Buying a holiday home in Kaprun & Zell am See - Austria

Austrian Holiday Apartment under construction April 2008

Austria holiday Apartment bringing a plan into reality http://www.austria-holiday-apartment.com/

A while ago we were approached about writing an article about buying a holiday home in Austria. The attached link details some of the trials and tribulations in the process of finding the ideal place. buying a holiday apartment in Austria 

After following a number of property programs on TV, attending the "Place in the Sun " holiday home exhibition. We had made the decision that we were looking for somewhere which had the potential to rent all year around. We were tempted by the Canary Islands, Cyprus and Crete, but in the end we were persuaded by the arguments for an extended rental period, summer through to winter in a Ski resort.

In carrying out our detailed research across a number of countries we found the Global property website a very good reserch tool. It enabled us to make comparisons between buying in different areas i.e. Austria, Switzerland and France. It gave lots of useful information to analyze, and it was a useful resource to tool, direct further research.

In looking at ski areas we were advised to go for an area where there was glacier skiing, in other words the snow would be guaranteed and the ski season would be extended into May or even June, and start again in the October.

We wanted to be near a number of airports, so in the end with these criteria in mind, we settled on the Zell am See and Kaprun area, it had the combination of the Kitzsteinhorn glacier ski area, the lake at Zell am See for water sports. Excellent transport links by road and rail to Salzburg, Innsbruck just over a hour away, and Munich coming in at around 2 hours. With the news that a new Tauern spa Kaprun complex was scheduled to built in a couple of years time made our decision easier to decide upon, another reason to buy in the area, was the adjacent 36 hole championship golf course of Zellamsee-Kaprun

Further we liked the area, and the contrast between holidaying in the summer and then returning in the winter was something that we would not have got in Cyprus or the Canary islands, i.e. swimming in the Zell am See lake in the summer and then walking across the frozen lake in the winter!

In looking for actual properties in Austria, the internet made life a little easier, we liked the "Live Austria" site. "Amazing Austria" was another website that gave us a good overview and plenty of information. But in the end we went with Ellmer an estate / developer based at the aerodrome between Kaprun and Zell am See, we found the approach of Christian very helpful and liked the build quality that he and Austria offered.

So after much thought, chats with friendly bank managers in the UK and Austria ( we even get birthday cards from the Volksbank at Zell am See!) after a 18 month search we found ourselves moving into our holiday rental home in Kaprun. There are still the occasional worry, drop in the £ sterling against the Euro, and the absence of bookings, with bills to be paid. But overall we are delighted with the apartment, area. Running a holiday rental business is challenging but the rewards of an appreciation from a content guest makes it more the worthwhile.

We have publicised the apartment with our website (see below and we also run two blogs Austria-holiday-apartment-blogspot ( we could have come up with a snappier title) and another based on Austrian spas and in particular the new Tauern Spa Kaprun, which is just the other side of the village from our apartment in Kaprun.

So do your research, do your sums, be prepared to put in the hours to market the apartment, it quite a journey to take, not without worries, but great scenery to look at on the way!!

View from the terrace of the Apartment we eventually brought of the Kitzsteinhorn glacier

If you  looking for some where to stay for 3-9 persons then please consider staying with us at www.austria-holiday-apartment.com