Buy now before property prices rise in 2025

This is a good time to buy an Austrian property before property prices are expected to rise next year in 2025.

The Austrian Chamber of Commerie (WKÖ) predicts that prices will have to rise as there will be a shortage of supply.

Here is a link to the original article https://immo-timeline.at/a/keine-entspannung-an-der-preisfront-fuer-frei-finanzierte-neubauwohnungen

And below you can read an English translation.

Keine Entspannung an der Preisfront für frei finanzierte Neubauwohnungen _ ImmoFokus Timeline en

14 Oct 23 Rising hotel rates and falling inflation: good news for apartment owners 

According to Hotel Monitor 2024 Powered by Amex GBT Consulting, hotel room rates in Europe are projected to increase by double-digit percentages in 2024 providing a welcome boost for serviced apartment owners.

The report forecasts specific rate increases in key European destinations:

  • Munich +7.2%
  • Amsterdam +10.8%
  • Brussels +6.2%
  • Dublin +10.0%
  • London +9.1%

Real estate traditionally acts as a hedge during periods of high inflation as the real estate asset holds its value and rental income can be indexed with inflation.

As costs rise for hotels or serviced apartments, the operator passes on the costs to paying tourists in the form of higher overnight rates creating an inflation-proof model.

Another important factor in the higher prices is the surge in post-pandemic travel thanks to pent-up demand.  According to Tirol Werbung, in the months from May to the end of September, guest arrivals in Tyrol increased by 5.9 percent to 5.7 million, and overnight stays increased by 1.6 percent to 20.5 million.

This coupled with the imbalance between supply and demand for hotel rooms (developers have not been building enough rooms in the last two years) is pushing up the prices on a global scale.

Keith Barr, CEO of IHG Hotels and Resorts, offers his perspective: “We had robust supply growth over an extended period of time, which did keep rates down. It’s just going to support pricing being where it should have been over time, which is great for this industry.”

In Austria, we are also achieving higher rates on our 2024 bookings.

A professional serviced apartment operator like All-Suite Resorts https://www.all-suite.com/ uses yield marketing software by https://hotelpartner-ym.com/ to adjust its overnight rates every 4 minutes to get the highest yield for apartment owners.

As an example, All-Suite Resorts monitors market data and keeps overnight prices high for key Winter season weeks in the knowledge that supply for rooms in a given location will start to fall and prices rise accordingly.

In other words, they achieve a higher price by not selling out too quickly.

Meanwhile, inflation in the Eurozone after peaking at 10.6% has been on the decline over the past year.

In Germany, the annual inflation rate plunged to 4.3% in September from 6.4% in August.

“This likely is the beginning of an accelerated decline” in eurozone inflation, said Claus Vistesen, the chief Eurozone economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics.

So, in summary, it’s a good time to invest in Tirol thanks to falling inflation and rising overnight prices – plus the shortage of hotel rooms thanks to low levels of development in the last 48 months.

Here some other important benefits to consider:

  • Before the pandemic, serviced apartments were the fastest growing accommodation category in Austria with an 18% increase in bookings in Winter 2018 (source: Urlaub in Ferienwohnungen boomt https://tirol.orf.at/news/stories/2904521/)
  • Serviced apartments outperformed hotels during a pandemic thanks to well-spaced, self-contained apartments where tourists can arrive in their own car, have the flexibility to cook and avoid communal areas
  • Tirol is one the least densely populated areas in Europe with 59 people per square kilometre versus Germany 232, Netherlands 521, England (UK) 424, Belgium 376, Czech Republic 135
  • The Summer tourism business is growing fast even in high altitude resorts
  • Tourists are lowering their CO2 footprint and choosing closer destinations
  • For the apartment owner, there is capital growth in the mid-term
  • WFH: more families are spending time in the mountains and skiing when the weather is perfect and working back in the apartment when necessary
  • Lifestyle investment: owners can earn up to 4% per annum but also have healthy holidays with family and friends.

Please Contact us today to find out more about our inflation-proof property investments.

