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There has been an increase in demand for French homes in many of the country’s ski resorts thanks to abundant snowfall in recent weeks, according to French property developer Terresens.

After what had been a nerve-wracking start to the ski season back in December last year, where ski slopes laid bare, snow, and lots of it, has finally fallen, leading to a hike in enquiries for French properties.

According to market analyst company Protourisme, a sustained heavy snowfall blanketed French ski slopes, ensured that the Christmas and New Year season was far busier than expected, leading to a 75% occupancy rate across Alpine resorts.

Charlie Williams, business development manager of France’s eco-friendly leaseback property developer, Terresens, reports that his firm has seen a 25% increase in enquiry levels thanks to the recent snow conditions in France.

He comments: “The Portes du Soleil resorts are all busy, the air is cold, the skies are blue and the snow is great. Property investor leads are also well up on the norm by some 25% and properties in prime snow sure locations in the French Alps remain a seriously investable, income-generating asset in uncertain economic times. ”

David Lloyd Signature Homes developer partners Terresens are currently offering property investors a guaranteed annual rental income of 4.6% at its La Plagne development, called Le Centaure in Belle Plagne, situated in the heart of the French Alps in the Savoie, where property prices start from €190,748 (£159,300) excluding VAT.

Richard Gordon, Head of Sales at DLSH said: “We continue to receive more enquiries for French property than any other country and ski property is particularly in demand at present. We are delighted to be working with Terresens who offer a fantastic product and great leaseback deals for buyers.”

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The majority of Brits actively looking to buy a holiday home want to purchase a property in France, according to the latest overseas property ‘hot spots’ report compiled by Conti, the overseas mortgage specialist.

The country is top of the list for the third year running, with a whopping 39% share of mortgage enquiries received by the company this year.

Despite the fragile state of the market, property in Spain came second, accounting for almost a third – 31% – of enquiries received, up by 7% on last year, and by 9% since 2009.

Property in Portugal accounted for 12% of enquiries, enjoying a 5% increase on last year.

Clare Nessling, Conti’s operations director, says: “There’s no doubt that France offers the full package for British buyers – easy access, competitive prices, good rental returns and a stable property market. It also offers the most finance options and best available rates in Europe, and it’s this vital combination of factors which are making it so popular.”

Richard Gordon, DLSH’s Head of Sales commented: “This report supports our own experience, with the majority of enquiries we are receiving being for French property. There is more stability in the French property market compared to many other countries as there was less speculative development in the past and the French banks have traditionally been more conservative in their lending policy.

“In addition, the French government backed leaseback scheme, is attracting buyers looking for a holiday home as it offers complete peace of mind with a great combination of personal usage, a guaranteed rental return, beneficial tax breaks and a fully managed asset.

“We have a great range of French property both in the Languedoc region in the south, for those looking for a traditional French lifestyle in the sun, as well as some fantastic ski properties in the French Alps for those looking for a more active lifestyle.”

The French government has agreed to give ground on its plan to abolish capital gains tax (CGT) relief on investment properties and second homes, following opposition from its own MPs, according to local media reports.

Instead of reducing the amount of relief owners can claim as was first feared, CGT relief will be 100% but over double the time period of the current system.

Details of the proposals are as follows:

• 2% abatement of CGT for each year if the property is sold between 5 and 15 years since first purchased
• 3% abatement each year during years 15 to 25
• 10% abatement each year during years 25 to 30

This replaces the former 10% per year applicable after five years of ownership, in years 6 to 15 inclusive, making the property free of CGT after 15 years of ownership. This is now effectively after 30 years of ownership.

The rate of tax (and a special social charge) is 32.5% of the capital gain. The new rules will apply for all notarised transactions after 01 February 2012.

OPP and agency Jones Lang LaSalle reports confidence coming back to the Overseas International Property Market.

Whilst it is true to say that overseas property investors have been very cautious of late, supply and demand is now shifting to sales again.

It is also reported that direct global investment is up by more than 50% compared to last year as investment continues to be diverse and global. LaSalle report $103.5bn investment this year compared to $68.8bn last year.

David Lloyd Signature Homes confirm the trend and report increased interest in overseas investment and lifestyle property purchases. The safe havens of Europe continue to be the popular choices, particularly France.

Richard Gordon Head of Sales at DLSH said: “France is proving popular way above any other destination. The combination of guaranteed rental income and personal usage that the French leaseback scheme offers, together with the overall relative safety of the French property market, is proving a big hit with UK buyers.

“We have a great selection of French properties, from renovated and converted Chateau’s in the Languedoc-Roussillon region to ski apartments in the French Alps.”

Nearly 95 million passengers passed through Spanish airports in the first half of 2011, an 8.1% increase, with 2.5% more flights over the same period of 2010, bringing total operations up to more than one million, Spanish airport operator AENA reported on Monday, the largest increase since 2005.

