Austria, versatile and popular vacation country

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Austria

Austria is a wonderful country to vacation in. It is known for its beautiful nature, rich cultural heritage and, of course, its many attractive winter sports areas. Throughout the year there is a lot to do in Austria! Moreover, it is a politically stable country with a nice central location in Europe friendly inhabitants who welcome you with open arms. All this makes it interesting to buy a second home in Austria.

Tourism all year round

Mighty mountains, magnificent nature, beautiful cities (e.g. Vienna, Innsbruck, Salzburg), delicious wines, local cuisine to savour: Austria clearly has many assets for tourists. It is a popular vacation spot both in winter and in summer. The country is fully focused on “Ganzjahres Tourismus. In winter, enthusiastic snow fans make their appearance in winter sports resorts such as Saalbach, Königsleiten, Zillertal Arena and Gerlos. The summer season begins earlier and later. This is partly because many people nowadays choose an active summer vacation instead of a beach vacation because they cannot tolerate the high temperatures in the south very well.

Attractive climate

The winter months in Austria are almost entirely devoted to winter sports. Thanks to mostly excellent weather conditions for all kinds of winter sports, the country is one of the most popular ski destinations in the world. It is also known for its cozy après-ski. Summers in Austria are on average warmer than ours. Even in the mid-mountain areas, it is then often warm and quite sunny. At altitudes above 1800 m, summer temperatures are of course rare. But in general, the climate in summer is very pleasant, ideal for an active and relaxing vacation.

Interesting for second residence

In short, it is interesting to buy a second residence in Austria. On the one hand, you obviously enjoy the country’s many assets yourself. On the other hand, as a homeowner, you can achieve above-average returns thanks to the double rental season. That Austria is a popular country to invest in a vacation home is evidenced by the fact that new construction projects are often completely sold before construction work actually has to begin. However, it is advisable to be critical. Do not be fooled by the beautiful returns that are promised because that is not always the case in practice. Also look carefully at the permitted use of the second home. It is often not possible to buy a house just for your own use and not for rental. You need a permission for this and there is in not always. On the other hand, you need to pay close attention to whether you are allowed to rent out the house or apartment at all because this too is not always allowed. Therefore, it is a good idea to get assistance from a knowledgeable organization such as Alpendreams.

Be careful

Another point to note: if you request information from an Austrian real estate agent during your internet search, you are stuck with that agent for that particular property. If you end up buying it through another channel or another broker with whom you have also seen it, you may have to pay a double commission. Austrian brokers are well protected in that regard. Also keep in mind that in Austria there is no distinction between a buying broker and a selling broker. An Austrian real estate agent takes on both roles in most cases.

Attractive return possible

What prices can you expect when buying a vacation home in Austria? This varies by region. In the most popular areas, (net) new construction prices fluctuate between 4,000 € and 5,000 € per m². These are affordable prices, compared to other European vacation countries. Existing properties and houses or apartments in regions such as Carinthia or Styria are generally slightly cheaper. The return achievable on a second home in Austria also depends on the region. On average, a return of 2,500 € net per bed per year is certainly achievable. If you add to that the fact that the Austrian government is making a lot of efforts to stimulate tourism, Austria is without a doubt a great country to invest in a vacation home.