The Telegraph: “Why we should all be more Austrian about autumn”.

In the Tyrol, September is about embracing the last of the long days and drinking good wine

Autumn might be fast approaching, but that doesn’t mean it’s time to batten down the hatches and head indoors just yet – particularly not if you opt for a short break in Austria, where at this time of year everyone is up in the mountains hiking, mountain biking and, of course, foraging.

And there are myriad reasons to do just that. Austria does autumn colour extremely well (it’s not all pine forests in the Alps), and there are nuts, berries, herbs and, most prized of all at this time of year, mushrooms.

PDF 230919 Why Tyrol is the best Austrian state to visit this autumn

Tyrol in Austria is home to stunning natural landscapes that are well worth a visit, particularly in autumn CREDIT: Alamy Stock Photo

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/austria/why-tyrol-is-the-best-austrian-state-to-visit-this-autumn/

Easter site visits in Austrian Alps

Lots of snow will be falling in the Austrian Alps in the next 10 days so if you are skiing then why not get in contact to see some of our projects and completed apartments?

If you are a non-EU citizen then we can still help you to buy and get finance.  Here is a summary of our properties:

SKI-IN & OUT LOCATIONS

Kühtai: Austria’s highest ski village (2,020m). Prices start at 248,000EUR + 3% buyers’ fees for a studio apartment with stunning South-facing views. These apartments have been completed. Projected immediate return between 3.6% and 4.1%.

Kirchberg / Kitzbühel: ski-in is often possible within 150m of apartments. 2 top restaurants operated by Simon Taxacher, one of the best chefs in Austria. Prices from 329.000€.  Attractive return prospects: 3.7% to 4.9% (from the 3rd year of operation).

Hinterstoder: prices from €376.784. Non-EU nationals can buy as a natural person here.  Approximately 4% total capital return per annum rising to 7,5% over 20 years due to revenue based return model.

OTHER COMPLETED APARTMENTS

Galtür / Ischgl: 4 apartments left (two 2-bed and two 3-bed).  Average 4% return over 10 years.  Click for an example of a 3D tour

St Anton: 3 resale apartments from 799,000 with the option to handle the rental business yourself.

Ötztal: 1 apartment for resale for 559,000EUR (apartment and storage in basement) + 30,000EUR for 1 underground parking space Net. Buyer fees 3% of the gross sales price.

Off-market hotels: we have a growing portfolio of hotels which are for resale ranging in price from 1m to 20m. All enquiries are handled very discreetly.

COMING SOON

If you are interested in Seefeld / Leutasch and Berwang then contact us and we can share some information on apartments in these locations.

Helene Atterbury – Property Consultant +43 676 962 7712

info@kristall-spaces.com 

20 December: site visits of our apartments this Winter

If you are travelling to Tirol this Winter season, then please get in contact so we can arrange a site visit of our finished apartments or future project locations.

Site visits are normally easier to arrange between 1000 and 1600 when apartments are being cleaned for new guests.

Otherwise, we can usually arrange access to the apartments during the week when the guests are skiing between 1000 and 1200 or 1400 and 1600.

Property for sale in Fieberbrunn – 4 unsold, completed apartments and we are offering a 3% fixed return in first year.

Property for sale in Ischgl – 5 unsold, completed apartments.  Spectacular views.   Outdoor panorama pool, spa and restaurant onsite.

Property for sale in St Anton – 2 completed apartments for resale.  Award-winning ski-out apartments.   Some of the best views in the valley.

Property for sale in Zell am See – 1 completed apartment for resale. In the centre of Zell am See. 150 metres to the City Express gondola.

Ötztal – 1 apartment for resale. Dual season apartments with 2 swimming pools. 100 metres to the ski lift.   25 minutes from Innsbruck airport.

We look forward to hearing from you over the Holidays!