In a statement, AENA said: “These are the best results in air transport since 2005 and demonstrates how airports contribute to the revitalisation of the tourism sector.”

The British in particular continue to take a shine to Spain, with bookings to the country up 11% so far this year according to the Association of British Travel Agents, and four of EasyJet’s top five destinations of the moment being Spanish cities – Palma de Mallorca, Barcelona, Madrid and Alicante.

Richard Gordon, Head of Sales at DLSH said: “Despite all the well documented problems in the Spanish property market over the past few years, the British love affair with Spain continues as strong as ever.

“It is still one of the most popular destinations for both holidays and second home ownership for the British. It is easy and relatively cheap to get to, the weather is reliable and the cost of living is still considerably below that of the UK.”

Property prices in Spain have fallen on average by around 20 per cent since the peak in 2007 and are now back to 2005 levels. This means that there are bargains around for house hunters.

Gordon continues: “We are actively looking to bring some good quality Spanish developments into our portfolio, but they also have to represent good value for money. We have identified one or two that we think are ideal for our purchasers and negotiations with the developers are ongoing. We hope to announce further details soon.”

Britons seeking their own slice of heaven abroad are increasingly considering luxury Spanish properties.

Experts say the sun-drenched country is once again proving popular with overseas property hunters, but they are now adopting a more cautious approach than that seen during the Spanish housing boom prior to the global economic downturn.

Buyers are seeking out investment properties that meet their precise requirements, and that has generally meant properties with a more luxurious feel.

The trend appears to be backed up by a report from the Overseas Guide Company which reveals a rise in the number of requests it has received for information about the Spanish property market.

France, Italy and Germany are all attracting more interest from overseas property buyers, especially areas popular with Brits such as the Dordogne, the latest Rightmove Overseas index shows.

In May, some 56.2% of indexed locations saw increases in searches, 43.7% saw decreases, 0.1% no changes at all. Overall, searches for overseas property rose 15% in May.

Poland has broken into the top 20 countries for the first time, with searches increasing by a huge 248%. Top ten climbers include several French regions. The Dordogne was up 74%, Aquitaine up 47% and Limousin up 39%.

Italy also continues to attract a lot of interest with 17 out of 20 Italian regions see increased user activity in May. While Bavaria in Germany was the top climber for May with 82% more searches month on month.

Overseas investors owning a holiday home in France can breathe a sigh of relief, as the French president has dropped his unpopular plan to hit foreign property owners with a third tax on their homes.

British expatriates and holidaymakers in particular, of which around 180,000 own homes in France, were due to be affected by the scheme, which was to tax non-resident property owners 20 per cent of their property’s rental income per year. With two sets of annual property taxes already in place, one by the owner and one by the dweller, many owners were in uproar over the plan, which some French senators had claimed was “electoral suicide” for President Sarkozy.

“The president told us he had been convinced [the law was a bad idea] and had taken his decision [to scrap it]“, senator Joelle Garriaud-Maylam told the Daily Telegraph. “British people help rejuvenate some of our countryside and have a very positive influence, and we should be grateful”, she continued.

The law would have also applied to French citizens living abroad who have homes in France, and with French expats able to elect MPs to parliament from next year onward, the political backlash may have seen Sarkozy’s popularity suffering. There was also talk that it may have been against EU laws. “It is clear that EU laws would not permit a selective tax on just one group of residents in France”, said British MP Dennis MacShane. “This is welcome news for hundreds of thousands of Brits who live and work or have homes in France.”

Foreign demand for homes in Cyprus continued to improve last month, with some overseas nationals taking advantage of a poor domestic property sales market and a weak Cypriot economy to negotiate significant discounts on properties.

Official data shows that 187 property contracts were deposited by foreigners compared with 154 in May 2010 – 21 percent year on year.

Property sales last month improved in most parts of Cyprus, led by an 86 per cent annual hike in Nicosia property sales, followed by Famagusta, up 71 per cent, Limassol (up 49 per cent) and Larnaca (up 21 per cent). However, property sales in Paphos last month fell 38 per cent during the same period.

Cyprus property sales to overseas nationals has increased by 17 per cent during the first five months of this year compared to the corresponding period in 2010.

French property buyers are likely to be encouraged by news that the country’s real estate market is not heading towards a bubble.

Prices in the country have been on an upward trend over the past few years, with experts suggesting that this is a result of a lack of supply – rather than financial speculation.

Jean-Philippe Cotis, the general manager of France’s National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE), explained that despite reports to the contrary, the formation of a bubble is unlikely.

The news will be welcomed by those looking to buy property in France, with continued positive price growth suggesting that there are opportunities to be had in the sector.