Property Investment in Lapland Offers More Than Santa

Drawing ski and snowboard enthusiasts, is the world class Levi ski slopes, the site of the Alpine skiing world cup, and the fact that Lapland, Finland is the only place in Europe where you are guaranteed 6 months of excellent skiing conditions per year. The Aurora Sky development hopes to capitalize on that by having its own private ski lift just yards from the front door.

But those of you not into skiing perk up, there is far more on offer at Levi than it's world class slopes: Reindeer rides for the kiddies, hot-air balloon rides, husky-dog rides, ice-fishing and skidoo rides, in summer there's Nordic walking, canoeing, fishing, and a wide range of other on and off water activities -- of course for the ladies, shopping in the new mall. I admit that the 24 hour darkness in Lapland might be seen as a downfall by some. But for me, this is easily made up for by the 24 hour daylight in summer, and the crowd drawing Northern Lights Phenomenon (ref 1). 15 out of the 44 Levi pistes are floodlit, so the 24 hour darkness really isn't a problem for skiers.

Because of its growth the Levi ski resort is currently seeing massive development in the form of the Aurora Sky (snow white) hotel complex and apartments.

The Aurora Sky Hotel, contains: studios, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments priced from £91,230 -- £229,280. There is also a range of 3-4 bedroom apartments with multiple bathrooms and reception rooms, ideal to take advantage of the rising Finnish rental market. Also helping you to maximise your gains is the fact that the apartments are managed as part of the Aurora Sky hotel, which means they guarantee a healthy rental yield, namely 6% for the first two years. The properties are also serviced by hotel staff meaning your apartment will be kept safe while you reap the rewards, knowing your apartment is ready for your next holiday.

All the above says that Aurora Sky apartments; managed property on a booming resort are ideal holiday home investments. But for those of you who are looking for an overseas property as an investment only: property prices in Finland are set to grow by an expected 300% over the next ten years. This forecast is based on the current figure for Capital appreciation, which is strong at 35% per annum – that and the growing popularity of skiing holiday's, and this resort in particular make 300% over ten years a fairly safe bet.

Another great thing about Finland property is the buyer protection offered by the government. Deposits made on off-plan properties are held by the government until the property is built and the keys are handed over, meaning buyers can change their mind and simply get their deposit back minus a small administration fee, unlike most cases where the buyer would have to market and resell their property. This protection would also be beneficial if for any reason work should stop on the properties.

As for the rental market, the sheer number of outdoor activities, Lapland's mystique, 24 hour summer daylight, and beautiful scenery, to compliment the obvious strengths of the winter market and Northern lights attraction, as well as the properties being managed, should make earning an all year round rental income child's play. In an article in the Guardian Sat 24 Nov. Judith Prescott wrote: "one rental agency reports summer visitors to Lapland more than trebled to more than 1500 between 2002 and 2005."

Lapland is truly one of the world's growth areas. Further helping this is the poor skiing conditions in the Alps for several seasons, prompting tour operators to look for better options, making Levi's six months of great conditions a firm favourite. This has prompted a growth in the availability of flights to Lapland, with British Midland now offering flights from Heathrow to Kitilla, just 14km from Levi, and many more operators have packages from U.K. airports in the pipeline.

This will see the popularity of Levi continue to grow, and combined with the growing popularity of skiing, making a holiday home on perhaps Europe's best ski resort: Levi, an incredibly wise investment indeed.

About David Stanley Redfern

David Stanley Redfern Ltd is one of the U.K.'s leading overseas property investment specialists. The reasons for this are an incomparable range of international properties spanning 40 destinations worldwide, and unrivalled customer care, which lasts long after the purchase has been completed. Experienced, professional staff and membership to the overseas property market's regulatory body: the Association for International Property Professionals, as well as their stringent due diligence procedures gives buyers the confidence that any purchase with David Stanley Redfern is a safe one.

Media enquiries should be directed to Liam Bailey: media@davidstanleyredfern.com.