Demand for holiday hotels in Alps unbroken

English summary of an article on the hotel and serviced apartments buiness in Austria.

https://www.tourismuspresse.at/presseaussendung/TPT_20220913_TPT0001/investoren-setzen-weiter-auf-berghotels

 Vienna (OTS) – The demand for holiday hotels in the Alps is unbroken (Die Nachfrage nach Ferienhotels in den Alpen ist ungebrochen)

Many conversion and new construction projects are in the pipeline. At the same time, the industry is confronted with new challenges.

Despite difficult conditions (energy crisis, corona) and other adversities (high construction costs, rising interest rates), domestic hoteliers and hotel developers remain optimistic for 2023.

New concepts and developments are being planned and implemented.   Project developers expect only modest growth for urban areas, which is why they are increasingly looking for favourable opportunities in the Alps.

Experts from the Prodinger company, who look after around 500 hotel businesses in the areas of tax advice, tourism advice and business advice, can confirm that the holiday hotel industry is doing relatively well despite the difficult starting position before the 2022/23 winter season.

However, businesses in top locations that are suitable for new developments are few and far between in the leading holiday regions.  Building permits and ongoing changes make new construction projects difficult.  The space efficiency suffers from high construction costs and a lack of employees.  Another challenge is the fact that financing and subsidies will be based on real estate efficiency in the future.  There will be a change in restaurants and food concepts in the holiday hotel industry. The good old 4-course half-board has an expiry date.  This makes new restaurants necessary.

In many classic holiday hotels, people are considering reducing the service and switching to serviced apartments. 

Investment and capital intensive

 A twenty-year comparison shows that hotels made large investments by the end of 2020.   Operating performance (GOP) lagged over the same period.  The new buildings and conversions, which continued during the Corona period, can be explained on the one hand by the investment bonus and on the other hand by the long project lead time.

Hotel revitalization

 A trend that is likely to intensify next year is the revitalization and reorientation of existing properties in the holiday hotel industry.

A good example of one of these concepts is the TRIFORÊT alpin.resort in Hinterstoder, which will open on December 1, 2023 and will be managed by the hotel operator arcona Hotels & Resorts. It is based on a 365-day concept.

The old stock comes from the Berghotel Hinterstoder from the 1960s.

Due to an investment backlog, this had reached the end of its product life cycle, so that a complete revitalization became unavoidable.

“Use instead of possession”

 There will be further exciting project developments in 2023 under the motto ” use instead of ownership “.   The well-known problem of leisure and second home ownership is leading to a boom in the temporary use of alpine real estate. ” The hospitality sector will play a bigger role here, “ says Thomas Reisenzahn, MD of the Prodinger consulting group.

New forms such as “Best Ager Hotels” for the young at heart in the third phase of life are also taking hold in holiday regions.  New forms associated with investment opportunities.

Alternative forms of accommodation such as tiny houses, glamping, tree houses or chalets will continue to gain in importance in 2023 and expand the tourist offer in holiday regions.

300m Euro fund in new asset class in DACH region: serviced apartments & aparthotels 

Article in summary: 

  • AIF AlpenReal fund is investing in serviced apartments and aparthotels in the DACH region where there are 15 to 20 well-known operators 
  • Serviced apartments & aparthotels is a fast-growing asset class and increasingly popular choice for tourists 
  • They also benefit from the current work-from-home trend 
  • Flexibility / self-catering options (your own kitchen), digitisation and fewer communal areas have all been important factors during the pandemic for this type of tourist accommodation
  • Whilst the hotel asset class has suffered during the pandemic, serviced apartments have continued to perform
  • Larger operators who previously focused on business/city hotels are entering the market e.g. Accor and Dorint
  • Tourists in the DACH region feel safer taking vacations closer to home
  • Working part-time whilst on a skiing or mountain-biking holiday with the family is also an attractive option
  • The fund offers an opportunity for customer portfolios to invest in local and sustainable projects
  • The target distribution yield is an average of 6% over 10 years 

Source: Fundview.de (Tim Habicht 08/06/2022)

https://www.fundview.de/posts/2022/06/2022-06-08-assetklasse-aparthotels-in-der-dach-region-aif-will-300-millionen-euro-assets-einsammeln.html 

Jan 22: high demand for serviced apartments

Some recent articles from Gewinn and the Tiroler Tagezeitung on the Austrian property market in general, and news on the “Serviced Apartment” sector in Tirol specifically (to be clear, these are dual-season, buy-to-let, ski apartments which are rented to tourists throughout the year).  

