B
EFORE LEGGETT, I RAN A TV
and event sponsorship
consultancy and, later, a
property renovation company.
Alongside work was a lifelong love of
skiing and the mountains. I come from
Lancashire in northwest England and
met Melanie whilst working for the
winter season as a musician in Vald'Isère.
We married a couple of years
later and decided we would like to live
in the French mountains close to skiing
but not in a ski resort.
I'd never been to the Bauges - it
was a wonderful surprise. We looked
all over France before eventually
discovering the Bauges National Park
in the Prealps. It is less well-known
than other areas of Savoie or HauteSavoie,
yet very convenient for Geneva
airport and located directly between
the beautiful Lake Annecy and Lac du
Bourget. We swim, cycle and hike in
the summer and ski in the winter - our
nearest family ski resort of AillonsMargeriaz
is just 15 minutes away.
We'd found our paradise!
The farmhouse we renovated is a
great 'show home'. We found a typical
"Bauju" farmhouse, which is 1/3 house
and 2/3 barn, that was a complete
renovation project but had enormous
potential. It is located in a quiet hamlet
near Lescheraines with stunning views.
It is now a beautiful rustic home, and I
like to show potential buyers around to
show them what can be achieved and
SPOTLIGHT
have sold several properties as a result!
The pandemic teleworking trend has
increased demand in the area. People's
appetite to get out of town, live in
the mountains and hybrid working
has been key to improving the area's
popularity. Prices have increased, but
you can still fi nd farms and barns to
renovate for between €100,000 and
€300,000. You will generally need
to invest roughly as much again to
renovate, or much less if self-building.
Having worked as an artisan and
with local companies. is helpful when
renovating, as my knowledge of
reliable tradespeople benefi ts clients.
Since I started working for Leggett in
2016, this 'aftersales' service has aided
my clients enormously. Around 60%
of my buyers are French, and recently
some clients asked if they could adopt
my front door design; they liked it so
much!
Seventy percent of my buyers move
here full-time. It is possible to buy a
lovely home for around €500,000,
with good schools nearby and an
unbeatable quality of life. Local French
Meet Max Ashton, 54, an agent in the Massif des
Bauges mountains, in the French Alps, between
Annecy and Chambery. His wife, Melanie, also
works for Leggett.
MAX ASHTON
PROUD TO BE AN AGENT
114 Leggett Magazine
people are now happy to commute 30
minutes to work in the local towns,
and many UK owners opt for a lifestyle
change running gîtes and mountain
sports holidays.
Playing a part in revitalising mountain
villages is very satisfying. Families
renovating empty properties bring new
life and much-needed income into local
communities. I feel very proud to be
part of that regeneration process.
Even when cycling up a col, I enjoy
meeting people who might need an
estate agent. My mandates come from
connecting with people, so being
gregarious is a big advantage. When you
love doing something this much, it's not
like work at all!