The average price per m² in Les Houches is 7 705 €/m² for an apartment, based on actual notarised (DVF) sales. For a house or villa, it is 10 520 €/m². About 82 transactions are recorded each year.
Atmospheric illustration of Les Houches, a village resort in the Chamonix valley, in Haute-Savoie.
In Les Houches, the average price of apartments reaches 7 705 €/m², based on the sales actually recorded in the DVF database kept by notaries (DVF is the French record of notarised property sales). It is a high level, typical of the municipalities of the Chamonix valley, even though it remains below that of neighbouring Chamonix-Mont-Blanc or Megève. The market for chalets and houses sits higher, at around 10 520 €/m², a common gap in a mountain resort where buildable land is scarce and second-home buyers are present. Altitude, aspect, the view over the range, access to the slopes and the condition of the property weigh heavily in how prices form. These figures, drawn from the sales signed before notaries, give a reliable municipal benchmark; a precise valuation then rests on comparable sales, examined property by property.
House : 10 520 €/m²
Prices from the DVF file (Demandes de valeurs foncières, published by the DGFiP), transactions actually recorded at the notary at municipality level. Cross-referenced with the Notaires de France - INSEE indices. Learn more about our methodology.
The Les Houches market is a mountain market, structurally tight from the scarcity of land and the appeal of the Chamonix valley. Demand for second homes, coming from across France and from abroad, durably supports prices, particularly on chalets and on properties with a view over the range. Well-oriented homes close to the lifts trade above the municipal average.
The supply constraint, linked to the relief and to the protection of natural areas, limits the number of transactions and sustains values in the medium term. For a seller, a quality property, well located and correctly valued, finds a buyer in a market where purchasers compare with Chamonix and Saint-Gervais-les-Bains. Energy performance and everyday comfort take a growing place, including for a second home.
More affordable than Chamonix-Mont-Blanc and Megève, Les Houches shares with Saint-Gervais-les-Bains the profile of a Mont Blanc valley municipality whose market is held up by mountain buyers.
Les Houches occupies the entrance to the Chamonix valley, west of Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, at the foot of the Mont Blanc range. The site has long been inhabited: the first occupants of the valley are thought to have arrived as early as the Bronze Age. Long a mountain farming village, the municipality lived to the rhythm of the mountain pastures before the rise of tourism.
The development of winter sports turned Les Houches into a village resort, without making it a purpose-built resort raised from scratch. The ski area, served by the Prarion and Bellevue cable cars, is home to the Verte des Houches, a famous downhill run on the World Cup calendar under the name Kandahar. The Mont Blanc tramway crosses the upper part of the municipality on its way to the Nid d'Aigle.
The municipality belongs to the community of municipalities of the Chamonix-Mont-Blanc valley, alongside Chamonix, Servoz and Vallorcine. It is overlooked by the Christ-Roi statue, some twenty metres high, raised on a spur facing the range. Between skiing in winter and hiking in summer, Les Houches today lives fully off mountain tourism.
With around 3 500 inhabitants, Les Houches combines a permanent population with a strong presence of second homes. The market mixes buyers settling year-round, often workers from the valley, and a national or foreign clientele looking for a base at the foot of Mont Blanc. Properties with a view over the range, close to the lifts or to the village, are the most sought after. This twofold demand, residential and touristic, pulls prices upwards and makes the market sensitive to the scarcity of land.
The average price of apartments in Les Houches is 7 705 €/m², based on the DVF transactions actually registered with notaries. This average covers very different situations, from the resort studio to the recent apartment with a view over the range. Aspect, altitude, proximity to the slopes, condition and energy performance explain the gaps around this value. A reliable valuation rests on comparable sales rather than on the municipal average alone.
The market for chalets and houses in Les Houches sits at around 10 520 €/m², above the price of apartments. This gap is explained by the scarcity of buildable land in the mountains and by the appeal of chalets to second-home buyers. The view over Mont Blanc, the plot, the sunshine and proximity to the ski area make values vary widely from one property to another.
The municipality belongs to the Chamonix valley, one of the most sought-after mountain markets in France. Demand for second homes, national and international, meets supply limited by the relief and by the protection of natural areas. This scarcity, combined with the prestige of Mont Blanc and the quality of the ski area, keeps price levels high, even though Les Houches remains more affordable than Chamonix or Megève.
Yes, on average. Les Houches offers direct access to the valley and to the Mont Blanc range at prices generally below those of Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, its immediate neighbour. The municipality thus appeals to buyers who want the setting of the valley in a quieter village. Gaps nevertheless remain marked depending on the area, the aspect and proximity to the lifts.
This analysis is published by Immover, an independent observatory founded by Antony Barbier. Data sourced from official sources (DVF, INSEE, Notaries of France).