          

Skiurlaub mit Rendite Dezember 2022

Summary overview: 

We are experiencing high demand from EU buyers, especially from the German-speaking and Benelux countries;

Austrians have become aware of the great opportunities to invest in their country’s tourism sector;

Thanks to strategic planning laws and restrictions on development, pent up demand for ski apartments is outweighing supply which in turn is supporting the current trend in strong capital growth – average house prices rose 12.9% year-on-year across Austria in 2021;

Experienced investors are seeking second and third properties in the Alps during the current inflation surge;

Real estate traditionally acts as a hedge during periods of high inflation, as the real asset holds its value, and rental income is indexed with inflation;

When rented out fully to the tourism market, our self-catering ski apartments can deliver an average 4% annual return over 10 years on rental performance alone and the general view is that this is the last Winter of disruption as major skiing markets in Europe exit the pandemic.

Kristall Spaces is currently offering 4 completed apartments in Fieberbrunn and 14 apartments in Ischgl which will be completed in October 2022. 

Further projects will be announced in Q2 2022.

New rules for Winter 2021/22: Ski lifts and Après-ski

22 September: new rules have been announced by Austrian Tourism Minister Elizabeth Köstinger.   

In summary, there will be very few restrictions for skiers who have been vaccinated. 

  • The 3G Rule applies refers to ‘Getestet, Geimpft, Genesen’ (Tested, Vaccinated, Recovered)
  • You must show evidence of vaccination, a negative test or having recovered from the virus in the last 6 months (applies for everyone over 12 years)
  • Antigen tests from an Apotheke are valid for 48 hours
  • PCR tests are valid for 72 hours
  • The EU Green Pass will make it easy to prove your status (NHS app for UK citizens)
  • FFP2 masks must be worn on ski lifts
  • 85% of lifts are open (chair lifts) with a lower risk of infection and a journey time of less than 15 minutes
  • The same rules apply to après-ski as to restaurants: guests must show a valid negative PCR test result, proof of vaccination or proof of recovery
  • If the ICU capacity in Tirol becomes limited then stricter measures will be needed (after 300 and 400 ICU beds are in use – currently at 60).

Glacier skiing in Sölden is already in full swing!

© Ötztal Tourismus/Bergbahnen Sölden

Serviced apartments 20% higher occupancy than hotels

The serviced apartment segment proved its resilience during the pandemic according to a recently published market report “Serviced Apartments 2021” (Source: https://www.ahgz.de/).

The 2020 occupancy rates for serviced apartments were at least 19% higher than the hotel sector and 28% higher in April 2020.

According to the current planning status, the serviced apartment segment will grow by 48% by the end of 2023.

Other news:

Our operator all-suite.com is getting lots of bookings for July and August and even into September as the number of new infections has fallen in Germany (19.9 per 100,000) and Austria (24 per 100,000).

There has also been another lifting of restrictions in Austria:

  • The curfew has moved from 2200 to midnight
  • 8 adults can meet indoors and 16 outdoors
  • Social distancing is now 1 metre instead of 2 metres
  • Cultural venues can now allow 75% occupancy instead of 50%
  • You no longer have to wear a mask outdoors

Austria and the rest of the EU are working on producing a Digital Covid Certificate which will become valid from 1 July.

Tirol is one the least densely populated areas in Europe with 59 people per square kilometre versus Germany 232, Netherlands 521, England (UK) 424, Belgium 376, Czech Republic 135.

And our serviced apartment model provides extra safety during these times.

Come and stay in a well-spaced, self-contained apartment where you can arrive in your own car, you have the flexibility to cook for yourself and there are fewer communal areas compared to the old-fashioned 3 and 4-star family-run hotels.