After a great deal of thought, worry, research and doing the maths, we set our minds on the Greek island of Crete. After visiting the island beautiful as it was, our research told us that the best place to buy a holiday rental home was an area where there was all year round rental potential. Our thoughts moved on to Cyprus or the Canary islands.
But we were going to be in this for the long term and we had concerns that with global warming, with the potential for severe increase in flight costs in the future, how would we get out to any apartment we purchased in the future. We were also put off that when we are older by a 4 or 5 hour flight? In doing our research we had read that one option was to buy in a ski area?
So we changed tack and focused on ski areas. The arguments given that the ski season was from December through until after Easter. Then the summer season started in late May until the end of September. It worked out practicable to be able to rent out for around half a year or hopefully more.
We found an excellent website the “Global Property Guide” that gave price comparisons for different countries. Bulgaria came out very favourably. But then we were still concerned about the longer flights, and long term stability of the property market, and the ease of selling in the future? France and Switzerland looked very attractive, but the prices were way out of our budget.
We then started to focus on Austria, where the prices, seemed to give much better value. Where there were flights throughout the year, an excellent train service and it was possible to drive to.
So on a summer holiday trip to Prague, we found ourselves driving via Germany to Austria, to have a look at a property at Alpendorf under an hour drive to the South of Salzburg. There was a delay in the property being constructed, so we moved further into the mountains travelling up the Gastein valley to Bad Gastein, a fabulous spa town. We thought we had found our perfect place in a new apartment in a converted hotel, with an indoor swimming pool. But we were put off by the terms of a 100 year lease agreement, but intrigued by the spa and wellness culture that Austria had to offer.
So it was back to the UK for more research, on the property market, and holiday letting business. In searching the internet, we came across a properties which was located in Kaprun; near to Zell am See, famous for its lake, castle, the Kitzsteinhorn glacier and a 36 hole championship golf course. The news that a 90 million euro Spa and wellness complex:- Tauern Spa World Kaprun was to be built in the same area focussed our minds even further on the area.
We visited the area a couple more times, meeting up with developers, and estate agents, before long we had come in touch with a company by the name of Ellmer, who were based close to the Aerodrome which sits midway between Kaprun and Zell am See.
So our search had ended, a great builder, an Austrian mortgage, a house built ahead of schedule meant that we were in for Christmas. It was not without worries and difficulties but we are delighted with our Austrian holiday apartment home in Kaprun. As part of our “brochure” on things to do in the area we also run a blog on the ZellamSee-Kaprun areas of Austria, the blog can be found through our website or via this link http://austria-holiday-apartment.blogspot.com/.