The Pregelato in January is a picture-perfect ski resort, with plenty of deep, powdery snow and glorious sunshine. At this time of year you have the slopes almost to yourself: in March things will get busier, but queues in this part of Piedmont are rare.

France and Switzerland have long been the most popular places for Brits to purchase ski chalets, but Italian resorts are cheaper, and in some cases offer better facilities in more picturesque surroundings.

Pragelato Village is a prime example. Ninety minutes' drive from Turin, it was built when the resort was a venue for the 2006 Winter Olympics. It was recently taken over by the Kempinski Hotels group, which runs the resort's five-star hotel and will also - should you wish it - manage the letting of your chalet. The resort also has a crèche, delicatessen and cinema, as well as a spa.

The real attraction, of course, is the skiing. This is a ski-in, ski-out resort, at 1,540m (5,050ft) with access to hundreds of kilometres of pistes. A new high-speed cable car takes you from your doorstep to the slopes and to Sestriere, a 1930s ski resort in the Via Lattea (Milky Way) ski area - the second largest Alpine ski area.

Investors in Property, which specialises in ski properties across Europe, is selling 40 chalets in Pragelato Village. They do not come cheap: prices start at £270,000 for a one-bedroom chalet (about 775 sq ft) and rise to more than £670,000 for the three-bedroom chalets (up to 1,600 sq ft). Most chalets are duplexes, with a living room, kitchen and guest bathroom on the ground floor and bedrooms upstairs. There is plenty of storage space for skis and snowboards, and most chalets have balconies offering stunning views.

“If you buy into a resort like this, you are buying into a certain lifestyle,” says Simon Malster, of Investors In Property. Chalet owners can use all the Kempinski facilities, and they get a 15 per cent discount off all services for which hotel guests pay, such as spa treatments. “This is very much a family resort,” Malster says. There are plenty of bars in neighbouring Sestriere, but this is a peaceful place.

Pragelato is not just about the snow. Perched between two national parks, Val Troncea and Orsiera, this is a year-round resort. Mountain biking, hiking and pony trekking are popular pursuits during the summer, as is golf - Pragelato Village's own nine-hole course should be ready later this year.

Investors looking for opportunities in the region might like a 3,600 sq ft chalet in the mountains of Limonetto in the Riserva Bianca. Just over 150km south of Turin, Limonetto is a favourite skiing spot with Monaco residents. The Arrucador chalet, which was built in 1985 but fully renovated five years ago, is on the market for €2 million (£1.5million) with Quintessentially Estates. Its ground floor is made up of a restaurant, living room and kitchen, upstairs there are four en-suite bedrooms. In the basement there is a small fitness centre with a Turkish bath.

FACTFILE

When buying a place in Italy you will also have to pay a 10 per cent purchase tax, notary fees, an annual local municipal tax (the Imposta Comunale sugli Immobili - ICI - based on the official value of the property) and a rubbish tax

The purchase is a three-stage process: you pay a 10 per cent deposit, then a deposit of one third of the price, and at the signing of the final contract you pay the balance

For more details, go to: investorsinproperty.com ; quintessentiallyestates.com

Times recommends

• Second homes: credit crunch casualty or money-spinner?
• How I built my own sliding house
• Top 10 incentives for house buyers