If you think the snow has been good here lately, you should have seen the Alps. While parts of the UK took on an Alpine feel this week, holidaymakers in European ski resorts were enjoying a good deal more of the white stuff - about half a metre compared with our 20cm.

The exceptional snowfall is tempting winter sports enthusiasts to book end-of-season ski holidays in the Alps, according to holiday firms. This is despite the unfavourable exchange rate between the pound and the euro, now roughly one to one. Whether it will improve sales of ski property to UK investors is less certain. The poor exchange rate has made buyers more reluctant, but the result of lower demand is better bargains for those taking a serious look at the market.

Robin Wilson, head of overseas at Rightmove.co.uk, says: “The Alps remains one of our top five most searched destinations in France all year round. Buying in the southern Alps or Alpes-Maritime also means you have the Côte D'Azur on your doorstep for amazing beaches in summer. Now is actually a great time to buy because the ongoing negative news about the economy means vendors need to secure sales.”

The Right Move Abroad, another agent, says that supply is also increasing as British owners who bought a few years ago are selling to cash in on the strength of the euro against sterling. Some experts, such as one analyst for the website Property Abroad, think that prices of off-plan developments are now so low that they represent a good investment: “The low launch prices of off-plan developments near the Alps makes French ski property well worth consideration.” Others, such as Alice Weston-Baker, of Erna Low, believe that the resale market is more likely to yield a good deal because of the increase in distressed sellers. “The sterling/euro exchange rate isn't actually so bad because sellers, particularly distressed ones, are taking account of it and offering lower prices,” she says.

Convincing investors of this is not easy, however, and developers and agents are working on ways to stand out from the crowd with USPs (Unique Selling Points) that will catch the attention of the undecided.

Eco-ski, for example, is not a well-known concept, but it is the next big thing, according to the owners of Avoriaz, a 1,800m resort in the French Alps. It is a convenient 1-hour drive from Geneva, and is in the Portes du Soleil region, an area renowned for its sunshine. Pierre & Vacances (P&V), the French holiday and property company, is building two new developments here, MGM and Les Crozats, that will offer contemporary apartment blocks that will also include gyms, Turkish baths, swimming pools and spas. The resort has been car-free since it was built in the Sixties - eco-friendly horse-drawn carts transport residents from a big underground car park to their apartments, which are ski-in, ski-out. This also cuts out noise pollution: jingling bells replace the sound of engines. The architectural style of the new and existing apartments - high rise - has fallen out of favour, but as P&V points out, taller buildings containing several apartments are more energy-efficient than individual chalets. These ones, designed to slope in line with the mountains and made of wood, look surprisingly good.

More than 400 three and four-star apartments, due for completion in 2011 and 2012, are now for sale, from €190,500 (£171,800) for one bedroom to €875,000 for four. Investors buy via a leaseback scheme, in which buyers avoid VAT by leasing the property back to the management company and receiving a rebate of the VAT.

If the eco-angle does not appeal, then the mortgage arrangements may. An initial deposit of 2 per cent is required, with the rest paid as construction progresses. Mortgages for 99 per cent of the cost excluding VAT are available “subject to status”, with interest rates starting at 4.75 per cent. P&V also says it will guarantee rental income, although that will depend on how much owners wish to use the apartments themselves. Rental income on a two-bed costing €396,321 excluding VAT would come to €13,871 a year based on a return of 3.5 per cent. But buyers should consult an independent financial adviser to help them through the fine print. Toby Goldblatt, of the financial adviser website, Rubii.co.uk, says: “Don't be enticed by clever marketing. The chances are they've factored those deals into the cost. The last thing you want is to find that, after the guarantee has expired, you have an empty apartment that won't rent.”

Arc 1950, another ski-in, ski-out village, is selling itself on compactness, with chalets two minutes from the slopes. It is a 2-hour drive from Geneva and one of four purpose-built villages of Les Arcs in the Tarentaise valley of the Savoie. It was built by Intrawest, the luxury developer behind Whistler in Canada, and completed last year. All of the 750 apartments, in eight residences, have access to the usual high-end facilities. The atmosphere is decidedly family-oriented - another USP for those hoping to avoid rowdy après-skiers.

It is this proximity to everything that attracts Russian buyers, according to Erna Low, which opened an office in the village last season. Erna Low is selling 90 apartments here, with studios starting at €95,000 and four beds at €811,900. Prices have fallen by up to 30 per cent since last season, according to Weston-Baker. Intrawest and Radisson SAS, who run the residences, also offer guaranteed rental returns of between 3 and 7 per cent via a similar leaseback scheme to that operated by P&V.

For those worried about the hassle of arranging finance, some lenders, such as HSBC, offer euro mortgages. Rental returns are another worry, but demand for ski holidays still appears strong. More than 75 per cent of French ski property was occupied over Christmas, according to the tourism study group Protourisme. But this is, of course, snow-dependent. Kate Stinchcombe, of holidaylettings.co.uk. says: “Interest from ski holidaymakers has remained. Inquiries in February have been particularly high in response to the good weather conditions.” This should go somewhere to reassuring buyers that they can look forward to rental income - as long as the snow keeps falling.

www.pierre-vacances.co.uk , 020-7471 4500

www.ernalowproperty.co.uk , 020-7590 1624

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