On the shores of Lake Geneva

Also known as Lake Lehman, located between Switzerland and France, Lake Geneva is the largest Alpine lake. In the shape of a crescent, 60 % of its shores consist of built-up areas.

Almost 73 km long, Lake Geneva lies on the cantons of Vaud, Geneva, Le Valais, and the département of Upper Savoy in the French part. The main towns around its shores are Geneva, Lausanne, Montreux, Thonon-les-Bains, Nyon, Vevey, Morges and Évian-les-Bains.

In Chens-sur-Léman, on the lake’s southern shore, a new residence to be marketed at the end of this year will consist of pleasant apartments offering lovely views of the lake. “Priced from 3,200 to 3,400 € per sq. metre, they will appeal to clients working in Switzerland who appreciate pretty views,” says Damien Andronikou of Newhouse Immobilier, an agency opened in September 2010 in Publier, a charming commune in the French part of Le Chablais, on Lake Geneva, between Thonon-les-Bains and Évian. Here, following a decline in 2015, prices are tending to stabilize and reassure this type of client or “mixed” buyers (so-called when one member of a couple works in France, the other in Switzerland). “Also on the shores of the lake, Thonon is highly-prized by those looking for apartments. Those with two bedrooms in recent residences start from around 210,000 €. Buyers looking for houses often prefer Bons-en-Chablais, where a pretty villa with a garden of 500 m2 now costs about 410,000 €.”

”2016 has in fact set off at a lively pace and there are lots of visits,” confirms Christian Petament of the Affair Immo agency based in Collonges-sous-Salève, a commune offering many stunning views of the lake. “However, buyers are taking their time and we rarely see acquisitions based on love at first sight. And sellers are still finding it hard to swallow the drop in prices which, in our area, has attained 18 to 20 % over the past four years. The result is a considerable discrepancy between budgets and the real price of properties. With budgets of 450,000 to 500,000 €, our clients hope to find detached houses of 130 to 140 m2 with gardens of 700 m2, whereas such homes are currently on offer from 650,000 to 700,000 €. Their finances thus actually give them access to semi-detached houses of about 100 m2, or 1970’s properties requiring renovation.” Building land is also in demand. In Collonges, where one is obliged to acquire a plot of 1,200 m2 in order to build a house of 240 m2, prices range from 400,000 to 450,000 €. In Bossey, a few minutes from the customs, they can be found at around 300,000 €, due to the noise caused by proximity to the motorway. “A view of the lake immediately results in higher prices. As demonstrated by a lovely plot of 1,350 m2 in Collonges, on offer at 590,000 €.”

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