzo (BL) and Bormio (SO).

What about prices? In Canazei (Trento), one of the most expensive destinations, they’re around 191 euro per night. It’s a little better in Mazzin (always in the province of Trento), where prices are 10 euro cheaper, and in Carisol (Trento), with prices around 152 euro, Livigno (Sondrio) with 142 euro, and Cortina d’Ampezzo (Belluno) with 135.

Val d’Aosta is cheaper. Here, according to Tecnocasa, in Gressoney, Champoluc and Cervinia, for instance, it’s possible to rent a mountain house for the whole winter season (December-March) for about 6 thousand euro. In Valtournenche, the prices go down to 5 thousand, and in Brusson (a great destination for families and cross-country skiing lovers) to 4 thousand. For those who prefer the traditional seven days, we must mention that the New Year’s Eve week is definitely more expensive than that of Christmas, with a difference of 500 euro. In conclusion, spending the 25th December in Gressoney, Champoluc and Cervinia will set you around 1,500 euro. Whereas if you opt for the first day of 2018, this won’t be cheaper than 2,000 euro. Needless to say, those of New Year’s Eve and Christmas are the most expensive weeks of the year.

But don’t panic, because there are many mountain locations, with offers for all budgets, also for the smallest ones. For this reason, Idealista created a chart of the cheapest destinations. Where are they? In Alleghe (Belluno), for instance, for a house that can accommodate up to 4 people, the price is 79 euro, or in Bionaz (Aosta) with 75, Valdisotto (Sondrio) has average prices around 56 euro, slightly more expensive than Saint-Nicolas (Aosta, 54 euro) and Sarre (Aosta, 50 euro).

Certainly, there are many factors to consider, starting from the most obvious ones: the glamour around a destination, the proximity to ski tracks, and the time of the year. Then there are some other options that contribute determining the price. Wifi, for example, is one of the most requested facilities, together with the fireplace, which always comes to mind when you think about mountain cabins. With the snow outside.

Source: Libero

Translator: Cristina Ambrosi